Northern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Tallahassee City Commissioner and Political Consultant Charged in Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Charles Maddox, 50, and Tallahassee political consultant Janice Paige Carter-Smith, 53, both of Tallahassee, have been indicted in a forty-four count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest services fraud, and bribery. Maddox and Carter-Smith are also charged with substantive counts of bank fraud, false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest services fraud, use of interstate facilities in furtherance of bribery, false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and filing false tax returns.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Attorney for the United States Karen Rhew-Miller of the Northern District of Florida Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of the IRS – Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The initial appearance is scheduled for today, Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. EST at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor. The trial date will be determined at this hearing.
Maddox and Carter-Smith allegedly conspired to operate two companies, Governance, Inc., and Governance Services, LLC, as one entity they referred to as “Governance.” Per the indictment, Governance was part of a racketeering enterprise that extorted money and accepted bribes from Governance clients under color of Maddox’s office and through fear of the economic harm that Maddox could inflict in his position as an influential City Commissioner. The indictment alleges that Maddox voted on matters and exerted influence on City employees to take actions that benefitted the businesses that paid Maddox and Carter-Smith through Governance.
According to the charges, Maddox and Carter-Smith made false statements to the FBI concerning Maddox’s affiliation with, and management of Governance and Governance Services. The indictment alleges that during the course of the conspiracy, Maddox made false statements under oath to a Florida Commission on Ethics investigator and in a sworn deposition about his affiliation with Governance. He also concealed from the Tallahassee City Attorney and the City Commission the fact that he was being paid by companies doing business with the City.
The indictment further alleges that Maddox and Carter-Smith also defrauded a bank of more than $250,000 through two fraudulent short sales of real property, lied to federal agents about Governance and other matters, and violated federal tax laws by conspiring to interfere with the IRS and filing false tax returns.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz of the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Simon J. Cataldo and Peter M. Nothstein of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:
- 30 years: Bank Fraud, False Statements to a Financial Institution
- 20 years: Racketeering Conspiracy, Extortion and Honest Services Fraud
- 5 years: Use of Interstate Facilities in Furtherance of Bribery, Making False Statements to a Federal Officer, Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
- 3 years: False Statement on a Tax Return
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.
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.
Tallahassee City Commissioner and Political Consultant Charged in Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Tallahassee, Florida City Commissioner Scott Charles Maddox, 50, and Tallahassee political consultant Janice Paige Carter-Smith, 53, both of Tallahassee, have been indicted in a 44-count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest services fraud and bribery.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515 Karen Rhew-Miller for the Northern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Maddox and Carter-Smith are also charged with substantive counts of bank fraud, false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest services fraud, the use of interstate facilities in furtherance of bribery, false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS, and filing false tax returns. The initial appearance is scheduled for today, Dec. 12, at 3:00 p.m. EST at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor. The trial date will be determined at this hearing.
Maddox and Carter-Smith allegedly conspired to operate two companies, Governance Inc., and Governance Services LLC, as one entity they referred to as “Governance.” Per the indictment, Governance was part of a racketeering enterprise that extorted money and accepted bribes from Governance clients under color of Maddox’s office and through fear of the economic harm that Maddox could inflict in his position as an influential City Commissioner. The indictment alleges that Maddox voted on matters and exerted influence on City employees to take actions that benefitted the businesses that paid Maddox and Carter-Smith through Governance.
According to the charges, Maddox and Carter-Smith made false statements to the FBI concerning Maddox’s affiliation with, and management of Governance and Governance Services. The indictment alleges that during the course of the conspiracy, Maddox made false statements under oath to a Florida Commission on Ethics investigator and in a sworn deposition about his affiliation with Governance. He also concealed from the Tallahassee City Attorney and the City Commission the fact that he was being paid by companies doing business with the City.
The indictment further alleges that Maddox and Carter-Smith also defrauded a bank of more than $250,000 through two fraudulent short sales of real property, lied to federal agents about Governance and other matters, and violated federal tax laws by conspiring to interfere with the IRS and filing false tax returns.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Simon J. Cataldo and Peter M. Nothstein of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz of the Northern District of Florida.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Biodiesel Facility Officer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Federal Grant Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lee John Maher, 60, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in prison today, after being convicted on December 18, 2017, of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and of retaining and concealing federal funds, knowing that they were wrongly taken. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On December 19, 2017, co-defendant Larry Kenneth Long, 76, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for mail fraud conspiracy. Long pleaded guilty on June 7, 2016.
Maher and Long were officers of Clean Fuel Lakeland, which operated a biodiesel facility in Lakeland, Florida, in 2009 and 2010. When federal money became available for energy initiatives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the men applied for a $2,480,000 grant from the United States Department of Energy through the Florida Governor’s Energy Office. The Act was designed to encourage new energy investment by reimbursing grantees for monies invested in energy businesses.
Maher and Long fraudulently obtained funds under the grant by falsely claiming that Clean Fuel had spent $2,480,000 to buy and install a generator to run the biodiesel plant. As proof that the generator had been purchased, Maher and Long submitted eight bogus bank checks to the Governor’s Energy Office, reflecting generator payments that had never actually been made. Based upon their submissions, $2,232,000 in grant funds were disbursed to the Clean Fuel bank account in December 2010. Immediately, the grant funds were disbursed through Maher’s other bank accounts, with Long receiving 1%, $22,320. The funds were intended to reimburse the purchase of a generator, but the grant funds were spent toward personal and business expenses of the defendants. Maher and Long continued the fraud until November 2012, through the submission of false progress reports. The grant funds were ultimately recovered through federal asset seizure and forfeiture actions.
This case resulted from an investigation by the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Simpson prosecuted this 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 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.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Milton Sumrell, 43, of Tallahassee, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee to 180 months after pleading guilty on August 23, 2018, to production of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In late January 2018, A.F., a 16-year-old girl from Trumann, Arkansas, was reported missing from her home. Law enforcement officers recovered a computer A.F. used at her school and identified multiple sexually explicit online chats between A.F. and individuals believed to be adult males. One of the accounts with whom A.F. had been chatting through the Google messenger application, Google Hangouts, was subscribed to Sumrell. During conversations between A.F. and Sumrell in late October 2017, the two discussed A.F. leaving her home to live with Sumrell. Law enforcement officers visited Sumrell’s residence in an attempt to locate A.F, who was not present there but was later found. Agents seized Sumrell’s laptop computer and cellular telephone, which had images of child pornography. His Google account also contained videos of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Canova said, “Tragically, child predators use the Internet to reach their vulnerable victims. Nothing is more important than protecting children from exploitation.”
“This predator’s criminal acts will have life-long effects on a child, and now he is being held accountable,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This case also highlights the importance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to make our communities safer.”
“The FBI Jacksonville Division is committed to identifying predators who target the children in this community, and we will continue to provide our law enforcement partners with resources as needed to bring to justice those who commit these heinous acts,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.
FDLE Special Agent in Charge, Mark Perez of the Tallahassee Regional Operations Center, said: “FDLE will continue to be relentless in its goal to apprehend individuals who prey on children. I sincerely appreciate the efforts and time of all of our federal, state, and local partners involved in this case.”
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Trumann Police Department (Arkansas). Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Harwin 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.
Miami Gardens Couple Each Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Illegally Distributing Hydromorphone and Oxycodone in North FloridaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Abbisina Hepburn, 39, and Damian Hepburn, 41, both of Miami Gardens, were each sentenced to 188 months in prison today, after pleading guilty on August 10. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The Hepburns, along with co-conspirators Joseph Owusu, 63, of Tampa, and Angela Denise Clark, 48, of Sebring, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and oxycodone. Additionally, the Hepburns pleaded guilty to substantive counts of illegal distribution of hydromorphone.
On November 14, Owusu was sentenced to 135 months in prison. During the course of his guilty plea on August 17, Owusu acknowledged that he dispensed the drugs in violation of federal law. He agreed to voluntarily surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration (license) to the DEA, and his pharmacist license and the Jares Pharmacy license to the State of Florida.
Clark pleaded guilty on October 22 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
Beginning in or about October 2015, Abbisina Hepburn and Damian Hepburn began presenting fraudulent prescriptions for hydromorphone and oxycodone to Owusu at Jares Pharmacy in Sebring, Florida. Later, in December 2016, Clark, a licensed pharmacy technician at Jares Pharmacy, became involved in the drug conspiracy.
The prescriptions presented were allegedly issued by a Hialeah doctor of osteopathy, to individuals other than Abbisina and Damian Hepburn. Owusu owned Jares Pharmacy, and was also the licensed pharmacist there. Owusu and Clark charged the Hepburns $9.00 per tablet. After receiving the hydromorphone and oxycodone pills, the Hepburns traveled to Destin and other locations in the Northern District of Florida to sell the pills to third parties for a profit.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Misused prescriptions are dangerous and contribute to the heroin and opioid epidemic our nation is currently experiencing. One of the ways we are fighting this health crisis is by prosecuting medical professionals who illegally divert controlled substances from the intended use. Corrupt pharmacists and their co-conspirators must be removed from positions which allow them to illegally distribute prescription pills.”
“In 2017, over 4,000 opioid-caused deaths were reported, which is a nine percent increase over the previous year. The climbing number underscores the gravity of this problem,” said Rick Swearingen, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. “Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across Florida are already working to combat the increase in opioid drug use, and FDLE will continue to work with our partners focusing on multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.”
“The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is one of the worst crises in American history, and our pharmacists play a vital role in preventing the illegal diversion of prescription opioid medications,” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “As demonstrated by this case, DEA remains committed to investigating unscrupulous licensed medical professionals, to include pharmacists and pharmacy owners who willingly turn a blind eye and contribute to this devastating public health emergency.”
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office with assistance of the DEA Diversion Division, and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin F. Knight represented the government at the Owusu and Hepburn sentencing hearings.
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.
South Florida Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Illegally Distribute Hydromorphone and Oxycodone in North FloridaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joseph Owusu, 63, of Tampa, was sentenced November 14 to 135 months in prison after pleading guilty on August 17. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Co-conspirators Abbisina Hepburn, 39, and Damian Hepburn, 41, both of Miami Gardens, pleaded guilty on August 10. Co-conspirator Angela Denise Clark, 48, of Sebring, Florida, was charged in the Hepburn superseding indictment and pleaded guilty on October 22, 2018. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and oxycodone. Additionally, the Hepburns pleaded guilty to substantive counts of illegal distribution of hydromorphone. As a part of his guilty plea, Owusu agreed to voluntarily surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration (license) to the DEA, and his pharmacist license and the Jares Pharmacy license to the State of Florida.
The Hepburns are scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2018, beginning at 10:30 a.m., and Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. All sentencing hearings will take place at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
Beginning in or about October 2015, Abbisina Hepburn and Damian Hepburn began presenting fraudulent prescriptions for hydromorphone and oxycodone to Owusu at Jares Pharmacy, which was located in Sebring, Florida. Later, in December 2016, Clark, a licensed pharmacy technician at Jares Pharmacy, became involved in the drug conspiracy.
The prescriptions presented were allegedly issued by a Hialeah doctor of osteopathy, to individuals other than Abbisina and Damian Hepburn. Owusu owned Jares Pharmacy, and was also the licensed pharmacist at Jares Pharmacy. Owusu and Clark charged the Hepburns $9.00 per tablet. After receiving the hydromorphone and oxycodone pills, the Hepburns traveled to the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere to sell the pills to third parties for a profit. During the course of his guilty plea, Owusu acknowledged that he dispensed the drugs in violation of federal law.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Misused prescriptions are dangerous and can contribute to the heroin and opioid epidemic our nation is currently experiencing. One of the ways we are fighting this health crisis is by prosecuting medical professionals who illegally divert controlled substances from the intended use. Corrupt pharmacists and their co-conspirators must be removed from positions allowing illegal distribution of prescription pills.”
“In 2017, over 4,000 opioid-caused deaths were reported, which is a nine percent increase over the previous year. The climbing number underscores the gravity of this problem,” said Rick Swearingen, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. “Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across Florida are already working to combat the increase in opioid drug use, and FDLE will continue to work with our partners focusing on multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.”
“The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is one of the worst crises in American history, and our pharmacists play a vital role in preventing the illegal diversion of prescription opioid medications,” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “As demonstrated by this case, DEA remains committed to investigating unscrupulous licensed medical professionals, to include pharmacists and pharmacy owners who willingly turn a blind eye and contribute to this devastating public health emergency.”
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office with assistance of the DEA Diversion Division, and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin F. Knight represented the government at the Owusu sentencing hearing.
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.
Pensacola Registered Sex Offender Guilty of New Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher M. Arguelles, 34, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola to possession and access with intent to view child pornography. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In February 2018, while a telecommunications provider was assisting Arguelles with his slow running cellular telephone, they observed a large amount of pornography on the phone, including a folder titled “underage.” Several days later, Arguelles, a sex offender, was arrested for failure to register a change in his residence, and his cellular telephone was seized. A forensic review of the device revealed images and videos of child pornography both on the phone and on the memory card. Examples of subfolder titles were “Sammy 14 yo,” “15yo Jen,” and “14 year old Erin.” Some of the child pornography involved females under age 12. Arguelles also maintained a cloud storage account with similar illicit materials.
For possession and access with intent to view child pornography, Arguelles faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 25, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
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.
Northern Floridians May Report 2018 Election Violations to U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova will lead the efforts of the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. As District Election Officer, United States Attorney Canova is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
To respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Canova will be on duty as District Election Officer in the Northern District of Florida while the polls are open. He can be reached at 850-942-8430.
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 at 904-248-7000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by e-mail at [email protected], or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova said, “The freedom to exercise the right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice will act aggressively to ensure that those who are entitled to vote may do so and that those who seek to corrupt the integrity of the process are brought to justice.”
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 on 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 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.
U.S. Attorney Canova Announces 2018 Highlights of Project Safe Neighborhoods to Promote Safe Communities in Northern FloridaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, federal, state and local law enforcement are collaborating to identify the most violent criminals and the most violent areas within our communities and are using all their collective resources to make our neighborhoods safer. As part of this strategy, PSN also partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “We are committed to pursuing public safety in the Northern District of Florida through prosecutions of violent criminals, collaborations with other law enforcement agencies and the community, and outreach, such as the BLAST Program, which encourages students to build positive relationships with local law enforcement officers and become law-abiding citizens.”
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year in the 23 counties of the Northern District of Florida that runs from Pensacola in the west to Gainesville in the east:
Enforcement Actions
Gun Violence Task Forces: the Gun Violence Initiative in Tallahassee and the Gun Crimes Response Team in Pensacola are comprised of investigators and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, State Attorneys’ Offices, ATF, DEA, FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, county sheriffs’ offices, and local police departments. The task forces meet regularly to share intelligence and discuss ongoing investigations to: strategically identify areas where violent crimes are being committed, identify the persons responsible for committing those crimes, and ensure that adequate resources are being deployed to investigate and prosecute those individuals.
New Violent Crime AUSAs: To increase the safety of our communities, the Department of Justice added new federal prosecutor positions around the country. The NDFL was allocated two new Assistant United States Attorneys to work on reducing violent crime and supporting the NDFL’s PSN program. One prosecutor will be placed in Tallahassee and the other in Pensacola. Read more.
Violent Crime Cases:
In August 2018, a Gainesville man was sentenced to 327 months in prison for abducting a young woman attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and forcing her into sex trafficking through violent methods. Read more.
In August 2018, Deshawn Wilder, a convicted felon from Tallahassee, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for burglarizing a federal firearms licensee.
In August 2018, Robert Wayne Cornwell from Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cornwell had a violent criminal history that included solicitation to commit murder. Within a month of being released from prison, he started dealing methamphetamine. During a traffic stop for suspected DUI, he attempted to flee after failing a field sobriety test. During a struggle with officers, he attempted to grab an officer’s service pistol from the holster. He was eventually restrained and taken into custody.
In February 2018, a Pensacola convicted felon was sentenced to 147 months in prison for armed carjacking. Read more.
In December 2017, a former correctional officer from Bay County, Florida, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for assaulting an inmate, resulting in bodily injury. The government presented evidence that, during his career as a correctional officer, Walker had assaulted at least four inmates. In this case, the testimony demonstrated that Walker sprayed the inmate with a chemical agent and then struck him repeatedly, resulting in a fractured nose and head wound, which required several staples. In an attempt to establish that he had acted in self-defense, Walker planted a homemade weapon or “shank.” Read more.
In November 2017, a Pensacola armed career criminal was sentenced to 224 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating his federal supervised release. He had been convicted previously of crimes dating back to 1987, including first degree robbery, grand theft auto, aggravated assault, and second degree murder. Read more.
In October 2017, a Niceville convicted felon was sentenced to 135 months in prison for burglarizing a federal firearms licensed dealer. Officials recovered dozens of firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and multiple pieces of tactical equipment, including a gas mask that were all stolen. Read more.
Community Partnerships
BLAST Program: The BLAST Program offers approximately 50 high school students per event an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with officers in a familiar setting. Officers provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations. The schedule includes discussion sessions, during which students have a chance to participate in role-play with law enforcement officers.
Tallahassee Public Safety Collective: The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a member of the Tallahassee Public Safety Collective, a group of local law enforcement leaders and key community partners working collaboratively to stem community violence and address the factors leading to criminal activity. The Collective stresses collaboration, intelligence sharing, and citizen partnerships to improve public safety.
Second Chance Employer Summits: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has hosted several events, in collaboration with state, federal, and non-governmental partners, to discuss benefits and challenges of hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. Former inmates who now have successful careers also shared their reentry experiences.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Enticement and Traveling to Have Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Frantisek Pribyl, 49, of Snellville, Georgia, was sentenced to 120 months in prison today, after being convicted on May 23 of attempted enticement of a minor and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In February 2017, undercover investigators conducted “Operation Cupid’s Arrow” to identify individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors. Pribyl responded to a Craigslist advertisement in which an undercover officer posed as the mother of a 14-year-old girl and then as the daughter. Over two days, Pribyl continued his conversation with the “girl” via e-mail, discussed sexual activity with her over e-mail and during a controlled telephone call, and traveled more than 250 miles to Tallahassee to meet her to have sex. Pribyl was arrested after arriving at the designated meeting location.
United States Attorney Canova said: “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute child predators through online undercover operations to protect innocent children and keep our communities safe.”
“Like the other suspects in Operation Cupid’s Arrow, Frantisek Pribyl had a strong desire to have sexual relations with children,” said Tallahassee Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez. “We will continue to investigate and arrest criminals who want to hurt our children.”
“While this predator thought he was going to victimize a young girl, he found law enforcement officers instead,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This case highlights the importance of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and our role in keeping our communities safer.”
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
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.
Bradford County Man Sentenced to 144 Months for Benefitting for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Rajheem Kwamaine Roddey, 24, of Starke, Florida, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison after pleading guilty on June 5, 2018, to benefitting financially from child sex trafficking. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On November 8, 2017, co-defendant Bailegh Noelle Coleman, 21, of Starke, pled guilty to child sex trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26. On February 20, 2018, co-defendant Laney Ellis, 21, also of Starke, pled guilty to child sex trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29.
Between April and June 2017, Roddey, Coleman, and Ellis were involved in a scheme to make money using a 14-year-old female to perform sex acts. Advertisements were created of the victim under the false name “Emily” and then posted on Backpage.com. The advertisements were posted in a section for “escort services,” when they were actually to offer the victim for commercial sexual activity. Roddey, Coleman, and Ellis profited from the commercial sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams 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.
Pensacola Tax Preparer Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Benell English, 57, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison Wednesday and ordered to pay $182,877 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service after having been found guilty on May 23 of preparing false tax returns. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
English, the tax return preparer at Select Tax Service on E Street in Pensacola, prepared and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service between 2013 and 2017 by fraudulently increasing or decreasing taxpayers’ income to maximize refunds. A jury convicted English of 18 counts of preparing false tax returns in May.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes 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.
Santa Rosa County Inmate Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Anthrax Threat to JudgeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Craig T. Pope, 30, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison today, consecutive to a state sentence currently being served, after pleading guilty June 7 to mailing threatening communications and threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In April and May 2017, Pope, while serving a state prison sentence for crimes out of Hillsborough County, sent two threatening letters from the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution to a Hillsborough County judge who presided over his plea and/or post conviction matters.
The first letter stated: “You have exactly 48 hours to get me back in court or someone in your courtroom will die and not only that, there will be an outbreak of anthrax in your courthouse who knows where I will send it first . . . time is ticking.”
The second letter stated: “here is a gift of Anthrax and when you receive this letter you will have exactly 4 hours before the courthouse explodes. The bomb is already in place, your security is no match to my brotherhood. Today you will understand that America will never be as powerful as my ISIS Family.” The letter contained a white powder, which triggered the Tampa Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Response Team to respond to the courthouse and secure the evidence and potential weapon of mass destruction. Testing eventually provided a negative response for a biothreat, but all security protocols were initiated for those who could have been contaminated.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg 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 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.
Pensacola Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John William Hall, 61, a registered sex offender residing in Pensacola, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison yesterday, after pleading guilty on February 22, to receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In 2017, Homeland Security Investigations interviewed a teenage girl whose image had appeared in child pornography recovered in Canada. The girl identified herself in the pornographic pictures and told investigators they were taken when she was around 13 or 14 years old. She said some of the photographs had been taken at Hall’s residence in Pensacola.
In June 2017, law enforcement officers seized Hall’s computers and cellular telephones. A review of Hall’s computer revealed numerous images of child pornography, including pornographic images of children under the age of 12. The investigation showed that Hall had also searched for child pornography on a Russian website known for the distribution of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, this predator will never be able to hurt another child. This 40-year sentence should serve as a warning to those who would victimize vulnerable children.”
“Justice was served in this case, as this predator received what is essentially a life sentence in prison for his crimes against children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Mobile and Pensacola Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
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.
Alachua County Man Sentenced to 327 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and CooercionRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Arthur Larange Lee Jr., 35, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville to 327 months in prison for sex trafficking of an adult, and 60 months each for two counts of use of interstate commerce to commit prostitution. Each count is to be served concurrently. Lee was convicted following a jury trial on February 7, 2018. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Lee abducted a young woman from the parking lot of a Gainesville church where she was attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. After taking the victim’s phone, he ordered her to drive to a nearby hotel where he took photographs of her for use in a Backpage.com advertisement. Lee told the victim he would “break her in,” after which he raped her, burned her, and committed other acts of violence against her. Lee then fed the victim small amounts of cocaine and instructed her that she had to pay off her “debt.” Over the span of two days, Lee forced and coerced the victim to engage in sexual acts with numerous “johns.” He kept all the money derived from the sex acts that took place at local hotels and private residences. While at one hotel, the victim texted a “john” who agreed to help her escape by picking her up outside the hotel. The victim then fled with Lee’s phone and called law enforcement officers. Responding officers were able to quickly locate and arrest Lee, who was still inside the hotel.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “This prison sentence sends a strong message to those who would enslave vulnerable people for profit using violent and manipulative tactics to keep their victims silent. We are working as a team in Northern Florida and throughout the country to fight the evil of human trafficking and bring healing and hope to the survivors. Some of the many partners involved are prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, victim services, local coalitions, and community members.”
Sheriff Sadie Darnell said: “Human trafficking is a horrible crime which causes life-long harm to the victim survivor(s). I applaud the tenacious work by our detectives and the cooperation with the U.S. Attorney in bringing justice to this case. We will continue to work tirelessly to stop this in Alachua County.”
“The trafficking of any person is a heinous crime that is considered modern-day slavery,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are on the front lines of the fight against sex trafficking, and are working to bring hope to victims. As this case demonstrates, we encourage survivors to come forward and engage with law enforcement so we can hold accountable those responsible.”
The case was investigated by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was 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.
South Florida Pharmacy Owner and Miami Gardens Couple Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Illegally Distribute Hydromorphone and Oxycodone in North FloridaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joseph Owusu, 63, of Tampa, Abbisina Hepburn, 39, and Damian Hepburn, 41, both of Miami Gardens, pleaded guilty on August 17 and August 10, respectively, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and oxycodone. Additionally, the Hepburns pleaded guilty to substantive counts of illegal distribution of hydromorphone. The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Beginning in or about October 2015, Abbisina Hepburn and Damian Hepburn began presenting fraudulent prescriptions for hydromorphone and oxycodone to Owusu and an employee at Jares Pharmacy, which was located in Sebring, Florida. The prescriptions presented were allegedly issued by a Hialeah doctor of osteopathy, to individuals other than Abbisina and Damian Hepburn. Owusu owned Jares Pharmacy, and was also the licensed pharmacist at Jares Pharmacy. Owusu and a Jares pharmacy employee charged the Hepburns $9.00 per tablet. After receiving the hydromorphone and oxycodone pills, the Hepburns traveled to the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere to sell the pills to third parties for a profit. During the course of his guilty plea, Owusu acknowledged that he dispensed the drugs in violation of federal law.
For the conspiracy charge, Owusu faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The Hepburns face a maximum of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy count and each of the substantive distribution counts due to their prior felony drug convictions. As a part of his guilty plea, Owusu agreed to voluntarily surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration (license) to the DEA, and his pharmacist license and the Jares Pharmacy license to the State of Florida.
Owusu is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, and the Hepburns are scheduled to be sentenced on October 25 at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance by the DEA Diversion Division, and the DEA. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers.
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.
Northern Florida U.S. Attorney Supports DOJ/DEA Proposal to Reduce Opioid Manufacturing in 2019Read the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida supports the proposal from the Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to reduce controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
Christopher P. Canova, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said: “Northern Florida communities and our neighbors across the country have suffered from the abuse of these highly addictive drugs, which can quickly destroy lives, families, friends, and careers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to supporting strategies that fight the epidemic. Some of these strategies include: limiting the production and prescription of opioids, prosecuting drug trafficking organizations and medical professionals who illegally divert controlled substances, raising public awareness especially among young people, and strengthening law enforcement and public health agency partnerships to use every available resource to monitor and combat the opioid crisis.”
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability to consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
“The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump’s goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
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.
Tampa Rap Artist Sentenced to 3 Years for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Torry Williams, 24, of Tampa, who performs as a rap artist under the name “Toon Trill,” was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on March 30, 2018, to theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between November 2012 and June 2013, Williams, who was a student at Tallahassee Community College, was involved in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns in the names of others. The IRS issued approximately $149,847 in refunds based upon these fraudulent returns. As part of the scheme to illegally obtain tax refunds, Williams used the dates of birth, names, and social security numbers of over fourteen different people.
As part of his sentence, Williams was ordered to pay $149,847 in restitution to the government.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Harwin 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.
Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Marijuana Conspiracy and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kenneth R. McLemore, 29, of Destin, Justin G. Reimche, 39, of Lorain, Ohio, and Alex A. Mena, 30, of Stockton, California, were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to drug and firearm offenses. On June 7, McLemore was sentenced to 106 months in prison. On July 30, Mena was sentenced to 131 months in prison. Today, Reimche was sentenced to 120 months in prison. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On November 29, 2017, a search warrant was executed at a house in Destin, where McLemore, Reimche, and Mena were residing and out of which they were distributing marijuana. Law enforcement officers seized firearms, marijuana, packaging material, scales, and over $32,000 in cash. McLemore, Reimche, and Mena were charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. McLemore and Mena were each charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Mena was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. All three defendants pleaded guilty as charged, and all of them had prior felony drug convictions that subjected them to enhanced penalties.
“Combatting violent crime is a top priority for my office, the Department of Justice, and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who tirelessly work to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Canova.
“ATF’s primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will continue to protect and serve communities with our law enforcement partners.”
This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes 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.
Two Pensacola Brothers Each Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Large Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Aaron M. Booker, 27, Joseph F. Booker Jr., 29, and Kaishawndra Lyons, 25, all of Pensacola, and Uy Nguyen, 35, of Vallejo, California, have been sentenced for charges arising from a multi-state drug and money laundering conspiracy. Joseph Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 31, and Aaron Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today. Nguyen was sentenced to 84 months in prison on July 2. Lyons was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison on July 31. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Nguyen and the Booker brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Lyons also pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents.
Since 2015, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have been investigating a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Pensacola, Northern California, and elsewhere. The investigation disclosed that between February 2015, and December 2017, Nguyen shipped packages of cocaine and marijuana from California to the Booker brothers in Pensacola. Nguyen sent his co-conspirators photographs of drug invoices and pictures of packages of cocaine and marijuana that he was shipping from California to Pensacola. Postal records show that the Booker brothers and Lyons mailed more than two dozen currency-filled packages to Nguyen as payment for the drugs. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted multiple packages of drugs that Nguyen shipped to his co-conspirators. Bank records revealed that the Booker brothers and Lyons laundered drug money by depositing proceeds from the sale of the marijuana and cocaine into bank accounts Nguyen opened in California.
In December 2017, law enforcement officers searched Nguyen’s residence and vehicle in northern California and located multiple kilograms of marijuana and a receipt for a newly mailed parcel heading to Pensacola. This parcel was intercepted by law enforcement officers and contained multiple pounds of marijuana. The search of the Lyons/Booker residence in Pensacola revealed over $300,000 in United States currency as well as over $300,000 in jewelry and high-end clothing.
Based upon the drug invoices, law enforcement officers determined this conspiracy involved 250 kilograms of marijuana and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The conspirators laundered over $250,000 through bank accounts and jewelry stores between Pensacola, Northern California, and other locations in the United States.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and 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 or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Alachua County Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Federal Child Pornography and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Joshua Hansen, 35, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville to 360 months in prison for production of child pornography, 240 months for possession of child pornography, and 120 months for possession of an unregistered silencer. Each count is to be served concurrently. Hansen pleaded guilty on May 18, 2018. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In October 2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at Hansen’s residence. The search warrant authorized the seizure of firearm sound suppression devices and electronic devices used to publish videos relating to Hansen’s manufacturing and test firing of sound suppression devices. Agents seized an unregistered silencer attached to a .22 caliber rifle. A forensic examination of Hansen’s electronic devices revealed thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including images of infants and toddlers. Agents also recovered pornographic videos created by Hansen involving two minor children. Hansen created the videos over approximately one year, when the victims were between five and eight years of age.
U.S. Attorney Canova said, “The cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners exposed an armed predator and helped protect other children from abuse. The sentence imposed on Hansen sends a strong message that those who take advantage of our innocent children will pay a steep price.”
“We will continue to adapt to and embrace the changes and challenges in the use technology when fighting violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we identified and saved the victims in this case”
“The FBI Jacksonville Division is always focused on building better relationships with our law enforcement partners, but we are just as committed to developing stronger relationships with members of this community,” Special Agent in Charge Charles P. Spencer. “This case confirms the value of that commitment, and the important role of community members in ensuring safety and security for all of our neighbors.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason S. Beaton.
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.
"Reality Check with LCSO" and the BLAST Program Bring Law Enforcement and Students TogetherRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida will join the Leon County Sheriff’s Office tomorrow to present a BLAST (“Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community”) Program as part of the three-day “Reality Check with LCSO” event.
Event: Reality Check with LCSO, featuring the BLAST Program
Location:
Leon County Sheriff’s Office
2825 Municipal Way
Tallahassee, FL 32304Media Availability:
Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Time: 8:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT
Press: Please RSVP to Shonda Knight at [email protected] or Amy Alexander at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
The Leon County Sheriff's Office’s Reality Check programs offer teens an opportunity to spend three days with LCSO deputies, learning about law enforcement and the consequences of illegal actions. The program includes a tour of the Detention Facility and culminates with a roundtable discussion on the final day.
The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with law enforcement officers in a familiar setting. Law enforcement officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.
Wednesday’s schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers. (Students have media permissions.)
- Criminal Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. Discussion includes the challenges officers face, rights of witnesses and suspects, and benefits of providing information to law enforcement. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Traffic Stop Simulation: Participants and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. Discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
Participating agencies include:
- Leon County Sheriff’s Office
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- FAMU Police Department
- Florida Highway Patrol
- Homeland Security Investigations
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
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.
- Criminal Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
Tallahassee Tax Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kenneth Alexander, 46, of Tallahassee, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with nine counts of preparing false tax returns, filing a false tax-related document, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that Alexander, the sole shareholder of Wizard Business Center, a tax preparation business in Tallahassee, prepared and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for various individuals between 2012 and 2016. The indictment alleges that Alexander falsely represented the taxpayers’ Schedule A itemized deductions, Schedule C and E losses, and marital status.
The maximum penalty for each count of preparing false tax returns and filing a false tax-related document is three years in prison. The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is 10 years in prison. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The trial is scheduled for September 10 at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation and the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes IRS Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Treasury Inspector General’s Office for Tax Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan is prosecuting the case.
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.
Child Pornographer Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison after Pensacola Jury ConvictsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Nicholas E. Fogarty, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison today, after being convicted on March 13 of advertisement of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Fogarty will also be required to register as a sex offender. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During the day and a half jury trial, the government presented evidence that, beginning in June 2017, an undercover investigator in Pensacola, posing as a minor female on the social media platform Kik, identified Fogarty, who had created the Kik group “Tweenteenlove,” a group that shared child pornography online. During the investigation, Fogarty instructed others to find and bring young girls to the online group. Fogarty communicated with the undercover agent online, including providing direction to the dark web, which is a hidden Internet where child pornography can be found. Upon Fogarty’s arrest in southern Florida, a search of his electronic devices revealed child pornography and a search browser for the dark web. In all, between 4,000 and 5,000 images and videos of child pornography were captured from Fogarty during this investigation. Fogarty has a prior child pornography related conviction in 2014 out of Palm Beach County, Florida.
“Our innocent children trust us to keep them safe and are often unaware of the dangers lurking online,” said U.S. Attorney Canova. “This sentence is a reminder to child predators who believe they are anonymous and beyond the reach of our prosecutors and law enforcement professionals: we will pursue you and bring you to justice.”
“This predator hid behind the anonymity of the dark web and social media applications to advertise and distribute child pornography,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This case underscores the important work of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and HSI is proud to be part of such an effective team.”
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Boynton Beach Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
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.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Tax Return FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Henry Flerijean, 28, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced Thursday to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on March 23, 2018, to theft of government money, possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identify theft. Flerijean was also ordered to pay $558,075.00 in restitution. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In February 2012, Flerijean was pulled over for speeding. The deputy smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle. The deputy searched the car and found a book bag with 7.5 grams of marijuana in it and approximately $21,427 in U.S. currency. Inside the carpet lining of the trunk, the deputy recovered two separate stacks of debit cards in other people’s names. He also discovered 31 counterfeit debit cards, two computers, and a notebook with names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, of individuals. The names from the notebook matched some of the names found on the debit cards in the vehicle. The computers contained evidence of fraudulently submitted tax returns.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Harwin prosecuted the case.
The U.S. 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.
Fort Walton Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gregory S. Rothwell Jr., 31, of Fort Walton Beach, was sentenced to federal prison today after having been found guilty on April 3 of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 13, 2017, at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office found and seized a loaded firearm, marijuana, a large amount of cash in Rothwell’s vehicle, as well as drug paraphernalia and additional cash in Rothwell’s storage unit. The firearm was purchased originally by Rothwell’s girlfriend, Shelley Wimes. Following a two-day jury trial in April 2018, Rothwell was found guilty as charged. Rothwell was sentenced to 240 months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. In addition, the firearm and almost $70,000 in cash that was seized was forfeited to the government. Wimes is awaiting sentencing on August 9 at 2:00 p.m. after having pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury for lying to the grand jury and to the court about her having driven Rothwell’s car on the evening of July 13, 2017.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes 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.
Felon Convicted of Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – After a three-day jury trial, Kenneth Lamar Weathers, 27, of Pensacola, was convicted on July 11 of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon (two counts) and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In June 2017, while cleaning a hotel room, a housekeeper found a pistol under the mattress. Weathers, who stayed in the room the night before the current occupant, was determined to have possessed the firearm.
In October 2017, law enforcement officers were notified that an armed male, later identified as Weathers, was within a residence. When officers arrived, an injured woman was in the rear bedroom of the apartment with Weathers. During a search of the residence, a pistol was located between the mattress and box spring where Weathers was lying. A bag in the closet contained $3,661 in U.S. currency, 15 individually wrapped clear baggies with cocaine, and Weathers’s Florida identification card.
For possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Weathers faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. For possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25 at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
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.
Business Owner and Former Government Contracting Officer Representative Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and BriberyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jerry T. Vertefeuille, 53, of Niceville, and Christopher A. Carter, 37, of Fort Walton Beach, pleaded guilty on July 11 and June 28, respectively, to conspiracy (to commit theft of honest services and wire fraud) and bribery of a public official. Additionally, Vertefeuille pleaded guilty to obtaining and disclosing procurement information. The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Vertefeuille was a federal government contracting officer representative for the 96 Test Wing Maintenance Group (96 MXG) at Eglin Air Force Base. His duties included overseeing maintenance work and initially approving purchases and invoices.
In 2007, Vertefeuille helped Carter, as the owner of TCC Services, Unlimited, LLC, win a paint booth maintenance contract, as well as multiple contract renewals, until 2014. Vertefeuille received kickbacks in exchange for approving Carter’s fraudulent invoices and recommending the renewal of TCC’s contract. An investigation later revealed that TCC and another contractor submitted invoices for payment to the U.S. Air Force for the same work.
For the conspiracy charge, the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison. For bribery of a public official, they face a maximum of 15 years in prison. For obtaining and disclosing procurement information, Vertefeuille also faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for September 26 at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Air Force Audit Agency, and Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
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.
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing from the Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Richard E. Kohl, 83, of Pensacola, Florida, has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in connection with filing false and fraudulent benefit claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”). The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Documents introduced at the time of the guilty plea reflect that, at some point prior to July 3, 1996, Kohl created and signed a fictitious Form DD-214 that falsely reported that he served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War and was discharged on December 20, 1961. Kohl never served in any branch of the United States military. Kohl used the false Form DD-214 as proof of his military service to obtain veterans’ benefits he was not entitled to receive. Between February 3, 2005, and February 9, 2018, Kohl received benefit payments and services totaling approximately $219,719.39 from the VA.
“By defrauding the federal government for personal gain, Kohl stole resources needed to help real veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Canova. “These benefits are meant for the brave men and women who have served our country.”
Monty Stokes, Special Agent in Charge, VA Office of Inspector General said, “The VA benefits fraudulently received by Mr. Kohl were intended to provide financial and health care support for veterans who honorably served in the armed forces of the United States. This guilty plea is the result of the successful investigative and prosecutive efforts of the VA OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These continued efforts safeguard the integrity of VA programs, and ensure that VA benefits are provided only to those who have earned them.”
Kohl faces a maximum of ten years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 19, 2018.
The case was investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations Division. It 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.
Four Individuals Charged in the Northern District of Florida as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael Scott Burton, 51, of Decatur, Georgia; Marie Ann Smith, 54, of Auburn, Georgia; Bradley D. Pounds, 46, of Jacksonville, Florida; and Heather E. Pounds, 45, also of Jacksonville, were arraigned on Tuesday, June 26, after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Additionally, Burton was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and 10 counts of money laundering. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges the following:
TRICARE and other private insurance companies were defrauded of more than $8 million for compounded creams and pills that were not medically necessary. The individuals who were provided the compounded creams and pills never saw the “prescribing” health care provider.
As a part of this scheme, Burton contacted Brad Hodgson, an employee with a doctor’s office in Atlanta, Georgia, and asked Hodgson to write compounded cream prescriptions for individuals who were not patients of the doctor’s practice where Hodgson worked. Upon Hodgson’s agreement to write the prescriptions, and as part of the scheme, Burton arranged for the Pounds and others to become “representatives” for Burton’s company, Simply Surgical. These representatives provided Burton with the personal identifying information and insurance cards of insurance company beneficiaries for whom the prescriptions could be issued. Burton agreed to pay the representatives for the information they provided him.
Following Burton’s receipt of the personal identifying information, Burton e-mailed the information to Hodgson and Smith, a billing coordinator at the Atlanta doctor’s office. Hodgson and Smith then caused prescriptions, purportedly signed by the Atlanta doctor and bearing the doctor’s DEA registration number, to be issued and faxed to a pharmacy in Pensacola. The doctor did not authorize or sign the prescriptions Hodgson and Smith submitted. Further, the health care beneficiaries whose information was submitted by Burton were not patients of the doctor’s office. The prescriptions issued were not medically necessary and were not provided by an authorized health care provider.
Following receipt of the prescriptions, employees of a Pensacola pharmacy manufactured compounded substances and then caused the substances to be shipped to the respective health care beneficiaries. The Pensacola pharmacy caused TRICARE and other health care benefit programs to be billed for the prescriptions.
By this conduct, Burton and others defrauded TRICARE and other health care benefit programs of more than $8 million. The trial is scheduled for August 6, 2018.
If convicted, all defendants face a maximum of 10 years in prison for each count of health care fraud conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, Burton faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy.
The case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Florida Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers.
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 in a court of law.
About the National Health Care Fraud Takedown:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $2 billion in false billings. Of those charged, 162 defendants, including 76 doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics. Thirty state Medicaid Fraud Control Units also participated in today’s arrests. In addition, HHS announced today that from July 2017 to the present, it has excluded 2,700 individuals from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and all other Federal health care programs, which includes 587 providers excluded for conduct related to opioid diversion and abuse.
Attorney General Sessions and Secretary Azar were joined in the announcement by Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Director David L. Bowdich of the FBI, Assistant Administrator John Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Deputy Inspector General Gary Cantrell of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), Deputy Chief Eric Hylton of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Program Integrity Alec Alexander, and Director Dermot F. O’Reilly of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Criminal Division, Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF) partners, a partnership between the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and HHS-OIG. In addition, the operation includes the participation of the DEA, DCIS, IRS-CI, Department of Labor, other various federal law enforcement agencies, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
The charges announced today aggressively target schemes billing Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE (a health insurance program for members and veterans of the armed forces and their families), and private insurance companies for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications that often were never even purchased and/or distributed to beneficiaries. The charges also involve individuals contributing to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on medical professionals involved in the unlawful distribution of opioids and other prescription narcotics, a particular focus for the Department. According to the CDC, approximately 115 Americans die every day of an opioid-related overdose.
“Health care fraud is a betrayal of vulnerable patients, and often it is theft from the taxpayer,” said Attorney General Sessions. “In many cases, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists take advantage of people suffering from drug addiction in order to line their pockets. These are despicable crimes. That’s why this Department of Justice has taken historic new steps to go after fraudsters, including hiring more prosecutors and leveraging the power of data analytics. Today the Department of Justice is announcing the largest health care fraud enforcement action in American history. This is the most fraud, the most defendants, and the most doctors ever charged in a single operation—and we have evidence that our ongoing work has stopped or prevented billions of dollars’ worth of fraud. I want to thank our fabulous partners with the FBI, DEA, our Health Care Fraud task forces, HHS, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Medicare, and especially the more than 1,000 federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers from across America who made this possible. By every measure we are more effective at finding and prosecuting medical fraud than ever.”
“Every dollar recovered in this year’s operation represents not just a taxpayer’s hard-earned money—it’s a dollar that can go toward providing healthcare for Americans in need,” said HHS Secretary Azar. “This year’s Takedown Day is a significant accomplishment for the American people, and every public servant involved should be proud of their work.”
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private insurance companies for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided. In many cases, patient recruiters, beneficiaries and other co-conspirators were allegedly paid cash kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to providers, so that the providers could then submit fraudulent bills to Medicare. Collectively, the doctors, nurses, licensed medical professionals, health care company owners, and others charged are accused of submitting a total of over $2 billion in fraudulent billings. The number of medical professionals charged is particularly significant, because virtually every health care fraud scheme requires a corrupt medical professional to be involved in order for Medicare or Medicaid to pay the fraudulent claims. Aggressively pursuing corrupt medical professionals not only has a deterrent effect on other medical professionals, but also ensures that their licenses can no longer be used to bilk the system.
“Healthcare fraud touches every corner of the United States and not only costs taxpayers money, but also can have deadly consequences,” said FBI Deputy Director Bowdich. “Through investigations across the country, we have seen medical professionals putting greed above their patients’ well-being and trusted doctors fanning the flames of the opioid crisis. I want to thank the agents, analysts and our law enforcement partners in every field office who work each and every day to stop these criminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“DEA is committed to ending the opioid crisis occurring in our communities and preventing prescription drug misuse,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Martin. “DEA will continue to work with our partners every day to protect our citizens while ensuring that patients have adequate access to these critical medications.”
“This year’s operations, focusing on opioid-related schemes, spotlight the far-reaching impact of health care fraud,” said HHS Deputy Inspector General Cantrell. “Such crimes threaten the vitally important Medicare and Medicaid programs and the beneficiaries they serve. Though we have made significant progress in our fight against health care fraud; our efforts are not complete. We will continue to work with our partners to protect the health and safety of millions of Americans.”
“It takes a special kind of person to prey on the sick and vulnerable as happened in many of these health care fraud schemes,” said Deputy Chief Hylton. “Medical professionals and others callously placed individuals and vital healthcare services in harm’s way simply because of greed. IRS-CI special agents continue to work side-by-side with other federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to uncover these schemes and hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
“CMS makes it a top priority to protect the health and safety of millions of beneficiaries who depend on vital federal healthcare programs,” said Alec Alexander, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Program Integrity. “CMS’ Center for Program Integrity collaborates closely with our law enforcement partners to safeguard precious taxpayer dollars. Under Administrator Seema Verma, we will continue to strengthen this partnership with law enforcement in order to ensure the integrity and sustainability of these essential programs that serve millions of Americans.”
“Heath care fraud wounds our service members and veterans alike, as they rely upon and rightfully expect uncompromised care through the Department of Defense’s TRICARE Program,” said DCIS Director O’Reilly. “Investigations that culminated in enforcement actions over the past several days underscore the steadfast commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our investigative partners to vigorously investigate fraud impacting TRICARE. We remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure the high standards of care our service members, military retirees, and their dependents deserve while safeguarding American taxpayer dollars.”
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in 10 locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $14 billion.
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.
Honduran Man Charged with Transporting Local Minor for SexRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elvin Castron-Murcia, 19, a Honduran native residing between Louisiana and Tennessee, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with traveling for illicit sexual conduct, transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity, and false claim of U.S. citizenship. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, in May 2018, Castron-Murcia traveled for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and also transported a minor under age 18 for sexual activity. The indictment further alleges that, on May 25, 2018, Castron-Murcia falsely represented himself to be a U.S. citizen.
The defendant was detained pending trial. The trial date is scheduled for August 7, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
If convicted, Castron-Murcia faces a maximum of 30 years in prison for the sex traveling charge, a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the sex transportation charge, and a maximum of 3 years in prison for the false claim of U.S. citizenship.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Goldberg.
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 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Dayton Michael Cramer, 71, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday after being convicted on March 21 of attempted enticement of a minor. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During the three-day trial, the government presented evidence that, in February 2017, undercover investigators conducted “Operation Cupid’s Arrow” to identify individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors they meet online. Cramer responded to two Craigslist advertisements in which an undercover officer posed as a 14-year-old girl and also as the stepmother of a 13-year-old girl who was being offered for sex. Over the course of several days, Cramer discussed sexual activity with various undercover officers and traveled to meet who he thought was the stepmother of the 13-year-old girl to discuss the opportunity to have sex with the girl at a later date. Cramer was arrested after arriving at the designated meeting location.
United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova stated, “The North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force once again demonstrates why undercover online operations targeting those individuals who want to engage in sexual activity with minors are so crucial to the protection of our children and local community from online predators.”
“This criminal thought he was going to prey on a child; instead, he found himself in handcuffs,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Our HSI special agents and the multi-agency North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force work diligently to protect our children, and this case is an example of that commitment.”
“It does not matter who you are, if you prey on our children, you will be arrested,” said FDLE Tallahassee Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez. “These cases continue to be a priority for FDLE.”
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
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.
Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for a Day of LearningRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and Eastside High School will present a BLAST Program event on Tuesday to approximately 75 students.
Event: BLAST Program
Location:
Eastside High School
1201 SE 43rd Street
Gainesville, FL 32641Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EDT
- 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Opening Remarks
- 9:15 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. Rotating Group Breakouts (40 minutes each)
- 11:45 – 12:00 p.m. “Returning from Prison” Presentation
- 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
Press: Please RSVP to Amy Alexander at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with law enforcement officers in a familiar setting. Law enforcement officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.
The schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified.)
- Criminal Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. Discussion includes the challenges officers face, rights of witnesses and suspects, and benefits of providing information to law enforcement. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Traffic Stop Simulation: Participants and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. Discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
Participating agencies include:
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
- Gainesville Police Department
- Eastside High School
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
- Florida Highway Patrol
- FAMU 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 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.
Local Inmate Pleads Guilty to Threatened Use of Weapon of Mass DestructionRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Craig T. Pope, 29, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola to mailing threatening communications and threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In April and May 2017, Pope, while serving a state prison sentence for crimes out of Hillsborough County, sent two threatening letters from the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution to a Hillsborough County judge who presided over his plea and/or post conviction matters.
The first letter stated: “You have exactly 48 hours to get me back in court or someone in your courtroom will die and not only that, there will be an outbreak of anthrax in your courthouse who knows where I will send it first . . . time is ticking.”
The second letter stated: “here is a gift of Anthrax and when you receive this letter you will have exactly 4 hours before the courthouse explodes. The bomb is already in place, your security is no match to my brotherhood. Today you will understand that America will never be as powerful as my ISIS Family.” The letter contained a white powder, which triggered the Tampa Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Response Team to respond to the courthouse and secure the evidence and potential weapon of mass destruction. Testing eventually provided a negative response for a biothreat, but all security protocols were initiated for those who could have been contaminated.
Pope faces a maximum of five years in prison for mailing threatening communications and a maximum of life in prison for threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 20, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. 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 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.
Northern District of Florida to Receive Two Attorney Positions to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Christopher P. Canova, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys nationwide to assist in priority areas. These allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
The two new AUSA positions allocated to the Northern District of Florida will focus on violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Attorney General Sessions’s announcement of more prosecutors to fight crime punctuates his mission to make our communities safer. He continues to support law enforcement officers and prosecutors by providing the resources, tools, and discretion to bring evil-doers to justice. My office will use these two new AUSA positions to prosecute the predators who terrorize our communities. Everyone should feel safe to walk the sidewalks and let their children play in the yard.”
“Under President Trump’s strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis — and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’ When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
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.
Destin Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Shipping Jewelry Stolen During Walton County BurglariesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Mark Joshua Mitchell, 40, of Destin, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison, after pleading guilty on June 22, 2017, to seven counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On various dates in 2015 and 2016, victims contacted the Walton County Sheriff’s Office to report that their residences had been burglarized and that jewelry and other items had been stolen during the burglaries. The victims reported six different burglaries in Santa Rosa Beach, Panama City Beach, and Destin. The stolen items included multi-carat diamond engagement rings, a three-piece platinum wedding ring set, other jewelry, cash, and Mexican gold coins. Mitchell then shipped diamonds taken from the rings or the entire stolen item to Missouri and Louisiana.
The investigation in this case was led by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) provided assistance. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers.
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.
Pensacola Tax Preparer Found Guilty of Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Benell English, 57, of Pensacola, was found guilty of 18 counts of preparing false tax returns yesterday following a three-day federal jury trial in Pensacola. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
English, the tax return preparer at Select Tax Service on E Street in Pensacola, was found guilty of preparing and filing false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service between 2013 and 2017. English fraudulently represented that the taxpayers had Schedule A itemized deductions, Schedule C business losses or profits, and/or household employee income without the taxpayers’ knowledge. English earned approximately $10,600 for preparing the 18 false returns. As a result, the Internal Revenue Service paid $182,887 in refunds that should not have been paid.
The maximum penalty for each count is three years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for August 19, 2018, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes 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.
Georgia Man Convicted of Attempted Enticement and Traveling to Have Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Yesterday afternoon after a two and a half day trial, Frantisek Pribyl, 48, of Snellville, Georgia, was convicted in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee of attempted enticement of a minor and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In February 2017, undercover investigators conducted “Operation Cupid’s Arrow” to identify individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors. Pribyl responded to a Craigslist advertisement in which an undercover officer posed as the mother of a 14-year-old girl and then as the daughter. Over two days, Pribyl continued his conversation with the “girl” via e-mail, discussed sexual activity with her over e-mail and during a controlled telephone call, and traveled more than 250 miles to Tallahassee to meet her to have sex. Pribyl was arrested after arriving at the designated meeting location.
For the attempted enticement charge, Pribyl faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. For traveling to have sex with a minor, Pribyl faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 14, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
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.
Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for a Day of LearningRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and Taylor County High School will present a BLAST Program event on Wednesday to approximately 50 students.
Event: BLAST Program
Location:
Big Bend Technical College
3233 S. Byron Butler Pkwy.
Perry, Florida 32348
Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Time: 9:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST- 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
- 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Rotating Group Breakouts (30 minutes each)
- 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. “Returning from Prison” Presentation
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
Press: Please RSVP to Amy Alexander at [email protected] if you plan to attend.The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with law enforcement officers in a familiar setting. Law enforcement officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.
The schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified.)
- Criminal Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. Discussion includes the challenges officers face, rights of witnesses and suspects, and benefits of providing information to law enforcement. This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Traffic Stop Simulation: Participants and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. Discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media and public. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
Participating agencies include:
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- Taylor County County Sheriff’s Office
- Taylor County High School
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Florida Highway Patrol
- FAMU 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 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.
Two Local Inmates Indicted for Threatening Anthrax UseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Craig T. Pope, 29, and Justin B. Lane, 34, were arraigned on May 3 and today, respectively, in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments charging each of them with mailing threatening communications and threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction. The indictments were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to Pope’s indictment, in April and May 2017, Pope mailed a letter to a judge threatening a bomb and an anthrax outbreak in the courthouse. According to Lane’s indictment, in August 2017, Lane mailed a letter to the Polk County State Attorney’s Office threatening to use anthrax.
Pope’s trial is scheduled for June 4 at 9:00 a.m., and Lane’s trial is scheduled for July 9 at 8:00 a.m.
If convicted of mailing threatening communications, Pope and Lane face a maximum of five years in prison. If convicted of threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction, the defendants face a maximum of life in prison.
These cases resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation 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.
Four Plead Guilty in Multi-State Drug, Money-Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Aaron M. Booker, 26, Joseph F. Booker Jr., 28, and Kaishawndra Lyons, 25, all of Pensacola, and Uy Nguyen, 34, of Vallejo, California, have pled guilty to charges arising from a multi-state drug and money laundering conspiracy. The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Nguyen and the Booker Brothers pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All four defendants pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Lyons also pled guilty to making false statements to federal agents.
Since 2015, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have been investigating a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Pensacola, Northern California, and elsewhere. The investigation disclosed that between February 2015, and December 2017, Nguyen shipped packages of cocaine and marijuana from California to the Booker Brothers in Pensacola. Using hidden social media, Nguyen sent his co-conspirators photographs of drug invoices and pictures of packages of cocaine and marijuana that he was shipping from California to Pensacola. Postal records show that the Booker Brothers and Lyons mailed more than two dozen currency-filled packages back to Nguyen as payment for the drugs. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted multiple packages of drugs that Nguyen shipped to his co-conspirators. Bank records revealed that the Booker Brothers and Lyons laundered drug monies by depositing proceeds from the sale of the marijuana and cocaine into bank accounts Nguyen opened in California.
In December 2017, law enforcement officers searched Nguyen’s residence and vehicle in northern California and located multiple kilograms of marijuana and a receipt for a newly mailed parcel heading to Pensacola. When law enforcement officers searched the Lyons/Booker residence, Aaron Booker’s cellular device was logged into the social media account that included drug invoices and mailing information for Nguyen. One of the images depicting mailing information was actually the receipt investigators recovered from Nguyen's vehicle at the time of his arrest. This parcel was intercepted by law enforcement officers and contained multiple pounds of marijuana. The search of the Lyons/Booker residence in Pensacola revealed over $300,000 in United States currency as well as over $300,000 in jewelry and high end clothing.
Based upon the drug invoices, law enforcement officers determined this conspiracy involved 250 kilograms of marijuana and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The conspirators laundered over a quarter million dollars through bank accounts and jewelry stores between Pensacola, Northern California, and other locations in the United States.
The defendants face 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy. Lyons faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for making false statements.
Nguyen’s sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2018. The sentencing for Aaron Booker is scheduled for July 17, 2018. Joseph Booker and Lyons will be sentenced on July 24, 2018.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and 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 or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tallahassee Man Charged with Committing Federal Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Milton Sumrell, 43, of Tallahassee, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with production of child pornography, enticement of a minor to perform illegal sex acts, and possession of child pornography. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, in October and November 2017, Sumrell persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography and persuaded someone under age 18 to engage in sexual activity. The indictment further alleges that, between January and March 2018, Sumrell possessed child pornography. The trial is scheduled for June 11, 2018, at 8:15 a.m.
If convicted, Sumrell faces a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 30 years in prison for the production charge, a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the enticement charge, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the possession charge.
The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Trumann Police Department (Arkansas). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Harwin.
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 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Hospital CEO Charged with Wire and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Phillip E. Hill Jr., 42, of Blountstown, Florida, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Panama City after a federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging him with 24 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of filing false tax returns. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between 2010 and 2015, Hill used his positions as Chief Executive Officer and department head of Emergency Management Services to embezzle money from Calhoun-Liberty Hospital. According to the indictment, Hill billed the hospital for goods it never received and did so using invoices in the name of “Southeastern Medical Supply,” a sham business connected to a bank account controlled by Hill. It is alleged that Hill also ordered medical supplies from eBay and other vendors and billed the hospital for these supplies at prices far in excess of what Hill actually paid for them. The indictment alleges that Hill used the funds in the Southeastern bank account to pay personal credit card bills, to fund a business he owned and operated, to obtain cash, and to pay personal expenses, including grocery and travel expenses. The indictment also alleges that when a hospital employee asked Hill for contact information for Southeastern, Hill claimed that he did not have the phone number because he had lost his phone, and asserted that the last time he had “talked with” representatives of Southeastern, they were “talking about going out of business.”
The maximum penalty for each wire fraud count is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for each count of filing false tax returns is a maximum of 3 years in prison. The trial is scheduled for July 2, 2018, at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Panama City.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Blountstown Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Harwin and Karen Rhew-Miller are prosecuting the case.
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.
National Prescription Take Back Day Safely Removes Unused Medications from Local HomesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tomorrow, Northern Florida residents can join citizens across the nation in safely and anonymously disposing of their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications during the 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, announced United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova.
This weekend, through the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day initiative, more than 5,600 collection sites staffed by almost 4,500 law enforcement agencies will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps.) Over the past 7 years, more than 9 million pounds (4,500 tons) of prescription medications have been collected at 14 previous events. The service is free and anonymous.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Tragically, an opioid addition can begin with unused pain pills in home medicine cabinets. During Take Back Day, you can help protect your loved ones and educate your children on the dangers of misused pharmaceuticals while removing potentially dangerous medicines from your house.”
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.
The public has embraced the opportunity these Take Back Day events provide to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. Last fall, the public turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its local and tribal partners.
The following drop-off locations are available in the Northern District of Florida:
- Calhoun County Sheriff's Office
- Crestview Police Department
- Eglin AFB, 96 Security Forces Squadron
- Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Florida State University Police Department
- Fort Walton Police Department
- Gadsden County Sheriff's Office
- Gulf Breeze Police Department
- Havana Police Department
- Jackson County Sheriff's Office
- Lake City Police Department
- Lafayette County Sheriff's Office
- Leon County Sheriff’s Office
- Live Oak Police Department
- Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office
- Shalimar Police Department
- Tallahassee Police Department
- Wakulla County Sheriff's Office
For more information about properly disposing of unused medicines, visit the United States Food and Drug Administration website.
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.
Panama City Beach Man Sentenced to 204 Months in Prison for Online Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Brandon Royce Phillips, 34, of Panama City Beach, was sentenced yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Panama City to 204 months in prison after being convicted on January 23 of production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During the one and a half day trial, the government presented evidence that, in November 2016, the grandmother of a 14-year-old boy advised the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that an unknown person had sent the boy sexually graphic videos during chats on Kik, a social media application. The investigation disclosed that Phillips, posing as a 17-year-old female named “Katie Davis,” had sent the boy pornographic videos of a female that Phillips claimed to be “Davis.” Phillips then convinced the boy to take sexually explicit videos of himself and send them to Phillips via Kik. Further investigation revealed videos of other children engaged in the same sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “This sentence is another warning that the exploitation of our community’s children will not be tolerated. Our office will continue its aggressive work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to combat and prosecute those who prey upon the innocence of a child.”
“Let this serve as a reminder that child predators hide behind false identities on social media applications,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Thanks to HSI special agents and our partners at the Clay and Bay County Sheriff’s Offices, we have stopped another criminal from abusing children online.”
“The Bay County Sheriff's Office is glad to partner with other agencies to put criminals where they can no longer prey upon children,” Sheriff Tommy Ford said. “By working together, we are the most effective at keeping our children safe.”
The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
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.
Five More Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Five defendants were sentenced to federal prison this week after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Yesterday, the following defendants were sentenced on both charges:
- Charles Zachariah Sindylek, 32, of Pensacola, 90 months in prison and
- David DelGiacco, 56, of Lake Forest, California, 30 days in custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
Today, the following defendants were sentenced on both charges:
- Brandon Craig Remeyer, 35, of Trabuco Canyon, California, 72 months in prison and
- Andrew Paul Marcelonis, 32, of Pensacola, 18 months in prison.
Also today, Steven Ryan Michael Sholly, 31, of Milton, was sentenced to 59 months in prison on conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Co-defendants Sanford Eugene Johnson III, William Brett Brownell, and his father William Ezra Brownell had previously pled guilty and were sentenced last November.
Between 2014 and 2017, the defendants conspired to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana in the Northern District of Florida. Johnson, William Brett Brownell, Sholly, and others in the Pensacola area ordered the marijuana from Sindylek and Remeyer, who shipped packages of marijuana from California to Florida with the assistance of DelGiacco. Johnson, William Brett Brownell, and Sholly then sold the marijuana in Florida with the assistance of Marcelonis, William Ezra Brownell, and others. The cash proceeds of the marijuana distribution were laundered through bank accounts, and later mailed to addresses in California. More than $3.5 million in cash proceeds from the sale of marijuana was laundered during the time frame of the conspiracy.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, the Pensacola Police Department, the Mobile Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Breeze Police Department, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and 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 or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Major at Correctional Institution Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Falsifying Records to Obstruct Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Yesterday afternoon, Michael J. Baxter, 49, of Grand Ridge, Florida, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Panama City to 5 years in prison after being convicted on January 25 of falsifying records to obstruct a federal investigation. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During the two-day trial, the government presented evidence that Baxter, while acting as a state correctional officer at the Apalachee Correctional Institution, knowingly falsified use-of-force and incident reports to obstruct an investigation into allegations of a violent assault on an inmate. The jury received evidence that, on July 12, 2015, the inmate was assaulted in Major Baxter’s office on the day the inmate was going to be married. Blood splatter from the inmate’s head was found on the floor of the office, and medical records confirmed significant damage to the inmate’s face and head. Afterwards, Major Baxter falsified his reports to obstruct the investigation into the assault.
United States Attorney Canova said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute those lawbreakers in positions of trust who abuse their authority to obstruct the pursuit of justice and attempt to mislead investigators with false information.”
“Law enforcement must be held to a higher standard,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI will use every resource available to assist our law enforcement partners in holding officers accountable for their actions.”
FDC Secretary Julie Jones said: “The actions of Mr. Baxter were unacceptable and are in no way a reflection of the thousands of correctional officers who work diligently every day to watch over our inmates. Protecting those in our custody is the Department’s chief priority, and we are committed to ensuring fair and appropriate treatment as they serve their time in the correctional system. We thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work throughout this process.”
“Obstructing the truth and knowingly falsifying records presents a clear danger to the lives of inmates and all those who work at the prison. FDLE takes such threats seriously and is committed to fully determining all the facts and ensuring that the truth provides for accountability,” said FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
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.
Crestview Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terrell Jerome Cochran, 42, of Crestview, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to serve 120 months in prison after pleading guilty on October 4, 2017, to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In March 2017, in response to a residential alarm, deputies met with Cochran, a previously convicted felon, outside his residence. While speaking with Cochran, deputies noticed a strong marijuana odor coming from inside. Investigators then obtained and executed a search warrant on Cochran’s residence. During the search, investigators located and seized a FA Cugir 7.62x39 millimeter rifle, a Ruger 9 millimeter pistol, 136.7 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and a small amount of marijuana and cocaine from inside the residence. The rifle was loaded with an extended magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition, and the pistol was loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The case resulted from the investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.
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.
Two More Pensacola Residents Charged in Multi-State ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joseph F. Booker Jr., 28, and Kaishawndra Lyons, 25, both of Pensacola, along with the previously charged defendants Uy Nguyen, 34, of Vallejo, California, and Aaron M. Booker, 26, of Pensacola, were arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment. Nguyen and the Booker brothers are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. All defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Lyons is also charged with making false statements. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between February 2015 and December 2017, Nguyen and the Booker brothers conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The indictment also alleges that during the same time period, they, along with Lyons, conspired to launder money by transferring cash proceeds and purchasing precious metals and stones from funds of the drug trafficking conspiracy. The indictment also alleges that, in November 2016, Lyons knowingly made false statements that the currency she had deposited in out-of-state bank accounts was money she earned from doing hair and sewing.
The indictment also seeks forfeiture of approximately $338,641 in U.S. currency; a firearm and ammunition; a cellular telephone; more than a dozen pieces of jewelry; and approximately 35 pieces of designer clothing and accessories.
The trial is scheduled for May 14, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
If convicted, the defendants face 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy. If convicted of the false statements charge, Lyons faces a maximum of 5 years in prison.
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 in a court of law.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Marshals, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and 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 or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their 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 United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Two Santa Rosa County Men Plead Guilty to Fraud Relating to Air Force Helicopter ContractsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ryan Romero, 51, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, and Adam W. Fair, 42, of Navarre, Florida, pled guilty yesterday and Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud. The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence proffered as part of the plea showed the following: Between 2010 and 2012, “M.I.S.” and his company Simplex Corporation, were awarded contracts with the United States Air Force at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base to provide helicopters and parts. During the same period, defense contractors and subcontractors were awarded contracts with the Air Force to provide maintenance work on those helicopters. Romero was employed as maintenance manager and Fair was employed as a maintenance superintendent for one or more of these companies.
Fair and Romero used their positions to obtain kick-backs in exchange for giving favorable treatment to M.I.S. and Simplex Corporation. The favorable treatment included assisting M.I.S. in assembling and disassembling helicopters using defense contract company employees to complete the work without the company being compensated for this work. In exchange, Romero received approximately $30,000, and Fair received approximately $20,000.
The plea documents also reflect that in exchange for monthly payments of $6,000 from M.I.S., Romero and Fair agreed to provide favorable maintenance inspection reports to the Air Force on helicopters that M.I.S. and Simplex Corporation supplied. In exchange for agreeing to provide favorable reports, Romero and Fair received approximately $154,350 in kick-backs from M.I.S.
The defendants each face a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled on July 18, 2018, for Fair, and on August 2, 2018, for Romero at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and 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.