Northern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
High Springs Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Torrey Tythoneus White of High Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to numerous drug trafficking and firearm charges. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Monday.
“Drug trafficking is a blight on all our communities, and this case reflects how our communities can fight back through effective cooperation among local, state, and federal authorities,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “It sends a message to drug traffickers everywhere that we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will punish you.”
White, a member of the Black Gangster Disciples street gang, was the leader of a drug-trafficking organization responsible for distributing crack cocaine in High Springs, Florida. On several occasions, White traded crack cocaine for firearms, and on one occasion traded crack cocaine for a set of body armor. Between January and March 2019, the FBI used a confidential source to make a series of controlled purchases of crack cocaine from White before executing a search warrant at his residence. The search led to the discovery of over $600 in cash, crack cocaine, and multiple firearms.
“A critical part of the FBI mission is to rid our communities of violent gangs and drug offenders who terrorize our neighborhoods,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Rachel L. Rojas. “This case represents the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target violent gangs and dismantle drug-trafficking organizations and restore safety and security in our communities. Criminals should know that our work won’t stop here. The FBI remains fully committed to working side-by-side with our federal, state and local partners on the Safe Streets Task Force to collectively pursue violent gangs and their leadership wherever they may operate.”
White pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, distribution of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, arising from separate incidents. White was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida also prosecuted two lower-level drug traffickers working for White. Frank Rushing was sentenced on September 1, 2020, to 30 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and Carl White was sentenced on February 8, 2021, to 18 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, with the first six months of release spent in a halfway house.
These sentences resulted from an investigation conducted by the FBI's Gainesville Resident Office Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, the High Springs Police Department, and the Gainesville/Alachua County Drug Task Force.
An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation led to the investigation and prosecution of these three defendants. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking. OCDETF is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional-level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to take down criminal organizations and seize assets.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. T. White SOF - U.S. v. T. WhiteFormer Tallahassee Federal Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Abuse of Multiple InmatesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury in Tallahassee has returned a three-count indictment charging a federal correctional officer with sexually abusing three inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee. Jimmy Lee Highsmith was charged with Sexual Abuse of a Ward. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the indictment, which was issued on February 2.
“The public places its trust in sworn law enforcement and correctional officers that they will represent the finest in our society, not the worst. Sadly, the charges contained in this indictment reflect the worst – an individual allegedly taking advantage of his position of trust to inflict harm on those under his care,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said.
Highsmith, 41, of Yazoo, Mississippi, was arrested last night by federal agents. His initial appearance will take place at 4:30 p.m. CST this afternoon at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi. Highsmith’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for February 17 at 1:30 p.m. EST before United States Magistrate Judge Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
The indictment alleges that while employed as a U.S. Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, Highsmith engaged in sexual acts with three inmates who were under his custodial, supervisory and disciplinary authority. The criminal conduct allegedly took place between March 2014 and September 2018. If convicted, Highsmith faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine, per count.
Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Lazaro P. Fields are prosecuting the case, which resulted from a long-term investigation by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. HighsmithFormer University of Florida Researcher Indicted for Scheme to Defraud National Institutes of Health and University of FloridaRead the Press Release
A former University of Florida (UF) professor and researcher and resident of China has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining $1.75 million in federal grant money from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by concealing support he received from the Chinese government and a company that he founded in China to profit from that research.
Lin Yang, 43, who resided in Tampa, Florida, at the time of the offenses, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to an agency of the United States. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on Dec. 15, 2020, was unsealed today.
“Transparency about foreign funding sources allows federal agencies to allocate finite resources fairly. Transparency about foreign government affiliations, like business affiliations, allows the research community and the American people to assess any impact on the integrity of the research,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “According to the indictment, the defendant intentionally deceived both his employer and the federal government in order to obtain more than a million dollars in research funding. Rather than being open about his ties to the People’s Republic of China, the defendant chose to conceal them, in the process advancing both the Chinese government’s strategic goals and his own financial interests. The department will continue to protect the foundations of America’s research enterprise—integrity and transparency.”
“The taxpayer dollars that funded Yang’s research were intended to benefit the health and well-being of U.S. citizens. But our indictment alleges that Yang engaged in acts of deliberate deception so that he could also further the research goals of the Chinese Communist government and advance his own business interests,” said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida. “We are committed to working closely with the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and our research institutions to identify, investigate and prosecute anyone who undermines the integrity of our nation’s research efforts by concealing potential conflicts of interest and commitment.”
“American taxpayers ought to know whether their money is being used to fund research and development for the benefit of foreign governments and foreign companies,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI will always investigate those who break the law by taking federal money while hiding their foreign business and government ties. In doing so, we’re ensuring transparency and protecting the hard-earned dollars of the American public.”
“The United States can benefit greatly from hosting foreign researchers in our academic institutions, but this case illustrates how that collaborative environment can also be exploited,” said Special Agent in Charge Rachel L. Rojas of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The Chinese Communist government simply does not play by the same rules of academic integrity that we do. The FBI is committed to holding its proxies accountable, and to helping educational institutions protect cutting-edge research and technologies from foreign adversaries who are determined to defeat the U.S. at any cost.”
“Taxpayers fund medical research in the hope that promising scientific breakthroughs will result in much-needed treatments and cures for patients. Such funding should be based on a transparent understanding of potential conflicts of interest and commitment,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will assiduously investigate rogue researchers who conceal their foreign support.”
According to the indictment, Yang obtained a $1.75 million grant from NIH to develop and disseminate an imaging informatics tool for muscles known as “MuscleMiner.” Between September 2014 and July 2019, Yang served as the principal investigator for the NIH grant at UF. As the principal investigator, Yang was responsible for conducting and administering the grant in compliance with applicable federal law and institutional policies. Among other things, Yang was required to disclose his foreign research support and financial conflicts of interest, including his ownership of, or interest in, a foreign company.
During that same period, in 2016, Yang established a business in China known as “Deep Informatics.” The indictment further alleges that Yang promoted his business in China by relating that its products were the result of years of research supported by millions of dollars of U.S. government funding. Simultaneously, Yang applied for and was accepted into the People’s Republic of China’s Thousand Talents Program (TTP) in connection with Northwestern Polytechnical University, located in Xi’an, China. The TTP was a talent plan established by the Chinese government to encourage the transfer of original ideas, technology, and intellectual property from foreign institutions, such as American universities.
In order to maintain his employment with UF and continue receiving NIH grant money, the indictment alleges that Yang intentionally concealed his conflicts of interest and other support in connection with his Chinese business and his participation in a Chinese government talent plan and affiliation with a Chinese research university. On multiple occasions, Yang submitted disclosures to NIH containing false statements and material omissions concerning his affiliations and research endeavors with a foreign government and company. Additionally, in January 2019, UF’s College of Engineering required all faculty to provide, in writing, updated disclosures concerning activities with foreign entities in China and two other countries. The indictment alleges that Yang provided UF with a written response that falsely stated he had no affiliation with any business, entity, or university in China.
Yang traveled to China in August of 2019 and has yet to return to the United States.
Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each count of making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI Jacksonville Division and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz for the Northern District of Florida is prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Section.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former University of Florida Researcher Indicted for Scheme to Defraud National Institutes of Health and University of FloridaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – A former University of Florida (UF) professor and researcher and resident of China has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining $1.75 million in federal grant money from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by concealing support he received from the Chinese government and a company that he founded in China to profit from that research.
Lin Yang, 43, who resided in Tampa, Florida, at the time of the offenses, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to an agency of the United States. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on Dec. 15, 2020, was unsealed today.
“Transparency about foreign funding sources allows federal agencies to allocate finite resources fairly. Transparency about foreign government affiliations, like business affiliations, allows the research community and the American people to assess any impact on the integrity of the research,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “According to the indictment, the defendant intentionally deceived both his employer and the federal government in order to obtain more than a million dollars in research funding. Rather than being open about his ties to the People’s Republic of China, the defendant chose to conceal them, in the process advancing both the Chinese government’s strategic goals and his own financial interests. The department will continue to protect the foundations of America’s research enterprise—integrity and transparency.”
“The taxpayer dollars that funded Yang’s research were intended to benefit the health and well-being of U.S. citizens. But our indictment alleges that Yang engaged in acts of deliberate deception so that he could also further the research goals of the Chinese Communist government and advance his own business interests,” said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida. “We are committed to working closely with the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and our research institutions to identify, investigate and prosecute anyone who undermines the integrity of our nation’s research efforts by concealing potential conflicts of interest and commitment.”
“American taxpayers ought to know whether their money is being used to fund research and development for the benefit of foreign governments and foreign companies,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI will always investigate those who break the law by taking federal money while hiding their foreign business and government ties. In doing so, we’re ensuring transparency and protecting the hard-earned dollars of the American public.”
“The United States can benefit greatly from hosting foreign researchers in our academic institutions, but this case illustrates how that collaborative environment can also be exploited,” said Special Agent in Charge Rachel L. Rojas of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The Chinese Communist government simply does not play by the same rules of academic integrity that we do. The FBI is committed to holding its proxies accountable, and to helping educational institutions protect cutting-edge research and technologies from foreign adversaries who are determined to defeat the U.S. at any cost.”
“Taxpayers fund medical research in the hope that promising scientific breakthroughs will result in much-needed treatments and cures for patients. Such funding should be based on a transparent understanding of potential conflicts of interest and commitment,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will assiduously investigate rogue researchers who conceal their foreign support.”
According to the indictment, Yang obtained a $1.75 million grant from NIH to develop and disseminate an imaging informatics tool for muscles known as “MuscleMiner.” Between September 2014 and July 2019, Yang served as the principal investigator for the NIH grant at UF. As the principal investigator, Yang was responsible for conducting and administering the grant in compliance with applicable federal law and institutional policies. Among other things, Yang was required to disclose his foreign research support and financial conflicts of interest, including his ownership of, or interest in, a foreign company.
During that same period, in 2016, Yang established a business in China known as “Deep Informatics.” The indictment further alleges that Yang promoted his business in China by relating that its products were the result of years of research supported by millions of dollars of U.S. government funding. Simultaneously, Yang applied for and was accepted into the People’s Republic of China’s Thousand Talents Program (TTP) in connection with Northwestern Polytechnical University, located in Xi’an, China. The TTP was a talent plan established by the Chinese government to encourage the transfer of original ideas, technology, and intellectual property from foreign institutions, such as American universities.
In order to maintain his employment with UF and continue receiving NIH grant money, the indictment alleges that Yang intentionally concealed his conflicts of interest and other support in connection with his Chinese business and his participation in a Chinese government talent plan and affiliation with a Chinese research university. On multiple occasions, Yang submitted disclosures to NIH containing false statements and material omissions concerning his affiliations and research endeavors with a foreign government and company. Additionally, in January 2019, UF’s College of Engineering required all faculty to provide, in writing, updated disclosures concerning activities with foreign entities in China and two other countries. The indictment alleges that Yang provided UF with a written response that falsely stated he had no affiliation with any business, entity, or university in China.
Yang traveled to China in August of 2019 and has yet to return to the United States.
Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each count of making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI Jacksonville Division and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz for the Northern District of Florida is prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Section.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Yang Yang Indictment (unsigned)Statement of United States Attorney Lawrence KeefeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - This morning FBI Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger were killed in the line of duty and three other agents were wounded while executing a federal court-ordered search warrant in a crimes against children investigation in Sunrise, Florida. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, issued the following statement:
“Our hearts are filled with concern and grief about the FBI agents who lost their lives or were wounded in the line of duty today in south Florida. All of us in local, state, and federal law enforcement recognize and honor the daily risk taken by the brave women and men who dedicate themselves to keeping the public safe. This tragic incident is especially heart-wrenching as it affects our U.S. Department of Justice family here in Florida. Our thoughts and prayers are with the agents, their loved ones, and their colleagues on this most difficult day.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Statement of U.S. Attorney KeefeFormer Gainesville Resident Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE – A former resident of Gainesville, Florida, was recently expelled from a foreign country and returned to the United States by the FBI for prosecution. Mohamed Fathy Suliman, age 33, a U.S. citizen, is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support, including personnel (himself) and services, to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. It is alleged that Suliman left Gainesville, Florida, travelled to Turkey, and attempted to enter Syria illegally in 2014 in an effort to join and support ISIS. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the arrest.
“This arrest resulted from years of work and coordination by our prosecutors and FBI agents from the Jacksonville Field Office,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Terrorists and would-be terrorists need to understand that no resource will be spared when it comes to protecting U.S. citizens and prosecuting those who seek to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”
According to the criminal complaint, Suliman made a one-way flight reservation in June 2014, from Orlando, Florida, to Alexandria, Egypt, with stops in Chicago, Illinois, and Istanbul, Turkey. Suliman initiated his travel on June 12, 2014, but when he arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, rather than traveling on to Egypt, Suliman paid cash for a one-way airline ticket to the Turkish/Syrian border town of Gaziantep, Turkey.
On June 14, 2014, Suliman was arrested by Turkish authorities for illegally crossing into Syria from Turkey. According to the criminal complaint, during an interview of Suliman by an FBI agent in 2018, Suliman stated that he had researched how to get to Syria, and had purchased the plane ticket to Egypt to disguise his true travel plans from family and others. Suliman also allegedly admitted that he purchased the airline ticket to Gaziantep, Turkey, with cash to avoid creating an electronic record of the purchase. Suliman went on to admit that he attempted to enter Syria and was arrested by Turkish authorities.
“This case illustrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from threats posed by violent terrorist organizations and those who attempt to provide them with material support,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI Jacksonville Joint Terrorism Task Force will never waiver in our efforts to identify and bring to justice those who threaten our national security by assisting foreign terrorist organizations and promoting violent extremism.”
Turkey is known to be a primary pathway used by foreign fighters aspiring to join ISIS forces in Syria, due to the land border shared by the two countries. Like others, Suliman allegedly disguised his intentions from his family by only telling them he planned to travel to Egypt. According to the complaint, Suliman's actions are consistent with those of other individuals who have sought to join ISIS and crossed from Turkey into Syria at the Kilis border crossing, after traveling to Gaziantep.
According to the criminal complaint, a search of an email account subscribed to by Suliman revealed approximately 36 email attachments that contained various audio files that consisted of messages calling for jihad, justifications for jihad, rewards for those who participate in jihad and martyrdom, and that encouraged fighting against the crusaders, infidels (non-Muslims), and those that insult the Prophet Muhammad. The email attachments were dated from May 2009 through October 2012. The criminal complaint also alleges that in both August and December of 2014, Suliman’s Facebook account displayed an ISIS profile photo featuring the black flag that is ISIS’s symbol.
If convicted, Suliman faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Suliman’s initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville.
This arrest resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz is prosecuting this case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Suliman Complaint - U.S. v. SulimanSanta Rosa County Traffic Stop Results in 10 Year Prison Sentence on Heroin and Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlos Linares of Pompano Beach, Florida, has been sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of heroin. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence, which was handed down on January 15, 2021.
“As this case clearly demonstrates, drug traffickers who haul their poison through this district will be caught, prosecuted, and punished,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “Even a single vehicle can carry a significant amount of deadly cargo. Federal, state, and local law enforcement will continue working diligently to identify and intercept these shipments of dangerous drugs before they reach our communities.”
Linares, 27, was stopped on July 30, 2020, by the Florida Highway Patrol while traveling east on Interstate 10 in Santa Rosa County. During the traffic stop, a canine alerted to the presence of narcotics inside Linares’ vehicle. When troopers looked inside the vehicle, they discovered over 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of heroin and 961 grams (2.1 pounds) of methamphetamine. In addition, troopers seized four cellular telephones, a digital scale, and a GPS tracking device that was hidden beneath the steering column. The investigation revealed that Linares was delivering the drugs from Texas to central Florida, and it is believed that his handlers were using the hidden GPS tracking device to track his movements and confirm the delivery of the drugs.
The sentencing resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. LinaresFifth and Final Member of Local Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kevin C. Bui, of Fort Walton Beach, was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in federal prison following his August conviction on drug and money laundering conspiracy charges. Bui and four co-conspirators trafficked thousands of pounds of marijuana into North Florida from California and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds to send back to their supplier in California. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“This man and his co-conspirators polluted North Florida with their drugs, then laundered the proceeds to be shipped out of state. Their federal prison sentences are key to disrupting and dismantling this drug trafficking organization,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “This case is another example of how federal, state, and local law enforcement can work effectively to put organizations like this out of business.”
After a 14-month investigation led by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the Northern District of Florida, all five defendants have now been sentenced for their roles in the multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization, which operated in Florida, California, and elsewhere.
Bui and three other Florida-based defendants conspired with and relied upon a fifth defendant – the organization’s California-based source of supply – to mail thousands of pounds of marijuana into the Northern District of Florida. In exchange, the Florida-based defendants funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash through bank accounts and purchased money orders and cashier’s checks at local grocery and convenience stores with marijuana trafficking proceeds, in order to transfer the money back to the source in California. During the execution of search and arrest warrants, law enforcement seized thousands of dollars in United States currency, precious jewelry, controlled substances, and other items of significant value.
"So much crime is motivated by greed. IRS Special Agents play a unique role on task forces aimed at dismantling criminal enterprises: we follow the money. That’s exactly what we did in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. “We are proud to add our financial investigative skills to this operation, and we commend the exemplary efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in bringing these criminals to justice.”
Bui and his co-conspirators were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bui’s co-conspirators all pled guilty to the charges, while Bui was convicted by a federal jury in August 2020. The sentences imposed for all five defendants are:
- Phi T. Nguyen, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 120 months in federal prison;
- Kevin C. Bui, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 78 months in federal prison;
- Larry Millard Harrison, II, of Mary Esther, Florida, 84 months in federal prison;
- Philip H. Ly, of Mary Esther, Florida, 60 months in federal prison; and
- Hoang B. Pham, of Temple City, California, 40 months in federal prison.
These prosecutions resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation that since the beginning of 2017 targeted a drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of marijuana throughout northern Florida. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking. OCDETF is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional-level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to take down criminal organizations and seize assets.
“These traffickers funneled large amounts of illegal drugs into our Northwest Florida communities,” said FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey. “I appreciate the hard work of our FDLE agents, members of the OCDETF and U.S. Attorney Keefe. There is no doubt that our community is a safer place with these traffickers behind bars.”
These sentences resulted from the collaborative work of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Lazaro P. Fields prosecuted the cases.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. BuiTallahassee Man Arrested for Inciting Violence at the Florida Capitol BuildingRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Federal law enforcement agents today arrested Daniel Baker of Tallahassee for transmission, in interstate commerce, of a communication containing a threat to kidnap or to injure. Baker issued a call to arms for like-minded individuals to violently confront protestors gathered at the Florida Capitol this Sunday. He specifically called for others to join him in encircling any protestors and confining them at the Capitol complex using firearms. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the arrest.
“Extremists intent on violence from either end of the political and social spectrums must be stopped, and they will be stopped,” Keefe said. “The diligent work in this case by the FBI and other public safety organizations has averted a crisis with this arrest, and we will not stop in our efforts to detect, deter, and disrupt anyone else planning to incite or commit violence.”
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Baker without incident early this morning with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Tallahassee Police Department. He will make his initial appearance virtually this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse before Magistrate Judge Charles A. Stampelos.
“In these perilous times, we are steadfastly committed to being as transparent as possible about the work your government does to protect public safety and uphold the rule of law,” Keefe said. “While extremists who plan mayhem may skulk in the shadows, it’s important that we force them into the light and bring them to justice.”
Baker, a former U.S. Army Airborne infrantryman who was kicked out of the service, has a history of expressing his belief in violent tactics. In recent days his social media posts had escalated significantly. He specifically expressed an intent to violently disrupt protests occurring between now and Inauguration Day next Wednesday, January 20, and was actively recruiting others to join him. Baker, who actively participated in multiple protests throughout the United States last summer, has used social media as a way to promote, encourage, and educate his followers on how to incapacitate and debilitate law enforcement officers.
“This arrest serves as a message to anyone who intends to incite or commit violence in the Northern District of Florida: If you represent a threat to public safety, we will come for you, we will find you, and we will prosecute you,” Keefe said. “Daniel Baker’s actions show that he is a dangerous extremist, and the law-abiding public is safer now that he has been arrested. We are, and will remain, on high alert and will take all appropriate actions against credible threats to the people of our District.”
After approximately one year in the Army, Baker received an other-than-honorable discharge in 2007 after he went AWOL before his unit was to deploy to Iraq. In 2017, he joined the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a group fighting in Syria against ISIS and the Turkish government. He claimed on social media that he was a trained sniper for the YPG, and he can be seen in a documentary film fighting ISIS and Turkish militants. YPG is a sub-affiliate of the Kurdistan’s Working Party (PKK), which is designated by the United States government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Baker can be seen in photos and YouTube videos with a variety of firearms, including those with high-capacity magazines. Social media posts also show that he was actively attempting to purchase additional firearms within the last 24-48 hours. A chronological account of Baker’s social media posts, along with additional information about his self-declared attempts to incite violence at past protests, can be found in the affidavit below.
“The FBI is laser focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals who are intent on inciting violence or engaging in criminal activity,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “We will not tolerate those who seek to wreak havoc in our communities. We are fully coordinating with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all citizens in the North Florida, and our partnership of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Tallahassee Police Department have been especially vital in this effort. Help from the public is also critical, and we encourage anyone with information regarding potential violence or criminal activity to contact law enforcement immediately.”
To report information, or suspicious activity, contact local law enforcement, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or 911 in case of emergency.
This case resulted from a collaborative investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Kunz and Lazaro Fields are prosecuting this cases.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Baker Criminal Complaint - U.S. v. BakerPensacola Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for New Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Travis M. Butler, of Pensacola, was sentenced today to life imprisonment on federal charges of enticing a minor for sexual activity and producing child pornography. Butler pled guilty to the charges during a pretrial conference just two days before his federal jury trial was due to begin. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Butler is a sexual predator who has repeatedly victimized underage girls for his own purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “He has inflicted harm on far too many girls, but his trail of devastated young lives will come to an end behind bars.”
In September 2019, law enforcement officers with the Pensacola Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Butler, 47, and a minor female from the local area were engaged in illicit communications and activity via Facebook Messenger. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pensacola Police Department were able to geo-locate Butler’s criminal activity to Pensacola. This led law enforcement to obtain search warrants for Butler’s social media accounts, which produced troves of evidence displaying his sexual acts with the minor and his request for her to produce child pornography for his pleasure. Butler spent the summer of 2019 meeting and engaging in sexual acts with the minor victim, unbeknownst to her family. Social media account communications revealed that Butler hoped to continue their sexual relationship and even bring in a third party for group sex involving the minor. Butler was arrested by HSI, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in November 2019.
“The horrible crimes against this child cannot be undone, but we hope this sentencing is another step in the healing process for his victim,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “We are proud to be one of the law enforcement partners making our local communities safer through the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”
Butler is a registered sex offender based on prior state of Florida convictions, in 2006, for lewd and lascivious battery and contributing to the delinquency of a child by impregnating (under 16). At the sentencing hearing in that case, it was revealed that the victim was actually the third minor female with whom Butler had engaged in sexual acts. In each of his two prior instances of sexual activity, Butler impregnated the minors.
The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Meredith L. Steer.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. ButlerFort Walton Beach Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Drugs and FirearmsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Guy Anthony Folta of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced to serve 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Drugs and a weapon in the hands of a convicted felon is a menacing and potentially deadly combination, and the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to making sure such dangerous criminals are sentenced appropriately,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Our law enforcement partners in Okaloosa County did an outstanding job in helping us bring Folta to justice.”
Folta, 49, was arrested on outstanding arrest warrants last June 29 by deputies from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Following the arrest, deputies looked inside the vehicle Folta was driving and observed the grip of a pistol. After determining that Folta was a convicted felon, deputies obtained a search warrant authorizing the search of the vehicle, where they discovered a loaded stolen Glock 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number and 45 rounds of ammunition. Deputies also found 152 grams of methamphetamine packaged in five separate baggies, 10 grams of cocaine base, 21 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of heroin, and a digital scale.
“Our region should take notice of this case,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden. “This is a significant arrest and significant sentence for a man with a lengthy criminal record who was back out peddling poison to our citizens. But due to the ongoing joint efforts of our deputies and federal partners, Folta will now be off the streets for the next 15 years, making our region safer from the dangerous impacts of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine.”
The December 28 sentencing resulted from a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. FoltaUnited States Attorney Lawrence Keefe Maintains Priority on Seeking Justice and Recovery for Victims of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida today announced that a total of 39 defendants were indicted in 2020 on federal charges involving the exploitation of children, ranging from production, distribution, and possession of child pornography to sex trafficking of minors. Highlighting the impact of his office’s work to bring child sex offenders to justice, U.S. Attorney Keefe emphasized his continued commitment to protecting children and guarding our communities.
“Child exploitation cases are not always widely publicized in order to protect the victims and their families, but I have made it one of our highest priorities as we seek to uphold the first duty of government to protect our citizens,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “Even COVID-19 has not deterred our efforts to go after sex offenders targeting our children, and we continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect vulnerable youth and help them access the resources they need for what is often a long and challenging road to recovery.”
Keefe lauded the dedication of prosecutors and investigators from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who work tirelessly to secure justice against those who sexually victimize children. He pledged to continue ensuring that federal resources are made available to assist law enforcement partners as they conduct complex investigations to dismantle the networks used by child sex offenders and to pursue, prosecute, and punish those involved.
Keefe credited the success of these 39 indictments in 2020 to the joint efforts of the agencies participating in the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Levy County Sheriff’s Office, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Tallahassee Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Panama City Police Department, and Pensacola Police Department.
In addition to successfully investigating and indicting 39 new cases in 2020, other ongoing cases concluded with defendants receiving significant federal prison sentences. Among the most significant, a Bay County resident was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison for the production and possession of child pornography; a Leon County resident was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for the production and possession of child pornography; and a Tallahassee resident was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor and enticement to engage in prostitution.
While seeking the most significant and appropriate sentences for the perpetrators of these insidious crimes, prosecutors work closely with Victim Assistance Specialists, also from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to ensure that victims of child sex offenses and their family members are treated with sensitivity and care throughout the legal process. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is equally dedicated to helping victims on their path to recovery, connecting them with state and local agencies that provide support and resources as appropriate.
“The evil done by sex offenders against innocent children truly shocks the sensibilities of decent people everywhere,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “Our focus is both on punishing the offenders and helping victims find their way back to normal life in our communities.”
Keefe said the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues undeterred by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After a brief pause to implement appropriate COVID-19 safety precautions earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued grand jury operations and criminal jury trials.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Project Safe Childhood 2020Statement of United States Attorney Lawrence KeefeRead the Press Release
“The criminal acts of domestic terrorism at our nation’s Capitol yesterday shock the sensibilities of all law-abiding, patriotic Americans, regardless of their political leanings. Our Capitol is a historic symbol of the republic and the seat of a lawmaking body that is the envy of the world. The attack on our Capitol is an assault on America's democracy and an insult to all Americans. It cannot and will not be tolerated. As United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, our office will do everything within our authority to identify and prosecute any individuals from this district who violated federal law and travelled to Washington to participate in this dangerous lawlessness. These individuals are neither patriots nor protesters; they are shameless criminals, and must be treated as such. As surely as history, in the future, will punish those who engaged in such anarchy and criminal behavior, our nation will use all appropriate tools of law enforcement and justice to seek their prosecution and punishment now."
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Statement of U.S. Attorney Lawrence KeefeAtlanta Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in North FloridaRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Gerry F. Carter, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday to a total of 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges stemming from an organization that distributed methamphetamine in North Florida. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Drug traffickers have one thing in common: They are more concerned with personal profit than the lives that they ruin. We will continue to support the efforts our law enforcement partners in any way we can as we work together to investigate and prosecute these criminals bringing drugs into North Florida,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said.
Carter was the Atlanta-based supplier of drugs distributed by a methamphetamine-trafficking organization operating in North Florida. Carter provided the organization with at least 120 kilograms of methamphetamine between August 2018 and February 2019. He also possessed several handguns, which he carried to protect his drug money. Carter was the subject of a DEA sting operation conducted on July 18, 2019, when Carter attempted to pick up $21,000 from a person in Tallahassee, Florida, to be used for the purchase of 3 kilograms of methamphetamine. Unknown to Carter, the “purchaser” was an undercover agent.
“Due to the outstanding cooperation and coordination by our collective law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, this individual no longer poses a significant risk of distributing dangerous narcotics throughout Northern Florida communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis.
Carter pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. Carter qualified for sentencing as a career offender because of convictions for two prior drug-trafficking offenses. He will serve 25 years on the conspiracy charge, followed by 5 years on the firearm charge. The Court also ordered 10 years of supervised release following the completion of Carter’s prison term.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. CarterConvicted Felon Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Robert Robinson Sr., of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced on January 5, 2021, to eight years in federal prison after entering a plea of guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. At the time of his guilty plea on September 8, Robinson already had multiple prior felony convictions, including felony battery, possession of a firearm by felon, possession of a firearm with serial number removed, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“The criminal use of firearms is one of the greatest threats to the safety and well-being of the people of North Florida, and this lengthy sentence will keep a serious repeat offender away from the law-abiding people of our communities,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “This sentence sends a clear message that we take such threats seriously and do everything in our power to stop them.”
On the morning of March 1, 2020, deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) were dispatched to a gas station after 911 callers reported that an armed confrontation had occurred in front of the store. Video footage later confirmed information provided by witnesses who said that Robinson, 27, got into an argument with another man in front of the store and then retrieved a 9 mm rifle from the trunk of his vehicle. Robinson escalated the confrontation with the other man while holding the rifle in his hands, before fleeing the area in his vehicle. A responding deputy quickly located the suspect vehicle and got behind it, but before the deputy could activate his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle accelerated into a residential neighborhood in an attempt to evade law enforcement. During a brief pursuit through the neighborhood, Robinson turned around on a dead-end road and threw the rifle out of his car window, before aggressively driving toward the pursuing deputy’s vehicle and continuing his flight. Robinson was ultimately stopped by other ACSO deputies who had blocked the exit to the neighborhood. The rifle, loaded with an extended magazine and 17 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, was located in the grass near where Robinson had turned around.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) adopted the case for federal prosecution and conducted additional investigation, as a part of the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative (GVI).
“Removing convicted felons in possession of firearms from our streets is a priority for ATF,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “Together with the investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners, this individual has been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the ACSO and the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey.
The Gainesville GVI was established in April 2019 by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding area. This commitment to protecting public safety is shared by GVI partners the State Attorney’s Office for the Eight Judicial Circuit, the ATF, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the ACSO, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. RobinsonTallahassee Doctor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Health Insurance Providers of $29 Million and Performing Unnecessary Invasive Surgical Procedures on Hundreds of PatientsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Dr. Moses de-Graft Johnson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ghana, pled guilty today to committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the plea.
Over the course of almost four years, beginning in late 2015 or early 2016 until his arrest in February 2020, deGraft-Johnson did significant harm to hundreds of patients living in the Tallahassee area. Many of these innocent victims underwent unnecessary and invasive surgical procedures, while others were victimized through medical records reflecting procedures he did not perform – erroneous and misleading records that could cause doctors in the future to determine a mistaken course of medical treatment for many patients.
“The United States will continue to work to recover the ill-gotten gains of de-Graft-Johnson’s criminal behavior, to identify information that will help his victims correct their important medical records, and to identify how he gained access to his victims so we can make sure nothing like it ever happens again,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe.
deGraft-Johnson, 46, owned and operated Thorvasc PA, a Florida corporation doing business as the Heart and Vascular Institute of North Florida (HVINF). HVINF was a physician’s office and outpatient catheterization laboratory located in Tallahassee. As part of his plea, deGraft-Johnson acknowledged engaging in a wide-ranging and consistent pattern of performing two invasive diagnostic angiography procedures - one on each leg - on hundreds of his patients, whether medically indicated or not. When his patients returned for follow-up office visits, deGraft-Johnson submitted fraudulent claims to their insurance companies stating he performed athrectomies during the appointments. Using this scheme, deGraft-Johnson admits he falsely claimed to have performed over 3,000 of these surgical procedures to clear blockages in arteries in as many as 845 of his patients’ legs.
“deGraft-Johnson’s unscrupulous behavior placed the lives of his many patients at risk while siphoning funds from vital health care programs for personal gain,” said Omar Pérez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable health care professionals who prioritize greed over critical patient care.”
To date, ongoing investigation and analysis have determined that the defendant fraudulently obtained at least $29 million – and very likely more. The United States is aggressively pursuing all of deGraft-Johnson’s forfeitable assets in the U.S. and overseas, including luxury vehicles; jewelry; homes in Manhattan, Southampton, New York, Miami, and the Houston area; and more than $1 million in cash.
“Health care fraud hurts all Floridians by artificially inflating the cost of medical services and harming the integrity of private insurance,” said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. I am proud of the work my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit did in helping bring the defendant in this multimillion dollar health care fraud case to justice. We will continue to work with our great federal partners to identify, investigate and end health care fraud in Florida.”
deGraft-Johnson inappropriately gained access to his vulnerable victims by establishing relationships with churches, nursing homes, a hospital, and an outreach organization. The United States Attorney’s Office is working to uncover all aspects of the methods he used to identify and exploit his former patients, many of them in underserved communities. Prosecutors are also pursuing information regarding the unnecessary medical procedures and falsified medical records, so that the defendant’s former patients may be properly informed regarding their true medical conditions and can secure appropriate treatment going forward.
“Today’s plea is a direct result of the commitment by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who willingly defraud American citizens,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Instead of caring for his patients, this defendant targeted vulnerable members of our community, subjected them to unnecessary surgical procedures, and falsified documents so he could line his pockets with millions of taxpayer dollars. Fraud, like this, reduces the availability of critical resources and contributes to the rising cost of healthcare for all. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate these crimes and prosecute all those who defraud the American public for their own personal gain."
deGraft-Johnson pled guilty to 56 counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The conspiracy and health care fraud charges each have a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, and a maximum fine equal to twice the value of the loss to the health care benefit program. The aggravated identity theft charge has a mandatory sentence of 2 years of imprisonment, which must be consecutive to any other sentence, and a maximum fine of $250,000. deGraft-Johnson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2021, at the United States District Court in Tallahassee.
This case is the result of the collaborative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Florida Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Grogan.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. deGraft-JohnsonForeign National Arrested at Pensacola International Airport Sentenced to Federal Prison for National Security OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe, of the Northern District of Florida, today announced that Colin Fisher, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on charges related to his attempt to export power generating equipment to Iran. He was also fined $5000. Fisher was arrested by federal agents earlier this year when he arrived at the Pensacola airport from the United Arab Emirates in order to complete the illegal transaction and obtain equipment for a buyer in Iran.
Fisher pled guilty in September to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and attempted smuggling. Between 2017 and the time of his arrest in August, Fisher, 45, worked to violate the Iranian embargo by attempting to export a Solar Mars 90 S turbine core engine and parts from the United States for delivery to an end user in Iran. This included participating in fraudulent invoicing and using coded language with conspirators to communicate about the illegal transactions. Despite these efforts, law enforcement authorities discovered the plan and were able to seize the turbine before its transatlantic journey to the end user, a conspirator in Iran who is linked to an Iranian energy company. The turbine, which was valued at half a million dollars, could have been used to provide energy to the oil fields of Iran.
“The Iranian embargo is directly related to the national security of the United States, and by attempting to evade that embargo Fisher and his fellow conspirators placed this nation directly at risk,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “It’s appalling to think that someone would place personal financial gain above the safety of the nation, but this case shows we will pursue and punish those who try.”
When Fisher was arrested on August 7, 2020, he had arrived at the Pensacola International Airport to meet with individuals he believed would help him finalize the illicit transaction. Instead, he was met by agents from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who took him into custody. When he completes his prison sentence, Fisher will be removed from the United States.
“American law enforcement remains relentless in our efforts to protect the national security of this country,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case proves our continued commitment to pursue anyone who acts as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States. The FBI is proud to support our partners at the Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security and we are thankful for the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida throughout this investigation.”
James Meharg, CEO and president of Turbine Resources International, LLC, in Pensacola, was previously convicted of conspiring with Fisher to export the turbine and parts from the United States to an Iranian recipient, in violation of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. Meharg is currently serving a 3½-year sentence in federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case following a joint investigation by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. FisherU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Presents Leon County Sheriff's Office with Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhood AwardRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today recognized the Leon County Sheriff’s Office as one of just two law enforcement agencies in the nation being honored for outstanding contributions to the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. U.S. Attorney Keefe made remarks before presenting Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil with a plaque and a letter from U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr, in the rotunda of the Leon County Courthouse.
“This community should know about the extraordinary work being done by Sheriff McNeil and the entire Leon County Sheriff’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “There are over 15,000 local sheriff’s offices and police departments in the United States and to be one of only two in the entire country to receive this award this year speaks so much about the exceptional team serving the people of Leon County.”
This PSN award recognizes a police or sheriff’s department that has shown superior commitment to targeting and/or preventing violent crime at the local level. Typically, the award would be presented by the Attorney General at the annual Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference, but this year’s event, originally planned for mid-April in Dallas, TX, was postponed and ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has played an integral role in furthering the goals and initiatives of the PSN Program through its ALLinLEON program, formally established in May 2019. Through collaborative efforts with law enforcement and community partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ALLinLEON has consistently been effective at reducing violent crime and making Leon County a safer place to live.
During today’s award presentation, Sheriff McNeil also recognized the following ALLinLEON law enforcement partners:
- Chief Lawrence Revell, Tallahassee Police Department
- Chief John Gourley, Florida Highway Patrol
- Sheriff Jared Miller, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office
- U.S. Marshal Don Ladner, U.S. Marshals Service
The Project Safe Neighborhoods Program brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve, to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country work in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - PSN Award to LCSOTallahassee Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Assaulting A United States Postal Service Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Darius Lee Allen, 26, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment for assaulting a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier with a firearm. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
As part of his official duties, a USPS mail carrier was delivering mail in a residential neighborhood in Tallahassee on April 2, 2020. As he attempted to deliver to a mailbox, Allen demanded that the carrier hand him the mail instead. In accordance with USPS policy, because the mail carrier did not recognize Allen as a resident of that address, he refused Allen’s demand and placed the mail in the mailbox. About 20 minutes later, as the carrier continued delivering mail to other homes in the neighborhood, Allen approached the mail carrier’s vehicle on foot and discharged a firearm in the air. After doing so, Allen immediately retreated. The mail carrier also fled the scene in his vehicle and called 911 to report the incident. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded and located the firearm Allen had discharged as well as the spent casing from the round that was fired. Allen was subsequently arrested.
“The Postal Service has been a cornerstone of our republic for some 245 years, and the American public has relied on it for secure delivery of items both important and routine,” United States Attorney Keefe said. “Individuals commit a crime when they try to disrupt a mail carrier’s solemn duty, and Allen’s assault on this federal officer also endangered others in the area.”
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lazaro P. Fields.
“Protecting the safety of our USPS employees is our most important mission, and Inspectors will continue the great work of bringing those who attack the USPS to justice,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the USPIS, Miami Division.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - U.S. v. AllenIndictment Disrupts Racketeering, Fraud Scheme to Steal and Sell State Certification ExamsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe today announced the indictment of two people in a far-reaching conspiracy scheme to allegedly steal, defraud, and profiteer by cheating the state's educator testing, certification, and licensing process. The indictment says the couple and employees of their private company repeatedly took state-required exams in order to memorize the questions so they could then profit by selling them to prospective educators.
The indictment alleges that since January 2016, certified Florida teachers Kathleen M. Jasper, 42, and Jeremy M. Jasper, 40, both of Estero, Florida, stole content from the Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) and the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE). They are alleged to have then included the stolen content in test preparation materials and services sold through their business, the indictment says. Passing these exams is required for certification in Florida, and the test content is owned by the Florida Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
“This alleged scheme represents an insult to the vast majority of Florida’s public school teachers and administrators who studied and worked hard the right way to become certified in their profession because it provided an illegal and unethical shortcut for others,” said Keefe, who is United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “Floridians expect and deserve to know that the public schools to which they entrust their children to learn are being led by teachers and administrators who properly earned their way into the system. The profiteering scheme alleged in this indictment strikes at the very heart of public education by undermining the credibility of important licensing exams that help ensure the very best for our children.”
The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury on December 1, charges the Jaspers with racketeering conspiracy (RICO), conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 108 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, and three counts of theft of trade secrets. They face a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and each wire fraud count, and up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and for each theft of trade secrets count.
According to the indictment, the Jaspers owned and operated NavaEd, LLC, a company that offered tutoring and training to prepare prospective Florida educators to pass the FTCE and the FELE. NavaEd offered training publications for sale worldwide directly through its website and through third-party e-commerce websites such as Amazon and Shopify.
The indictment alleges that Kathleen and Jeremy Jasper each took the FTCE and FELE multiple times – after having already passed the exams – in order to see and memorize, or “harvest,” as many different exam questions as possible. According to the indictment, the Jaspers also directed NavaEd employees and independent contractors to take the exams for the same purpose.
As alleged in the indictment, the Jaspers and NavaEd customers shared the stolen FTCE and FELE test content with each other through email, phone, video conferencing, and messaging applications. The indictment also alleges that the Jaspers republished the stolen test content – verbatim and almost verbatim – into NavaEd publications that were written to prepare future Florida teachers and school administrators for the certification exams. These publications, as well as other NavaEd FTCE and FELE preparation materials, were disseminated and used during NavaEd training seminars and tutoring sessions.
“Today’s indictment alleges that these two so-called educators knowingly and willfully preyed on school districts and teachers, and taxpayer money. Together with our law enforcement partners, we were able to stop them,” said Kori Smith, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southern Regional Office. “As the office responsible for identifying fraud, abuse, and other criminal activity involving Department of Education funds and programs, ensuring that those who abuse these funds or game the system for their own selfish purposes are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission.”
The Jaspers, in their capacity as the owners of NavaEd, conspired to conduct their business affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, which the indictment specifically alleges to consist of multiple acts of wire fraud. Wire fraud was committed when Kathleen and Jeremy Jasper, and employees and contractors working at their direction, falsely and fraudulently acknowledged and agreed to various testing rules and regulations, including a non-disclosure agreement, each time they registered to take the FTCE or FELE, the indictment says.
"These indictments are a powerful testament to the importance of cooperation between state and federal partners," said FDLE's Tallahassee Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez. "I am incredibly proud of the investigative resources our agents and analysts brought to this case, and tremendously grateful for our partners' diligent work ensuring that justice is done."
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the United States Department of Education-Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Education, with investigative assistance by Pearson VUE, the company with whom the Florida Department of Education contracted to administer and provide test security for the FTCE and FELE. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
An initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for Friday, December 11, 2020, at 1:30 p.m., before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Martin Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Jasper Indictment - JasperArmed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – James Wilkerson, 43, of Citra, Florida, was sentenced on December 1, 2020, to a total of 19 and a half years in federal prison after a federal jury convicted him of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on July 24, 2020. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“The threat posed to our communities by this violent career criminal has been eliminated,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “This sentence not only fits the defendant’s history of crime, but it is also key to protecting public safety. The collaborative efforts of our partners in the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative continue to yield impactful results, and we will continue working tirelessly to make North Florida safer.”
On October 30, 2018, in response to a number of violent crimes occurring in a vacant lot in northeast Gainesville, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) detectives were conducting follow-up investigation in relation to an unsolved homicide when they observed Wilkerson and another person sitting under a tent in the vacant lot. The detectives approached the tent and made contact with Wilkerson, who was clenching one of his hands, as if he was concealing something. The detectives also noticed the odor of marijuana as they approached the tent. Wilkerson refused to comply with lawful commands from the detectives and began to resist their attempts to detain him for further investigation. After a brief struggle, Wilkerson was detained and a small baggie of drugs was recovered.
Detectives then searched the area where Wilkerson had been sitting and located a loaded .32 caliber pistol amongst some trash, which would have been immediately adjacent to Wilkerson’s feet. Wilkerson, a convicted felon, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
DNA forensic analysis conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab was instrumental in proving that the firearm belonged to Wilkerson.
Additional investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that Wilkerson had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault, robbery with a firearm, trafficking in cocaine, and possession of cocaine. Due to his criminal record, Wilkerson qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which allowed for an enhanced sentence, including a fifteen year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment.
“As a felon, with several prior convictions for violent crimes, this sentence will remove this individual from our streets and put him in federal prison where he will serve a lengthy sentence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey.
The GPD Detectives Division notes, “This sentence is another example of how the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative is benefiting our neighbors and making our City safer. As our Department continues to seek ways to curb gun violence in Gainesville, we are grateful for our local, state, and federal partners that work tirelessly to bring these violent criminals to justice.”
The Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative (GVI) was established in April, 2019, by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding area. As GVI partners, the State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections share this commitment to protecting public safety.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. WilkersonColombian Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges for His Role in International Cocaine Importation ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gustavo Adolfo Pareja, 26, of Cali, Colombia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to import 50 kilograms of cocaine for distribution in the United States. Pareja was extradited from Colombia to the Northern District of Florida last month, following an extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
“There is no better example of North Florida law enforcers uniting against drug traffickers than this case,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked tirelessly to investigate and prosecute all of the conspirators attempting to flood North Florida communities with large amounts of cocaine for personal profit. Pareja’s extradition and holding him accountable here in the United States sends a clear message that if you traffic drugs in our District, we will come for you no matter how far away you are.”
By pleading guilty to the two federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges, Pareja admits he was involved in an international conspiracy with co-defendants Daniel Gould and Henry Royer. Pareja awaited international extradition for over a year before Colombian authorities surrendered him to the United States Marshals Service in October 2020, to be returned to the United States to face the charges filed against him.
Between January and August 2018, in the Northern District of Florida and in the country of Colombia, former Master Sergeant Daniel Gould of the United States Army and Henry Royer, formerly of the United States Army and Army National Guard, conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
The conspiracy began in early 2018 when Gould and Royer initially imported 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Royer traveled to Colombia with U.S. currency to use as payment. Gould placed the cocaine in a gutted punching bag and had the package transported to Bogota to be placed on a United States military aircraft. A few days later, the cocaine-filled punching bag arrived at Duke Field, which is an auxiliary airfield of Eglin Air Force Base. Gould and Royer distributed the 10 kilograms of cocaine in Northwest Florida.
Gould and Royer then reinvested the money from the first load of cocaine into a second load of 40 kilograms of cocaine. Gould placed approximately $65,000 in cash on a United States military cargo aircraft destined for Colombia as funds for the next purchase. In early August 2018, Gould and Royer returned to Colombia and provided the money to Pareja, their supplier, in exchange for the 40 kilograms of cocaine. Gould and Royer loaded the cocaine into two gutted punching bags, and coordinated transport to the embassy before flying back to the United States. Suspicion was aroused at the embassy when packages were x-rayed, revealing cocaine within gutted out punching bags.
On August 13, 2018, when the cocaine was seized at the embassy, Gould had already returned home and was awaiting its arrival. The 40 kilograms of cocaine would have an estimated value in excess of $1 million in the Northern District of Florida. Gould and Royer have also pled guilty to their involvement in the criminal activity and are serving sentences in federal prison.
DEA’s Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis was pleased with the development, adding, “Pareja’s admission of guilt is proof that the hard work done investigating his drug trafficking crimes by our national and international law enforcement partners was extremely successful.”
Pareja faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., before Senior United States District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Colombia. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - ParejaFlorida Attorney Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – David Wayne Aring, 49, formerly of Tallahassee, pled guilty on Monday, November 23, to a federal charge of receipt of child pornography. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
Between March 26, 2017, and December 2, 2019, from his former Tallahassee apartment, Aring used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download digital images and videos depicting child pornography. A search warrant was executed on Aring’s apartment on January 7, 2020, and investigators located a USB storage device and a desktop computer. Investigators determined the USB device contained thousands of digital files that contained child pornography, including bestiality and bondage involving children under the age of 12 (most notably infants and toddlers).
“We make a priority of punishing crimes against children as among the most heinous kinds of offenses -- and that includes the egregious crime of child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Those who seek to view and maintain this illegal content facilitate the efforts of those who produce child pornography, which is robbing so many of our children of their innocence and their very childhood.”
Aring’s desktop computer was forensically analyzed and was found to contain thousands of digital images that depicted child pornography. Further, installed on the desktop computer was a peer-to-peer file sharing program that was used to search for terms germane to child pornography, and the file sharing program was found to have been used to download over 17,000 files since May 6, 2018.
This case was jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Meredith Steer are prosecuting the case.
“One of our most important jobs is combatting crimes against our children, and FDLE agents continue to investigate and arrest criminals who want to harm our youth,” said FDLE Tallahassee Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez. “I appreciate our partnership with U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe and thank our agents for their work on this case.”
Aring faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Further, Aring faces up to life on supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Aring’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2021, at the United States District Court in Tallahassee, before Judge Allen Winsor.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - AringFederal Felon Charged with Armed Robbery of Pensacola PublixRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, charging Nathaniel O. Cox, 29, of Dallas, Texas, with Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a Kel-Tec SUB-200 rifle during the commission of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced the indictment today.
“I applaud the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for partnering to conduct a swift, seamless and thorough investigation into this violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Cox wasn’t able to get far before he was apprehended, and now he will have to answer for his alleged crimes. Let this be a warning to any other individuals who may be thinking of engaging in criminal activities such as this: if you do, you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.”
The federal indictment alleges that on October 22, 2020, at approximately 8:35pm, Cox entered the Publix grocery store located at 5998 Mobile Highway in Pensacola. He confronted a store manager and another employee, warning that he was armed and there to rob the store. The charging documents allege Cox then instructed them to take him to the money room. Once inside, it is alleged that Cox brandished his weapon and instructed the two employees along with a third inside the room to gather the money and place it in his backpack. The employees were then ordered to lie on top of each other and to count out loud or otherwise be shot. It is alleged that Cox then fled the Publix with the stolen money.
“It is an honor to partner with our federal brethren in identifying and arresting a violent felon,” said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. “We applaud the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in their consistent approach in prosecuting these dangerous criminals.”
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was the first to respond to and investigate the crime scene. Working in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sheriff’s Office was able to locate Cox at the Jacksonville International Airport and take him into custody without incident. Cox currently awaits transport by the United States Marshals Service from Jacksonville to Pensacola in order to answer to the charges.
“Our law enforcement partnerships play such a vital role in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said Craig W. Saier, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Tampa Field Division. “We will continue working jointly with our partners to make our communities safer”.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jenna H. Callahan. This case falls within the purview of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to combat violent crime in the community.
If convicted, Cox faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the Hobbs Act robbery offense and up to life imprisonment for brandishing a firearm in commission of a crime of violence. Cox was previously convicted of a similar crime in the Middle District of Georgia in 2015.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - N. Cox Indictment - N. CoxConvicted Pipe Bomber Sentenced to 33 More Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Lombardi, 62, formerly of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to serve an additional 33 years in federal prison at a hearing today at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee. The sentencing hearing was a result of Lombardi’s conviction in 2000 for planting and detonating two pipe bombs on the campus of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in August and September of 1999. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Lawrence Lombardi’s criminal acts terrorized FAMU faculty, students, and their family members during the fall of 1999 and generated fear in our community that lingered on well past his arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing everything legally possible to pursue, prosecute, and punish criminals like Lombardi, whose reckless acts are intended to injure or kill innocent citizens.”
In 1999-2000, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted Lombardi for detonating two pipe bombs on the campus of the historically black university. Although no one was injured, the trial evidence left no doubt that the bombings were motivated by racial prejudice. The federal jury convicted Lombardi of six counts: two counts of maliciously damaging property, two counts of using a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of interfering with federally protected activities on the basis of race or color. Lombardi was subsequently sentenced to life plus 39 years in federal prison.
When Lombardi was sentenced in 2000, the two counts of using a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence were the most impactful because they carried significant mandatory sentencing requirements. Lombardi faced a mandatory consecutive term of 30 years’ imprisonment on the first count, and a mandatory consecutive term of life imprisonment on the second count. On the remaining four counts of the conviction, Lombardi was sentenced to concurrent terms of 108 months (or 9 years).
In 2019, the United States Supreme Court decided United States v. Davis, 139 S. Ct. 2319 (2019), and held that part of the definition of a “crime of violence” is unconstitutionally vague. Citing Davis, Lombardi filed a collateral motion in the district court challenging his two convictions for using a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence. While the government opposed Lombardi’s motion, the district court concluded that those two convictions were invalid under Davis.
When the two convictions were vacated, along with the mandatory consecutive penalties accompanying them, Lombardi sought to have his sentence reduced to time served in a motion filed by his attorney in February, 2020. The government opposed the motion and the district court determined that a resentencing on the four remaining counts of the conviction was warranted.
The Honorable District Judge Robert E. Hinkle heard victim impact statements from survivors of the bombings at today’s hearing before imposing a combined total sentence of 54 years. Lombardi has already served approximately 21 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Jordane Learn represented the government.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - U.S. v. LombardiMore Than 170 Charged Following A Large-Scale Human Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – More than 170 total arrests have been made on charges ranging from solicitation of prostitution to human trafficking of a minor. Nineteen defendants have been indicted on federal charges as a result of a two-year, multi-agency investigation led by the Tallahassee Police Department. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence E. Revell, and Lorena Bueno, Assistant State Attorney for the 2nd Judicial Court, made the announcement at a press conference in Tallahassee, Florida.
“The victims of sex-trafficking crimes need our help,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “As a society, we must all do our part to be there for them in any way that we can. For so long as I am the United States Attorney, I will do everything I can to contribute to multi-agency efforts, to make federal resources available, and to assist your State Attorney, your police department and your sheriff as they protect our children and guard this community.”
According to Chief Revell, the investigation began in November 2018 when investigators from Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) saw that images of a minor were being posted on a website advertising sex for money. The investigation, dubbed Operation Stolen Innocence, uncovered an enormous amount of electronic evidence that required months to evaluate. This electronic evidence allowed investigators to further develop the scope and extent of the case. As a result, 72 suspects were charged with misdemeanors and notices to appear while 106 suspects were charged with felonies. Of that 106, 19 defendants face federal felony charges.
“This investigation is a testament to how diligent our investigators work to enhance the quality of life for everyone in this community, especially our vulnerable population. They worked tirelessly to bring justice to the victim in this case and were able to make an unprecedented number of human trafficking related arrests,” Chief Revell said. “I could not be prouder of the steadfast efforts of our investigators and the joint effort with our partners to stop the illegal and dehumanizing practice of human trafficking.”
The federal charges in this case include enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity, enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in prostitution, production and/or receipt of child pornography, transfer of obscene material to a minor, sex trafficking a minor, and conspiracy to sex traffic a minor.
“It is difficult to comprehend the depravity of these criminals who prey on the most innocent in our society,” said Kevin Sibley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Field Office. “Thanks to the collective efforts of the Tallahassee Police Department and HSI special agents, our local communities are significantly safer today as a result of this investigation.”
These cases resulted from investigations by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Operation Stolen Innocence USA Keefe Remarks - Operation Stolen InnocencePort Saint Joe Man Convicted of Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Pensacola has convicted Clark Downs, 71, of Port Saint Joe, Florida, on one count of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The guilty verdict, reached by the jury on Thursday at the conclusion of a 3-day trial, was announced today by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Child exploitation is horrendous and affects the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “We will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our children from abuse by investigating and prosecuting criminals like Downs.”
In November 2014, Downs intentionally coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. In April 2018, Downs was found to be in possession of material containing child pornography.
“The teamwork approach from all law enforcement agencies involved led to the successful conclusion of this case,” said Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison. “I am proud of their hard work and dedication.”
Downs’ sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 28, 2021, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
“I commend the fervent efforts of our members and our law enforcement partners in working to protect Floridians, especially the most innocent and vulnerable among us,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Pensacola Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey. “Let this serve as a warning to those who would exploit and abuse children in our state: we will be relentless in bringing you to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Spaven and Aine Ahmed.
“The crimes this child predator has committed cannot be undone,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “We hope this guilty verdict provides another step in recovery for his victim.”
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - U.S. v. Downs44 Charged Following 18 Month Investigation into Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA – A total of 15 defendants have been indicted on federal drug-trafficking charges and an additional 29 co-conspirators face state drug-trafficking charges as a result of a multi-agency effort to bring down an organized drug trafficking operation in North Florida. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr., and Mike Dubet, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Jacksonville District Office, made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
In May 2019, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit and the DEA Panama City Resident Office Task Force began investigating James Young and Shelley Johnson, a couple operating a methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) in Walton County, Florida.
Intelligence obtained during the investigation revealed Young routinely acquired multi-pound quantities of crystal methamphetamine and multi-ounce quantities of heroin and fentanyl from sources in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Young and Johnson distributed these controlled substances to other drug dealers and users in and around Walton County, Florida using Johnson’s waterfront residence in Freeport, Florida.
A variety of investigative techniques were utilized by investigators to identify the full scope of Johnson and Young's activities. These techniques included extensive physical surveillance, numerous purchases totaling more than 500 grams methamphetamine by a DEA undercover agent, and four federal wire intercepts of telephones used by Johnson, Young, and one of Johnson's local sources of supply for heroin, methamphetamine and diverted pharmaceutical pills.
On May 6, 2020, the wire intercepts lead investigators to information that Young and Johnson were returning to the Walton County area from Atlanta with a shipment of methamphetamine.
The DEA and WCSO coordinated a traffic stop of Young and Johnson shortly after they returned to Walton County, Florida. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of $25,049.00 in U.S. Currency, approximately three pounds of crystal methamphetamine, and over 500 grams of suspected GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). Following this traffic stop, WCSO and DEA Task Force investigators executed search warrants at three different locations associated with Young, Johnson, and one of their DTO distributors, where more evidence of drug trafficking was discovered and seized, along with four firearms.
In June and October of 2020, a federal grand jury at the U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Florida, returned indictments charging Johnson, Young, and 13 co-conspirators with conspiracy to possess controlled substances with the intent to distribute. Johnson and Young were also charged with possessing firearms as convicted felons. A copy of the indictment with more information about the federal defendants and the charges against them can be found at the bottom of this page.
State drug charges have been obtained in the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida in Walton County against 29 additional individuals in this investigation.
To date, this investigation and other accompanying investigations have resulted in the seizure of the following:
· Nearly 20 pounds of crystal methamphetamine
· 672 grams of heroin
· 162 grams of carfentanil
· 32 grams of suspected fentanyl
· 533 grams of suspected GHB
· 5 motor vehicles valued at approximately $91,515.00
· Freeport waterfront property valued at $1.3 million
· $27,572.00 U.S. Currency
· Four firearms
The indictment and arrests resulted from an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a joint federal, state, and local cooperative. The OCDETF approach to combating drug trafficking is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt and dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize its assets.
These cases resulted from investigations by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Panama City Police Department, the Springfield Police Department, the Lynn Haven Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the DeFuniak Springs Police Department. The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aine Ahmed.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Operation Mr. Clean Indictment - Operation Mr. CleanU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces $2.8 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $2,870,008 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“Violence has absolutely no place in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the public, and our office continues to partner with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to make our District safer for all of our citizens. I’m pleased to announce that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was awarded almost $3 million to improve the systems of record we rely upon to fully assess and appropriately address potentially violent situations.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received funding for the following programs:
- National Criminal History Improvement Program - $668,501
- National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) - $2,201,507
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - DOJ Violent Crime GrantsNorthern Florida U.S. Attorney's Office and Federal Criminal Investigators Recognized by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at Annual Awards ProgramRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director Kenneth A. Blanco hosted a virtual ceremony on October 29, 2020, to recognize the recipients of this year’s FinCEN Director’s Law Enforcement Awards which included a new category of honors, “Recognition of COVID-19 Efforts.” He also applauded the swift and tremendous efforts of law enforcement, prosecutors, financial institutions, and others to confront wide scale fraud and money laundering associated with COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Justin Keen and investigators from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General were applauded for their work in uncovering a far-reaching scheme to steal the identities of elderly Floridians for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining federal COVID-19 relief funds. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, made the announcement.
“I couldn’t be prouder of AUSA Keen and our partners at IRS-Criminal Investigations, the FBI and the SBA,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Protecting senior citizens from financial predators is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and this team used every tool available to ensure they left no stone unturned. We appreciate the work of the dedicated professionals at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for making this vital financial intelligence available to our investigators and prosecutors.”
The mission of the FinCEN is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering and its related crimes including terrorism, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence. FinCEN serves the interests of the financial, law enforcement, and regulatory communities. FinCEN analysts provide case support to more than 165 federal, state, and local agencies, issuing approximately 6,500 intelligence reports each year. Using advanced technology and a variety of data sources, FinCEN links together various financial elements of the crime, helping federal, state and local law enforcement find the missing pieces to the criminal puzzle.
“Because of the secretive nature of many financial crime investigations, the general public may never know about all of our many successful cases; however, this award highlights the important work that we and our law enforcement partners do to thwart fraud and other crime that involves America’s financial system,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Keen. “Protecting our citizens – especially our seniors – from financial harm is an important part of our mission and would not be possible without the help of professionals at FinCEN and those who work at our local banks and credit unions.”
The Northern District of Florida case recognized by FinCEN at yesterday’s program is still being actively investigated, and is just one example of many cases that have been built with the help of financial intelligence. More information will be provided at the conclusion of the investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - NDFL Recognized By FinCEN.pdfThree Defendants Tried and Four Defendants Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – With the trial of three defendants last week and the sentencing of four defendants yesterday, federal prosecutors are close to finishing their work in bringing to justice dozens of current and former federal, state, and local officials and prominent business people all connected in a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the outcomes of the recent trial and sentencing hearings.
In November 2019, a federal grand jury returned a far-reaching indictment charging a County Executive Director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency with orchestrating a broad-based conspiracy to steal government drought assistance funds and hide the actions through identify theft, tax evasion, and other federal crimes. As a result of this crackdown by U.S. Attorney Keefe’s enhanced Public Trust Unit, 29 individuals were indicted; alleged to have defrauded the federal government, and taxpayers, of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Duane Edward Crawson, 43, of Bonifay, Florida, led the conspiracy that included a former Holmes County Clerk of Court and numerous other individuals who had served in positions of public trust. Between May and December of 2017, while employed as a County Executive Director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency for Bay, Holmes, and Washington counties, Crawson devised a kickback scheme in which he and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtained approximately $400,534 in taxpayer funds by submitting fraudulent drought assistance claims.
Crawson submitted fraudulent claims for livestock and farmland parcels that were not actually owned or leased by the conspirators, resulting in drought assistance funds being deposited into the conspirators’ bank accounts. The co-conspirators paid Crawson a portion of the fraud proceeds in the form of cash kickbacks.
On October 23, 2020, a federal trial jury found Danyel Witt guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. The same jury returned a not-guilty verdict as to Jeremiah Rolling and Justin Chopelas on charges of conspiracy and theft of government funds. Witt’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 21, 2021.
Each of the remaining 26 defendants pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of government funds. Sentencing hearings were conducted yesterday for Crawson along with co-conspirators James Stacey Paul, Davey Eugene Mancill, and Ronald Ryan Roof. Sentences for all 26 are:
- Duane Edward Crawson, of Bonifay, Florida, 36 months in federal prison;
- Davey Eugene Mancill, of Westville, Florida, 24 months in federal prison;
- James Stacey Paul, of Bonifay, Florida, 18 months in federal prison;
- Jordan Ryan Hicks, of Ponce De Leon, Florida, 15 months in federal prison;
- Kyle Martin Hudson, of Westville, Florida, 12 months and 1day in federal prison;
- Dwayne Frazier White, of Bonifay, Florida, 12 days in federal prison, 4 years of probation;
- Ronald Ryan Roof, X, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Christopher Marion Ammons, of Ponce De Leon, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Sheryl Day Gillman, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Shyloe Rose Sachse, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Tillman Douglas Mears, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Dawn Marie Crutchfield, of Bonifay Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Megan Leann Roof, of Westville, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Billy Coal Bradshaw, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- James Erwin Mancill, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Joseph Matthew Crowder, of Caryville, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Audrey Lynn Smith, of Caryville, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Brian Anthony Ammons, of Ponce De Leon, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Taylor Ward Stripling, of Westville, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Dawn Marie Roof, of Chipley, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Daniel Olajuwon Boston, of Chipley, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Chassity Lynn Lee, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Jennifer Marie McCabe, of Bonifay, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Justina Rae Williams, of Caryville, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Joseph Bailey Alexander, of Chipley, Florida, 4 years of probation;
- Douglas Edward Mixon, of Westville, Florida, 2 years of probation
In addition to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of government funds, Crawson, Davey Mancill, and Paul pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. Crawson also pled guilty to tax evasion, as well as obstruction of the internal revenue laws.
As a part of their sentence, each defendant has been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of their fraudulent claims. To date the government has received in excess of $120,000 of the $400,534 fraudulently obtained as a part of the kickback scheme.
This case resulted from a 20-month investigation conducted by a partnership of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors at all levels of government, including the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - USDA Farm Agency FraudGainesville Entrepreneur Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Making False Statements and Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Anthony Hernandez, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to six months in federal prison after having pled guilty to making false statements relating to health care matters and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“The financial losses to healthcare insurance companies resulting from these schemes are staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “What’s more, mutual trust between patients and healthcare providers is a critical component of quality care. The actions of Hernandez, and criminals like him, erode that trust. We will continue working in lockstep with our law enforcement partners to see that the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable.”
Between June 2013 and October 2015, Hernandez defrauded multiple healthcare insurers by submitting false reimbursement claims for allergen immunotherapy treatments, or allergy shots, which were never provided. Hernandez, who holds no medical or chiropractic license, operated Gainesville Medical Centers, LLC, (GMC) in Gainesville, Florida. He recruited individuals, including students from various University of Florida (UF) organizations, to become patients of GMC in order to receive allergy testing. In some cases, Hernandez offered financial compensation to charities, UF sports teams, and UF fraternities and sororities in exchange for its members to receive free allergy testing at GMC. In conjunction with the allergy testing that was actually provided, Hernandez directed his staff to submit false insurance claims for allergy shots which were never administered to GMC’s patients. Through these false claims, Hernandez personally received $810,292.47 from Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and United Health Care healthcare insurance companies. Hernandez also conspired to launder the proceeds received from these false claims by transferring the money from the business bank accounts to personal bank accounts.
“The FBI views health care fraud as a major crime problem,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Rachel L. Rojas. “Abuse within the health care system reduces the availability of critical resources, and contributes to the rising cost of healthcare for all. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate these crimes and prosecute all those who defraud the American public for their own personal gain."
“We take great pride in our role to protect our nation’s economy by rooting out fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Hernandez’s actions did not simply affect the insurance companies he ripped off, but also the University of Florida students and other victims he took advantage of. Moreover, his actions tipped the playing field against all consumers. Working alongside FBI, we are keenly dedicated to maintaining a level field for all Americans.”
As part of his sentence, Hernandez was ordered to pay $810,292.47 in restitution to the victims in this case and a $75,000 fine. In addition, after serving his term of imprisonment, Hernandez will begin a two-year term of federal supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Keen prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. HernandezConvicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Related OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Daniel LeBron, 47, of Cross City, Florida, was sentenced on October 26, 2020, to a total of 21 and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“The sale and use of methamphetamines in our communities has devastating and wide-reaching effects and must be stopped,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “With the help of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue, prosecute, and punish those who bring these drugs into hometowns across Northern Florida.”
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been working with deputies from the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) to investigate and prosecute individuals who are distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Dixie County area. On April 24, 2019, deputies from DCSO conducted a traffic stop on LeBron and arrested him after a search led to the discovery of two ounces of methamphetamine, pills, and more than $10,000 cash. The deputies also recovered the key to a safe from around LeBron’s neck. When DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence, they used the key to open a safe found in his bedroom. Inside the safe, agents located an additional 7 ounces of methamphetamine, more pills, and drug paraphernalia. Agents also discovered two firearms in LeBron’s bedroom; an AR-15 and a loaded .22 caliber rifle. LeBron admitted that he had been dealing methamphetamine.
“Our law enforcement partnerships play such a vital role in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “This sentencing is another example that working jointly with our partners is making our communities safer.”
Further investigation by the DEA revealed that LeBron was involved with several others in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Dixie County area. Agents determined that over the course of the conspiracy, LeBron had trafficked over 7 kilograms of methamphetamine to individuals in Dixie County.
“LeBron is a dangerous methamphetamine trafficker who is now off the streets of Dixie County,” said DEA’s Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis.
LeBron will serve 16 and a half years on the methamphetamine charge followed by 5 years on the firearm in furtherance charge. The Court also ordered 10 years of supervised release following LeBron’s prison term. LeBron is now a five-time convicted felon with prior convictions for 2nd Degree Murder and Escape.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - LeBronTwo Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Isaleb Anofils, 31, of Vero Beach, pled guilty last Friday, October 16, and Donyell Garland, 32, of Tallahassee, plead guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 13 counts of bank fraud, and 1 count of aggravated identity theft. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
Between January 1, 2018, and April 9, 2018, Anofils and Garland conspired to defraud federally insured financial institutions. The defendants used a combination of a cell phone spoofing app and various Internet websites to obtain personally identifiable information of victims. Anofils and Garland then used that information to conduct 285 fraudulent ATM transactions at Tallahassee-area financial institutions. In total, Anofils and Garland stole or attempted to steal over $151,000 from 47 Wells Fargo customers.
Both men face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud counts, and an additional 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for the aggravated identity theft count.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
Anofils’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 11, 2021, and Garland’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 10, 2021. Both hearings will take place at the United States District Court in Tallahassee before Chief Judge Mark Walker.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Anofils and Garland Statement of Facts - AnofilsU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Appoints Election Officer for the Northern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Andrew J. Grogan will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Grogan has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Florida, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the right to vote exercise it if they choose. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Keefe stated that AUSA/DEO Grogan will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. The public may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the following telephone numbers:
850-942-8430
850-216-3845
850-216-3829
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (904) 248-7000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - 2020 Election SecurityDepartment of Justice's COPS Office Invests More Than $536.7 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety, Reduce Crime, and Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) awarded more than $536.7 million in Fiscal Year 2020 to increase law enforcement hiring and to improve school safety, combat opioids and methamphetamine, advance community policing efforts, provide training to the law enforcement field, and protect the health of our nation’s officers and deputies. A total of $4,695,126 was awarded within Florida’s Northern District, according to Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Community Oriented Policing Services grants are critical to our District’s ability to continue protecting the health and safety of our citizens and our law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “These programs provide support for a wide variety of initiatives such as school violence prevention, anti-narcotics programs, law enforcement mental health and wellness, and community policing development, just to name a few. It has been my pleasure to announce over $4.5 million in awards to North Florida recipients throughout fiscal year 2020.”
COPS Office awards within Florida’s Northern District in fiscal year 2020 include:
COPS Hiring Program (CHP): Nearly $400 million in CHP grant funding was awarded to 605 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which will allow those agencies to hire 2,761 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. CHP provides funding for the hiring and rehiring of entry-level career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs and increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
Recipients in the Northern District of Florida:
- Fort Walton Beach Police Department: $329,595
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office: $118,838
- Walton County Sheriff’s Office: $1,500,000
School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP): Through SVPP, nearly $49 million was awarded to 160 states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies to be used to improve security at schools and on school grounds. Awards included funding for coordination with local law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent school violence against others and self; placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures providing significant improvements in security.
Washington County School District received $500,000.
Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program: More than $29.7 million in AHTF grant funding was awarded to 14 state law enforcement agencies with multijurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioids. This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received $2,208,052.
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA): Through LEMHWA, 41 awards were announced totaling $4.5 million to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring mental health and wellness, and suicide prevention programs.
The City of Gainesville received $38,641.
“Building on the successes in reducing violent crime in 2017, 2018, and 2019, these Department of Justice grants for 2020 help to fight violent crime and deadly narcotics, to improve public safety, and to support the officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “Strong partnerships of federal, state, and local law enforcement can produce better results for the public we all serve.”
“Supporting the men and women of law enforcement as they serve their communities is of paramount importance to the COPS Office,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we continue to provide state, local and tribal agencies the resources they desperately need to continue to advance public safety, which they are so committed to doing. We are all the beneficiaries of that work.”
Full lists of all announced COPS Office awards are available here.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - COPS Grants FY20Colombian Foreign National Extradited to Pensacola to Face Federal Charges for His Role in an International Cocaine Importation ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gustavo Adolfo Pareja, 26, of Cali, Colombia, was extradited by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida last week as a result of an extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pareja is charged with two federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges involving large amounts of cocaine that are alleged to have been imported into northern Florida. He made his initial appearance today at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola. The extradition and charges were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“This extradition clearly demonstrates that North Florida law enforcers stand united against drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “We have strong partnerships with our local, state and federal partners, and together we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those that prey on our communities. If you are trafficking drugs in our District, you will be held accountable.”
It has been alleged that between January and August 2018, in the Northern District of Florida and in the country of Colombia, former Master Sergeant Daniel Gould of the United States Army and Henry Royer, formerly of the United States Army and Army National Guard, conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
Pareja is alleged to be the source of supply of the cocaine in Bogota, Colombia. He has been awaiting international extradition proceedings for over a year. Last week, the United States Marshals Service flew from northern Florida to Bogota, wherein the Colombian authorities relinquished Pareja to American law enforcement in order for him to stand trial in Pensacola, Florida.
The conspiracy is alleged to have begun in early 2018 when Gould and Royer initially imported 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Royer traveled to Colombia with U.S. currency to use as payment. Gould placed the cocaine in a gutted punching bag and had the package transported to Bogota to be placed on a United States military aircraft. A few days later, the cocaine-filled punching bag arrived at Duke Field, which is an auxiliary airfield of Eglin Air Force Base. Gould and Royer distributed the 10 kilograms of cocaine in Northwest Florida.
Gould and Royer then reinvested the money from the first load of cocaine into a second load of 40 kilograms of cocaine. Gould placed approximately $65,000 in cash on a United States military cargo aircraft destined for Colombia as funds for the next purchase.
In early August 2018, Gould and Royer returned to Colombia and provided money for the 40 kilograms to Pareja, their alleged cocaine supplier. Gould and Royer received the cocaine, loaded the 40 kilograms into two gutted punching bags, and coordinated transport to the embassy before flying back to the United States. Suspicion was aroused at the embassy when packages were x-rayed, revealing cocaine within gutted out punching bags.
On August 13, 2018, when the cocaine was seized at the embassy, Gould had already returned home and was awaiting its arrival. The 40 kilograms of cocaine would have an estimated value in excess of $1 million in the Northern District of Florida. Gould and Royer have pled guilty to their involvement in the criminal activity and are serving sentences in federal prison.
“An apparent source of supply for cocaine into Pensacola has been knocked out,” said DEA Miami Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis. “Pareja is alleged to have participated in a highly brazen criminal scheme to open a pipeline into Northern Florida for illicit distribution that was shut down. Now, like others he conspired with, he will face serious federal narcotics trafficking charges as a result of his actions.”
If convicted, Pareja faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison. A trial date will be set before Senior United States District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Pareja ExtraditionU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces $1.7 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Addiction CrisisRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $1,754,128 in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.
“Although we are making progress, too many lives are still being destroyed due to the opioid addiction crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting public health and safety, and these grants provide needed funds to do just that. I’m pleased to announce that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was awarded more than $1.7 million to help develop and implement residential substance abuse treatment programs within our state and local correctional facilities.”
Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.
“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”
Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received $1,754,128 through the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program. The Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a total of $28 million to support this program, which helps states develop and implement residential substance abuse treatment programs within state and local correctional facilities.
“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - DOJ Opioid GrantsU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces $3.9 Million in Awards to Fund Crime Laboratories and Forensic ResearchRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $3,908,850 in Department of Justice grants to fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.
“I’m pleased to announce that close to $4 million dollars will be distributed throughout the state by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to increase laboratory capacity for processing DNA evidence, and to hire and train forensic experts,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “We rely heavily on the investigative and technical skills of our law enforcement partners to ensure we can successfully prosecute criminals in Northern Florida, and these grant dollars will help us to do just that. More importantly, these funds will enable victims to get answers and see justice done more quickly.”
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received the following funding:
- DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Production Program - $2,750,432
- Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants - $1,158,418
The Office of Justice Programs 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.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - DOJ Forensic GrantsDepartment of Justice Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in FY20Read the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
The 14,200 cases charged include a number of significant cases presented throughout the Northern District of Florida, announced United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe.
“Combatting gun violence continues to be a priority throughout the Northern Florida District,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “From Pensacola, through Tallahassee and down to Gainesville, we are partnering with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to protect our communities by prosecuting criminals who contribute to the epidemic of gun violence. It’s important to understand that we aren’t just focusing on those that pull the triggers. If you buy, sell or even possess a firearm illegally, we are coming after you, too.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Gun ViolenceGainesville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Howard Baxter Osgood, 78, of Gainesville, was sentenced on Wednesday, September 30, to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. As a part of his sentence, Osgood was fined $35,000 and was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victim. In addition, after serving his term of imprisonment, Osgood will begin a lifetime term of supervised release. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who exploit children and cause severe and lasting trauma for their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “With the dedicated help of our law enforcement partners, we will bring every investigative and prosecutorial resource to bear in order to protect our children from sexual predators like Osgood.”
The undisputed facts demonstrated that Osgood had a continuing relationship with a 14 year old girl beginning in June 2011, and created sexually explicit images of her, including an image when she was 17. Osgood was a prominent jeweler in the Gainesville area.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - OsgoodU.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Hosts Law Enforcement Roundtable with Top Drug Enforcement Administration OfficialsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Seeking to build on the success of a multi-agency effort to stanch the distribution of methamphetamine and related violent crime in Franklin County, Florida, United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida hosted Timothy Shea, Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), for a law enforcement roundtable discussion with sheriffs from throughout the District to identify additional partnership opportunities. The Honorable Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General, and Keith Weis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Miami Division, also participated in the event.
“The United States Attorney’s Office was honored to host Acting Administrator Shea for a substantive discussion with sheriffs from throughout the Northern District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “He rolled up his sleeves, along with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and got into trenches with these sheriffs who were elected by the people of their counties. Together, we worked to create new strategies in our ongoing effort to disrupt the distribution of methamphetamine and related violent crime in Northern Florida, using our recent success in Franklin County as a model.”
The closed roundtable focused on the impact of Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Northern Florida. Dialogue between Sheriffs from Franklin, Bay, Taylor, Calhoun, Lafayette, Jefferson, Gilchrist and Leon Counties and DEA leadership focused on intelligence sharing and identifying further opportunities for local, state, and federal law enforcement to work together to reduce meth trafficking, use, and associated violent crime. Officials from the Florida Sheriff’s Association, leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jacksonville Division and the U.S. Marshal Service’s Northern District and State Attorney Jack Campbell of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit participated in the talks.
Following the closed roundtable, U.S. Attorney Keefe, A.J. “Tony” Smith, Sheriff of Franklin County, and DEA Acting Administrator Shea spoke to the media. Sheriff Smith spoke about the significant impact that the support of the DEA has made in reducing the trafficking, sale, and use of methamphetamine in Franklin County. DEA Acting Administrator Shea then shared information about nation-wide DEA efforts to combat methamphetamine trafficking and emphasized the importance of partnerships with state and local law enforcement.
“Those who say drug trafficking is not a violent crime couldn’t be more wrong,” said Acting Administrator Shea. “Drug trafficking affects the safety and security of all of us. The criminals who engage in drug trafficking fuel the epidemic of addiction in our country – and profit from it – while feeding the violence that it plaguing so many communities.”
U.S. Attorney Keefe concluded the press conference by discussing the topics and outcomes of the closed law enforcement roundtable.
For additional information, footage and/or photography requests, please contact the News Service of Florida (Mr. Tom Urban, [email protected], or Mr. Jim Turner, [email protected]) or the Tallahassee Democrat (Mr. Karl Etters [email protected], or Ms. Tori Schneider [email protected]).
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. Attorney Keefe Hosts Law Enforcement Roundtable With Top Drug Enforcement Administration Officials Lawrence Keefe, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Timothy Shea, Acting Administrator of the DEA, Keith Weis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA's Miami Division, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody conduct a law enforcement roundtable with sheriffs from throughout the District, creating new strategies to stanch the distribution of meth and reduce related violent crime in Northern Florida.U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces over $2.6 Million to Support Offenders Returning to Area CommunitiesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $2,662,713 in Department of Justice grants to area programs to reduce recidivism among adults and juvenile offenders returning to their communities after confinement. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), are part of more than $92 million in funding to support reentry efforts throughout the United States.
These awards represent the Justice Department’s commitment to assisting people in America’s prisons and detention facilities who have earned the opportunity to take their places back in society.
“I am proud that we are able to make more than $2.6 million available within Northern Florida to help offenders fully reintegrate into their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The key to reducing crime is preventing offenders from committing further crimes, and the best way we can do that is by helping them succeed as they return to their communities and establish law-abiding lives.”
The reentry and recidivism reduction grant awards will help communities develop and implement comprehensive strategies to address the challenges posed by reentry and recidivism; support reentry services for detained juveniles and incarcerated parents with children under the age of 18; and support research and evaluation programs to advance understanding about reoffending.
“Former offenders are ultimately responsible for their own successes and failures, but our criminal and juvenile justice systems have an important role to play in preparing them for the obstacles that lie before them,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m very pleased to make these resources available to help them get back on their feet and contribute to the prosperity of their communities and the betterment of our nation.”
The following organizations received funding in the Northern District of Florida:
- DISC Village, Incorporated - $899,995
- Improving Reentry for Adults with Substance Use Disorders Program
- Florida Department of Corrections - $500,000
- Adult Reentry and Employment Strategic Planning Program
- Florida Department of Juvenile Justice - $750,000
- Second Chance Act, Youth Offender Reentry Program
- Florida State University - $512,718
- Research on Juvenile Reoffending Program
For a complete national 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/reentryfactsheet.pdf
Additional information about FY 2020 grant awards made by the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Awards Data Webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs 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.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - DOJ Reentry GrantsCrew Member Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Assault on the High Seas After Stabbing Ship's CaptainRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Robert Lester Odom, 47, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced on Friday, September 25, to 40 months in federal prison after having pled guilty to the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“This vicious attack was made even more serious due to the vessel’s location, so far away from help,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Reducing violent crime is a top priority for the Justice Department and our District, and as federal prosecutors we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
The facts introduced at the sentencing hearing revealed that on September 27, 2019, Odom, a crew member on a commercial fishing boat, attacked and wounded the vessel’s captain with a pellet rifle and a long-blade knife. At the time of the offense, the vessel was at sea approximately 20-26 nautical miles south-southeast of Perdido Pass, with a captain and two crew members. While fishing shortly before 9:30 pm, Odom shot the captain in the chest with a pellet rifle and then, after a struggle, stabbed the captain twice, causing immediate, profuse bleeding. United States Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to a call for help, and United States Coast Guard personnel administered first aid to the captain. The captain was then flown by helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
"The Coast Guard's commitment to protecting life at sea, and upholding our nation's laws, are our highest priorities," said Rear Admiral John Nadeau, Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District. “I’m proud of our dedicated men and women who responded to save the victim in this case, and worked with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice was served.”
As part of his sentence, Odom was ordered to pay $12,180 in restitution to the victim. In addition, after serving his term of imprisonment, Odom will begin a three year term of federal supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Love prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Robert OdomFormer Financial Planner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Investment Fraud and Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Former financial planner James A. Young III, 50, of Milton, was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison after having pled guilty to wire fraud and failure to file tax returns. The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The fact that so many of his victims were elderly and vulnerable makes Young’s actions particularly appalling,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and do everything within our power to combat elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors.”
Between 2010 and 2014, while working as a financial planner, Young solicited his clients and others to invest money in false “side investments,” including real estate investments for property he did not own and investments in an oil and gas company with which he had no relationship. Young presented false documents to potential investors and falsely claimed that he was personally invested in order to convince them to invest. Almost all of Young’s victims were between the ages of 55 and 90. For those who agreed to invest, Young simply pocketed their money, which totaled over half a million dollars, for his own personal use. In some instances, Young used money obtained from investors to pay back other investors. He fraudulently claimed the funds represented returns or interest on their investments in order to keep the scheme going. Young also failed to file his federal tax returns for 2012, 2013, and 2014.
“We take seriously our charge to investigate tax crimes and financial fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “But we get a little added motivation when a crook’s victims are among the most vulnerable. Fraudsters beware: if you target our seniors, your plunders will only last so long before you attract the full force of federal, state, and local law enforcement working together to bring you to justice.”
“The significance of this fraud case, magnified by the sheer volume of victims, underscores once again the strength and effectiveness of our crime-fighting partnerships and shared mission to hold people responsible for financial rip-off schemes,” said Larry Ashley, Okaloosa County Sheriff.
As part of his sentence, Young was ordered to pay $402,207.71 in restitution to two dozen victims and $125,107.33 in restitution for unpaid taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. As a result of his crimes, the Securities and Exchange Commission barred Young from being involved in the securities industry, including associating with any broker, dealer, investment advisor, or transfer agent and participating in any offering of a penny stock.
Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the case following a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, which combats elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors and is a key priority of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. YoungUnited States Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces Almost $500,000 in Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that the Florida Center for Children and Youth, of Tallahassee, Florida, received $499,353 from the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program. Nationally, the Department of Justice awarded nearly $101 million in funding to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.
“I am pleased that the Florida Center for Children and Youth will be able to use this funding to provide housing assistance to victims of human trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to combat these horrendous crimes in Northern Florida, but victims’ struggles do not end when they break free of the criminals who exploit them. With the assistance of these grants, communities throughout our District can continue to provide them with the critical support that they need.”
The Department of Justice announced Monday that 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 the department’s Office of Justice Program’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking.
The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program provides 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 also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.
“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.”
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 United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - Human Trafficking Grant AnnouncementUnited States Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces Award to Improve School SafetyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that the Washington County, Florida, School District received $500,000 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.
“We are pleased that so many children within our District will benefit from the Justice Department’s School Violence Prevention Program,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Even here in Northern Florida, we are not free from the threat of school violence. I’m confident Washington County will use these funds to take impactful steps to improve safety for our children, and the teachers and others who work every day to educate them in a safe, nourishing environment.”
“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 $500,000 award 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 United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - School Safety Award Washington CountyUnited States Attorney Expresses Commitment to Prosecuting Those Who Defraud the Paycheck Protection PlanRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced at a press conference yesterday that charges have now been filed against the 50th defendant, nation-wide, accused of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP consists of loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Tiara Walker of Miami, Florida, was arrested on September 9, 2020, on charges of Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Bank Fraud. The complaint alleges that from May to July, 2020, Walker and her co-conspirators prepared at least 90 fraudulent PPP loan applications worth more than $24 million dollars. Forty-two of those loans were approved and funded for a total of approximately $17.4 million dollars. In Columbia, South Carolina, seven individuals were indicted yesterday for laundering over $750,000 of fraudulently obtained funds including over $390,000 from a PPP loan. The South Carolina indictment marks the 50th PPP-fraud case to date across the country. Prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida are also committed to cracking down on those who would steal money meant for those who have been among the hardest-hit during the COVID-19 crisis.
“For the past few months, our prosecutors have been working tirelessly with our federal law enforcement partners, including the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigations, FBI, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, to detect and investigate fraudulent PPP loans,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Though many of these investigations are ongoing and the details of them are not yet publically known, the Northern District of Florida is devoting significant resources to prosecute offenders who divert the limited COVID-19 relief funds away from legitimate small business owners.”
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 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 CARES Act also authorizes the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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.
Press Release - 50th Paycheck Protection Plan Defendant ChargedGeorgia Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft in Panama City, Florida, Following Hurricane MichaelRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe, of the Northern District of Florida, today announced that Michaelo Moore of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release, after pleading guilty on June 25, 2020, to conspiracy to commit mail theft and mail theft. The Panama City Police Department arrested Moore on February 19, 2019, after receiving reports that he had attempted to recruit several members of the city’s transient population to help him cash fraudulent checks.
“This individual not only stole from the citizens of our District who were still recovering in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, he then exploited desperate and displaced individuals to help him complete his criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Our prosecutors worked hand in hand with our federal and local law enforcement partners to ensure Mr. Moore was held duly accountable for his crimes, and we will continue to prosecute those who attempt to prey on the good people of Northern Florida.”
Moore, 45, was found in possession of three stolen checks when he was stopped by officers of the Panama City Police Department in February 2019. One of the passengers in the vehicle told authorities that Moore and another passenger, Maurice Senior, were in the area for the purpose of stealing checks from the mail and asking transient individuals to cash those checks. The third passenger in the vehicle was a transient individual who admitted he had agreed to cash checks for Moore and his co-conspirator in exchange for money. Senior, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, whose fingerprints were later discovered on the stolen checks, received a prison sentence of 10 months for mail theft on April 21, 2020.
“The Postal Inspection Service is committed to securing the nation’s mail system, it’s customers, and making sure those responsible with violating the Sanctity of the Seal answer for their crimes,” said Antonio Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Aine Ahmed prosecuted this case following a joint investigation by the United States United States Postal Inspection Service, the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Panama City Beach Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Michaelo MooreConvicted Felon Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Related OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Burgess Green, 41, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced on September 1, 2020, to a total of 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on September 19, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Green is now a fourteen-time convicted felon with prior convictions for sale of cocaine and possession with intent to sell cocaine and cannabis, evidence tampering, fleeing/eluding law enforcement, and possession of cocaine. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“The sale and use of methamphetamines in our communities has devastating and wide-reaching effects and must be stopped,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “With the help of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue, prosecute, and punish those who bring these drugs into hometowns across Northern Florida.”
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been working with deputies from the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) to investigate and prosecute individuals who are distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Dixie County area. On June 5, 2019, agents learned that Green was in Dixie County to deliver methamphetamine. As he was leaving Dixie County, DCSO deputies alerted the Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). LCSO deputies identified the vehicle Green was traveling in and conducted a traffic stop. During the search that followed, deputies found that Green was in possession of more than $2,000 cash. They also located a loaded pistol in the vehicle. Green admitted that he had just delivered methamphetamine to individuals in Dixie County and that the cash was proceeds from those sales. Green also admitted the firearm was his.
“Those who distribute dangerous drugs in our communities endanger lives,” said Keith Weis, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Miami Field Division. “The DEA Miami Field Division will continue our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners at all levels to investigate and stop violent drug trafficking in Florida.”
Further investigation by the DEA revealed that Green was involved with several others in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Dixie County area. Agents determined that over the course of the conspiracy, Green had supplied over 5 kilograms worth of methamphetamine to individuals in Dixie County.
Green will serve 7 years on the conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine charge followed by 2 years on the firearm charge. The Court also ordered 5 years of supervised release following Green’s prison term. This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release U.S. vs Burgess Green