Northern District of Florida

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Guyland W. Thompson, 65, of Milton, pleaded guilty today to twenty counts of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion stemming from his embezzlement of funds from United Way of Santa Rosa County (“UWSRC”).  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.

His sentencing hearing is currently set for July 29, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.  The government intends to forfeit all proceeds of Mr. Thompson’s fraud, including approximately $221,000 that has already been seized from his bank accounts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Forbes is prosecuting the case after a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

Between at least 2011 and 2018, Thompson embezzled money belonging to UWSRC while he was employed as its Executive Director.  Thompson devised a complex scheme where he kept a portion of money intended for use to pay UWSRC’s regular bills and expenses by replacing it with other donation checks no one at UWSRC knew about.  By conducting a series of complicated financial transactions to cover his tracks, Thompson embezzled over $650,000 from UWSRC.

Thompson maintained his scheme by making fraudulent misrepresentations to UWSRC’s board members and employees, its parent nonprofit United Way Worldwide, and bank personnel.  He also took steps to prevent internal or external audits of UWSRC from occurring that would have uncovered his fraud.  Thompson then failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service the extra income from his embezzlement scheme, which ranged from approximately $86,000 to $99,000 in a given year.

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.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jeffrey Farrell Davis, 36, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 120 months in prison yesterday, 25 years of supervised release, $3,000 victim restitution, and a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.  In March 2018, Davis pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking by obtaining a minor child for purposes of engaging in sexual activity.  The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between April and June 2017, several persons were involved in a scheme to make money using a 14-year-old child to perform commercial sex acts.  Advertisements identifying the victim under a false name were posted in the “escort services” section of Backpage.com for the Gainesville area.  The advertisements were actually for the purpose of offering the child for commercial sexual activity.

Persons responded to the advertisements by calling or texting a cellular telephone number provided in the ad.  Arrangements were then made to deliver the child for purposes of commercial sex.  The child was delivered to persons at various locations in north central Florida, including private residences and motels.  Davis is one of the individuals who responded to the Backpage.com advertisements.  He engaged in commercial sex with the child on two separate occasions.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Daniel J. Gould, 36, of Crestview, and Henry W. Royer, 36, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, were each sentenced to 9 years in federal prison today for two drug trafficking conspiracy counts involving large amounts of cocaine.  The sentences were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Gould pleaded guilty to the federal indictment in December 2018, and Royer pleaded guilty in February 2019.  A third co-defendant, Gustavo A. Pareja, 25, of Colombia, is awaiting extradition to the United States to stand trial in Pensacola.

Between January and August 2018 in the Northern District of Florida, and in the country of Colombia, former Master Sergeant Daniel Gould of the United States Army and Henry Royer, formerly of the United States Army and Army National Guard, conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. 

In August 2018, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration received information that Gould had attempted to import 40 kilograms of cocaine onto a military transport flight in Colombia with a final destination in the Northern District of Florida.  Suspicion was aroused at the United States Embassy in Colombia when packages were x-rayed, revealing cocaine within gutted out punching bags.  On August 13, 2018, when the cocaine was seized at the embassy, Gould had already returned home and was awaiting its arrival.

The conspiracy began in early 2018 when Gould and Royer initially imported 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.  Royer traveled to Colombia with U.S. currency to use as payment.  Gould placed the cocaine in a gutted punching bag and had the package transported to Bogota to be placed on a United States military aircraft.  A few days later, the cocaine-filled punching bag arrived at Duke Field, which is an auxiliary airfield of Eglin Air Force Base.  Gould and Royer distributed the 10 kilograms of cocaine in Northwest Florida.

Gould and Royer then reinvested the money from the first load of cocaine into a second load of 40 kilograms of cocaine.  Gould placed approximately $65,000 in cash on a United States military cargo aircraft destined for Colombia as funds for the next purchase.

In early August 2018, Gould and Royer returned to Colombia and provided money for the 40 kilograms to their source of cocaine supply.  Gould and Royer received the cocaine, loaded the 40 kilograms into two gutted punching bags, and coordinated transport to the embassy before flying back to the United States.  The estimated value of 40 kilograms of cocaine in the Northern District of Florida would be in excess of $1 million.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.  Senior Litigation Counsel David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kevin Robert Lee, 35, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon to twenty counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft from a lending institution, and three counts of filing a false tax return.  The guilty plea was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between June 2014 and November 2017, Lee was the lending director of FSU Credit Union (FSUCU), a Tallahassee-based credit union, a position that allowed him to open new customer accounts and approve lines of credit.  He also served as treasurer of the Tallahassee Chapter of Credit Unions (TCCU), a non-profit organization that advocates pro-credit union legislation.

In 2014, Lee used the name, date of birth, and social security number of the President of TCCU to create a second account for TCCU.  Lee used the original TCCU account for fraudulent activity while leaving the new account for legitimate TCCU transactions.  Lee also created two accounts using the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of his college roommates, which served as “intermediary accounts” into which funds stolen from FSUCU customers were deposited.  Lee also transferred funds from inactive customer accounts either to pay down the lines of credit he created, to the intermediary accounts he created, or into the original TCCU account.  Lee used the stolen funds to pay off personal credit cards, to make mortgage and car payments, and for his children’s tuition.  In total, Lee transferred or withdrew a total of $806,666.26 from FSUCU.  In February 2016 and March 2017, Lee filed tax returns in which he did not claim as income the funds he stole from FSUCU.  

Lee faces the following penalties:

• Bank fraud: a maximum of 30 years in prison;
• Aggravated identity theft: a 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence consecutive to any other sentence imposed;
• Theft from a lending institution: a maximum of 30 years in prison; and
• Filing a false tax return: a maximum of 3 years in prison.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, after being alerted by FSU Credit Union.  Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen 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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – On Saturday, North Florida residents can join citizens across the nation in safely and anonymously disposing of their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications during the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, announced United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe.

U.S. Keefe said: “Thanks to the efforts of the DEA and our local sheriff offices and police departments, we have convenient drop off locations throughout our district so that North Floridians can help prevent prescription drug addiction or misuse before it starts.  Take Back Day is an excellent opportunity to talk to your children about the importance of never sharing a prescription.”

With robust public participation during 16 prior events, the Take Back Day Initiative continues to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft, or abuse by family members and visitors, including children and teens.  In continuation of this effort, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its national, tribal, and community partners will hold the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country on Saturday, April 27.  The service is free and anonymous.

The following drop-off locations are available in the Northern District of Florida.  Please continue to check www.DEATakeBack.com for new locations.

County

Location

Sponsor

Alachua

Hitchcock’s Markets
6005 US-301, Hawthorne, FL 32640

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

Alachua

Senior Recreation Center
5701 NW 34th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32653

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

Alachua

Newberry Fire Rescue Station 28
310 SW 250 St., Newberry, FL 32669

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

Calhoun

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office
20830 NE W C Reeder Dr.
Blountstown, FL 32424

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
6314 N 9th Ave., Pensacola, FL 32504

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
1841 E Olive Rd., Pensacola, FL 32514

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
700 N Pace Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32505

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
85 Beverly Pkwy., Pensacola, FL 32505

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
4497 Mobile Hwy., Pensacola, FL 32506

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Escambia

Walgreens
5995 Mobile Hwy., Pensacola, FL 32526

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Gadsden

Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office
339 E Jefferson St., Quincy, FL 32351

Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office

Jackson

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
4012 Lafayette St., Marianna, FL 32446

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

Jefferson

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
171 Industrial Park, Monticello, FL 32344

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Lafayette

North Florida Pharmacy of Mayo
229 W Main St., Mayo, FL 32066

Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office

Leon

Costco
4067 Lagniappe Way, Tallahassee, FL 32317

Leon County Sheriff’s Office

Leon

Tallahassee Police Department
234 E 7th Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32303

Tallahassee Police Department

Levy

Cedar Key Police Department
490 2nd St., Cedar Key, FL 32625

Cedar Key Police Department

Okaloosa

Walmart
3351 S Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, FL 32536

Crestview Police Department

Okaloosa

Walgreens
2350 S Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, FL 32536

Crestview Police Department

Santa Rosa

Gulf Breeze Police Department
311 Fairpoint Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561

Gulf Breeze Police Department

Wakulla

Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office
16 Oak St., Crawfordville, FL 32327

Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office

Now in its ninth year, DEA has collected a total of nearly 11 million pounds (more than 5,400 tons) of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications through its Take Back Day events.  This weekend, approximately 6,000 collection sites manned by nearly 5,000 partner 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.)

“Keeping our homes free of harmful prescription medication, when no longer needed, is a way of keeping everyone safe,” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division.  “We strongly encourage the public to do your part by discarding your expired, unused, and unwanted medications at any of the 200+ sites throughout Florida.”

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States continue to be alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  The majority of prescription drug abusers say they get their drugs free from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet.  Take Back Day is a unique opportunity for Americans to protect their homes and medicine cabinets from theft and abuse.

National Take Back Day has received enthusiastic public support since its inception in 2010. Last October, the public turned in 457 tons (914,236 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,800 of its local and tribal partners.

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.

COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO TALLAHASSEE, FLA.-Lawrence Keefe, second from left, is joined by his wife Dr. Lynn Keefe and sons Robert, John, and Patrick, right, as he takes the Oath of Office as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida from Mark Walker, left, Chief United States District Judge on April 12, 2019.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – This afternoon, U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe took the oath of office in an official investiture ceremony, joined by staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office; federal, state, and local law enforcement agency heads; Congress members; Judiciary members; Florida cabinet members; city and county government members; distinguished guests; and family.

The Honorable Mark E. Walker, Chief United States District Judge, presided over the ceremony.  Three of U.S. Attorney Keefe’s longtime friends, mentors, and colleagues participated in the ceremony.  U.S. Attorney Keefe met Phillip S. Dingle, who gave the invocation, and J. Rex Farrior III, who led the Pledge of Allegiance, in law school at the University of Florida.  Benjamin H. Hill III, who hired U.S. Attorney Keefe after graduation at his Tampa-based law firm, gave the keynote address.

U.S. Attorney Keefe gave a special message to each group present at the investiture about his core beliefs of hard work, integrity, and treating everyone with respect, no matter their station in life.  He quoted from Sir Winston Churchill: “To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents.  What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”  The full text of U.S. Attorney Keefe’s remarks as drafted are attached, as well as a photo and copy of the program.

As the 41st U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Keefe is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the district, which includes Florida’s 23 panhandle counties, from Escambia in the west to Alachua in the east.  The district has offices in Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee, and Gainesville.  The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, health care fraud, firearms, and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.  For more information about U.S. Attorney Keefe’s appointment and experience, click here.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy J. Smith, 42, of Mobile, Alabama, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging him with computer fraud, theft of trade secrets, and interstate threatening communications.  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the indictment.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes very seriously cyber intrusions of all kinds, ranging from protecting our national security to the secrets of private industries.  In our increasingly online society, cyber security is vital to all of us as we conduct Internet transactions and conversations so that we can be confident our identities and personal information are protected.”

The indictment alleges that Smith was a software engineer in Mobile, Alabama.  StrikeLines, LLC, the alleged victim in the indictment, is a Pensacola based company that uses commercial side scan sonar equipment to locate fishing reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and sells coordinates using an interactive map on their website.

Between April and November 2018, Smith allegedly obtained information valued at more than $5,000 from a protected computer without authorization, stole sonar coordinates of reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, and transmitted a threat to injure the property and reputation of StrikeLines.  

The maximum penalties are 5 years in prison for computer fraud, 10 years in prison for theft of trade secrets, and 2 years in prison for interstate threatening communications.  The trial is scheduled for May 13, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  Senior Litigation Counsel David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case as he is the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator and National Security Cyber Specialist for the Northern District of Florida.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe will take the oath of office, joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement agency heads; Congress members; Judiciary members; Florida cabinet members; city and county government members; distinguished guests; and family.  The Honorable Mark E. Walker, Chief United States District Judge, will preside over the ceremony.  For more information about U.S. Attorney Keefe’s appointment, click here.

Event: Investiture Ceremony

Date: Friday, April 12, 2019

Event Start Time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
(Please arrive at the courthouse no later than 2:30 p.m. to allow time to go through security.)

Location:

United States Courthouse, Fifth Floor
111 North Adams Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32301

OPEN PRESS, NO CAMERAS.  As space is limited, guests and media may be seated in the overflow courtroom.

NOTE: Media must RSVP and present government-issued photo I.D. and valid media credentials.  Please RSVP to Amy Alexander at [email protected] by Thursday, April 11 at noon if you plan to attend.  Please RSVP with the e-mail addresses of the person(s) attending the event, so that we may reach them directly if details change.

U.S. Attorney Keefe will be briefly available for photographs and video following the ceremony in the U.S. Attorney’s suite on the 4th floor.  Please limit questions to those related to the investiture.  Please indicate in your RSVP if you will participate in this media availability.

Four-hour metered parking is available on Call Street, Adams Street, and Park Avenue.  Press should allow time to go through an initial security screen on the ground level of the courthouse (floor 2).  Then they will proceed to a press check-in on the 5th floor before entering the courtroom.  There will be no questions at the conclusion of the event.

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, FLORIDA – Michael Lee DePine, 62, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty today to the production and possession of child pornography.  Based upon his guilty plea, he will be required to register as a sex offender.  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.

In December 2018, law enforcement officers received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that DePine and a local minor female were engaged in illicit sexual communications and activity via Facebook Messenger.  After Homeland Security Investigations and the Pensacola Police Department geo-located DePine’s criminal activity to his Pensacola residence, law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant for the residence.

In January 2019, law enforcement searched DePine’s residence.  While searching the residence, DePine was located at his place of employment, Navy Federal Credit Union.  A forensic review of DePine’s seized digital media confirmed that he was in possession of multiple child pornographic images and videos of the minor victim.  DePine produced these images and videos of the minor female in his bedroom at the residence.  The investigation revealed that DePine had been picking the minor female up at her residence in the middle of the night to bring her back to his residence and engage in sexual acts.  DePine also provided the minor female with intimate apparel and electronic funds for her expenses.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Tragically, the Internet and social media can allow child predators a gateway to victimize children, the most innocent and vulnerable members of our communities.  Together with our investigative partners, we will vigilantly pursue and prosecute those who hurt minors.”

“The harm this predator has caused to a young child is unimaginable to most of society,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.  “Thanks to the diligence of our special agents and the Pensacola Police Department, he will be held accountable for that harm, and we hope today’s guilty plea is a small step on the road to recovery for the young survivor of his crimes.”

DePine faces the following penalties:

• Production of Child Pornography – A mandatory minimum of 15 years up to a maximum of 30 years in prison;
• Possession of Child Pornography – A maximum of up to 10 years in prison;
• Registration as a Sex Offender; and
• Forfeiture of his Pensacola residence, his 2016 Lexus, and all the electronics used to commit the offenses.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 14, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.

The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Pensacola Police Department, and West Florida High School will present a BLAST Program event on Wednesday to approximately 50 students.

Event: BLAST Program

Location: Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center
913 South I Street
Pensacola, FL 32502

Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Time: 9:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CDT

• 9:15 – 9:45 a.m. Opening Remarks
• 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Rotating Group Breakouts (40 minutes each)
• 12:10 – 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 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:

• United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
• Pensacola Police Department
• FAMU Police Department
• Florida Highway Patrol
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Naval Criminal Investigative Service

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, FLORIDA – Nicholas Hughes, 34, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 240 months in prison today for enticement of a minor, production, and possession of child pornography, after being convicted on January 4 following a two-day trial.  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.

During the 2016-2017 school year, the mother of a 13-year-old student reported that her child had told her about various sexual encounters with Hughes, a music teacher at Coast Charter School in St. Marks, Florida.  Hughes and the victim communicated through in-person visits, telephone calls, text messages, and social media applications, including sending pornographic pictures.  A forensic review of Hughes’s laptop computer and external hard drive revealed dozens of images and videos of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Children see their teachers as role models and mentors, and in this tragic case, the defendant took advantage of that trust.  Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will pursue child predators and bring them to justice.”

“This predator was in a position of trust and abused that trust in the worst way possible,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.  “All child exploitation is reprehensible, but this case is even more egregious having been committed by someone trusted by children and parents.”

FDLE Tallahassee Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez said: “Florida’s families should be able to feel confident that their children are safe at school.  The violation of that trust here is despicable and has no place in our community.”

The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and other members of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Daffin and Christopher 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.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Mac Johnson, 51, of Newberry, Florida, was sentenced late yesterday to one year and a day in prison, after pleading guilty on February 27, 2018, to tax fraud, wire fraud, structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, and harboring undocumented aliens.  As part of Johnson’s plea, he agreed to make restitution to the IRS.  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “I commend the vigilance of our federal and state investigative partners and prosecutors in this case for upholding the laws governing American taxes and employment.  Honest individuals and businesses are harmed by these lawbreakers.”

“Today’s sentencing should send a tough message to all of those businesses who believe they can gain an unfair advantage by not paying employment taxes … you will pay in the end,” stated Mary Hammond, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office.  “The more than $1.7 million in unpaid employment taxes hurt everyone in the community.  By not withholding and paying these taxes, the defendant was able to undercut the competition and make an unfair profit at the expense of the taxpayers.  Our agents will continue to crack down on businesses and individuals who openly disregard this responsibility.”

“This case is an example of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) worksite enforcement investigations, which focus on protecting our nation’s critical infrastructures, reducing the demand for illegal employment and protecting employment opportunities for the country's lawful workforce,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Today’s sentencing should be a reminder about the consequences facing employers who exploit illegal alien labor and violate our nation's laws.  No employer, regardless of size, industry, or location, is above the law.”

Johnson, a roofing, tree service, and dumpster business employer, devised a scheme to conceal the amount of wages earned by his undocumented alien employees to avoid paying more than $1.7 million in federal income, Medicare, and social security taxes, as well as more than $1 million in Florida worker’s compensation premiums.  Johnson concealed the wages from the State of Florida by inaccurately and incompletely identifying all employees, representing that lower wages were paid than the true amounts, and paying by cash or a non-payroll check in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements.

The investigators discovered that undocumented alien employees on work sites did not speak English or have any personal identification.  Their names did not match the names on the insurance policy, and the undocumented alien employees’ files contained employment eligibility verification forms that did not match their handwriting.  Johnson also provided transportation to the work sites and rented residences he owned to the undocumented workers for which he deducted money from their pay.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory P. McMahon 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.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Ravi Babu Kolla, 47, an Indian foreign national residing in Panama City, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit marriage and visa fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  On Tuesday, his co-defendant Krystal Cloud, 40, of Altha, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for marriage and visa fraud conspiracy after pleading guilty on December 28, 2018.  Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea and sentence.

Between February 2017 and August 2018, Kolla operated an immigration marriage fraud business in Bay County that recruited U.S. citizens to marry Indian foreign nationals to gain immigration benefits.  The majority of the Indian foreign nationals overstayed their Visas or Student Exchange Visitor Program requirements and were unlawfully residing in the United States.  The investigation identified over 80 fraudulent marriages that were performed in Alabama as part of Kolla’s scheme.

Cloud is a U.S. citizen who participated with Kolla in the marriage fraud business.  After entering a fraudulent marriage in October 2017, she began recruiting U.S. citizens to marry Indian foreign nationals.  Cloud directly recruited or participated in the recruitment of 10 or more U.S. citizens from the Panama City area and rural Calhoun and Jackson Counties.  She also helped gather personal information so Kolla could create fraudulent immigration forms in order for the Indian foreign nationals to remain in the United States.

Kolla is being detained.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee.

Kolla faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for conspiracy to commit marriage and visa fraud and a maximum of 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy.

The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Police Department, the Blountstown Police Department, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office (Alabama).  Assistant United States Attorney Corey J. Smith 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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Jean-Gilles, 33, of Midway, was arraigned on Friday, March 8, 2019, in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with 27 counts of aiding in preparing false tax returns, four counts of wire fraud, and aggravated identify theft.  The indictment was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that Jean-Gilles was the sole managing member and owner of USA Tax and Multi-Services, LLC, a tax preparation business in Tallahassee.  Jean-Gilles caused the preparation of federal income tax returns, which falsely reported the taxpayer’s income, withholding, credits, and the refund due for the tax years 2012-2015.  The indictment also alleges that he used the social security number and preparer tax identification number of another individual without proper authority.

The maximum penalty for aiding in preparing false tax returns is three years in prison.  The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison.  Jean-Gilles faces a 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for aggravated identity theft consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  The trial is scheduled for April 15, 2019, 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 Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.  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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Striking a blow against illegal gambling operators who profit behind a facade of good causes, U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida today announced that the owners/operators of Racetrack Bingo in Fort Walton Beach have been ordered to forfeit $5,813,584 to the United States.  In February 2018, a federal jury convicted Larry L. Masino, 68, of Gulf Breeze, and Dixie L. Masino, 66, of Pensacola, of operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the Masinos after a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Keefe issued this statement: “The investigation and prosecution of financial crimes joins the criminal and civil enforcement resources of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement.  This multimillion-dollar forfeiture order delivers a powerful message to law breakers who would try to reap millions destined for legitimate charitable organizations.  Thanks to the outstanding work of AUSA Forbes and her investigative team, these criminals will pay for their misdeeds.”

FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey offered additional perspective.

“I appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our agents, and law enforcement partners ensuring our local charities have the resources they earned to address the needs of our community,” he said.

Rather than returning all proceeds from bingo games to players in the form of prizes, as required by law, the Masinos concocted a scheme in which charities sponsored games and paid Racetrack Bingo extremely high “lease” payments to conduct the games at its location.  Although Racetrack Bingo made it appear that the charities were conducting the games themselves, the Masinos were actually illegally conducting bingo and keeping a substantial amount of the bingo proceeds for themselves.  Over $20 million was brought in from the illegal bingo games conducted at Racetrack Bingo, of which $5,813,584 was personally retained by the Masinos and their children as illegal profit.

The forfeiture order requires the Masinos to turn over substantial sums of cash, as well as three properties purchased with monies they received through the Racetrack Bingo operation.  The forfeiture order will be incorporated into the final judgment when the Masinos are sentenced.  A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for March 25, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.

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, FLORIDA – Kevin Robert Lee, 35, of Tallahassee, Florida, was arraigned on Friday in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with twenty counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft from a lending institution, and three counts of filing a false tax return.  The indictment was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that Lee was the lending director of FSU Credit Union (FSUCU), a Tallahassee-based credit union, a position that allowed him to open new customer accounts and approve lines of credit.  The indictment also alleges that Lee served as treasurer of the Tallahassee Chapter of Credit Unions (TCCU), a non-profit organization that advocates pro-credit union legislation.

The indictment further alleges that, between June 2014 and November 2017, Lee fraudulently opened customer accounts at FSUCU using the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of three individuals without their consent or knowledge, and in doing so, that Lee forged their signatures and fraudulently opened lines of credit for those accounts.  Further, Lee is alleged to have made unauthorized withdrawals and transfers of funds from the accounts of approximately 20 FSUCU customers, which were deposited into the three fraudulently opened accounts.  The indictment also alleges that Lee used the embezzled funds and fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to pay his personal creditors (such as for his home mortgage and credit cards) and to conceal his embezzlement.  In total, Lee allegedly obtained or attempted to obtain more than $800,000.  Lee also allegedly submitted false tax returns for the 2015-2017 calendar years.

The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison.  Lee faces a 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for aggravated identity theft.  The trial is scheduled for April 15, 2019, at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, after being alerted by FSU Credit Union.  Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen 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.

U.S. Attorney Keefe shows Martin Luther King Jr. picture to students

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – During the month of February, Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, recognized the contributions of African Americans by participating in the events below and looks forward to future collaboration and outreach opportunities throughout the year.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “National African-American History Month is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the year-round accomplishments of African Americans in Northern Florida, especially in our law enforcement communities.  I am grateful for the staff in my office and in our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe on a daily basis.”

North Florida Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Monthly Meeting

On February 19, U.S. Attorney Keefe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winifred L. Acosta attended the monthly meeting of the North Florida Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).  NOBLE was founded in September 1976 to create a unified voice for black law enforcement executives discussing important issues in the criminal justice system.  U.S. Attorney Keefe briefly spoke about his commitment to listening to and learning from the unique perspectives of the black law enforcement community.

Tonja Bryant-Smith, President of the North Florida Chapter of NOBLE and Supervising agent at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said: “The North Florida Chapter of NOBLE is committed to promoting positive law enforcement interactions within the community and our designated area.  We make a point to engage our community and law enforcement partners to assist with that endeavor.  It is always a pleasure to share our success stories with members of the community, and we will continue to fulfill this goal.”

10th Annual African American History Month Celebration

On February 21, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida hosted its 10th annual African American History Month celebration.  Organized yearly by Diversity Committee Chair and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winifred L. Acosta, this year’s event featured a special performance from Brownsville Preparatory Institute students, led by Mrs. Rita Brown.  The event’s theme was “Honoring African Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.).”  Special guests included Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil; Tonja Bryant-Smith, President of the North Florida Chapter of NOBLE and Supervising agent at FDLE; Federal Public Defender Randolph P. Murrell; courthouse staff; and local, state, and federal law enforcement.

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, FLORIDA – Elvin Castron-Murcia, 20, a Honduran native residing between Louisiana and Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to traveling for illicit sexual conduct and transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity.  The guilty plea was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In May 2018, a 12-year-old female, “ENN,” went missing from Navarre after her mother discovered her communicating on Facebook with a 19-year-old male using the name “Elvin C. Murcia.”  Several neighbors had observed a black Honda Civic with Tennessee license tags parked near ENN’s residence in Navarre, Florida.  A search of ENN’s cellular telephone and Instagram social media account revealed images of ENN in a vehicle with a male who appeared to be the same person using Murcia’s Facebook account.

The next day, ENN’s mother was able to communicate with ENN via Facebook Messenger, and law enforcement officers determined the cellular telephone used for the conversation was located in Tennessee.  A state trooper soon observed the black Honda Civic with Tennessee tags and stopped the vehicle in Alabama.  ENN was identified as the vehicle passenger, and Murcia, who was using a license issued in a stolen identity, was later identified as the driver.  Images and videos on Murcia’s phone located after a forensic examination confirmed that Murcia and ENN were in an online relationship that began when ENN was just 11-years-old.  Law enforcement officers were able to obtain pharmacy video in Tennessee depicting Murcia purchasing birth control with ENN the day before the traffic stop and subsequent arrest of Murcia.  Later in May, law enforcement officers confirmed that Murcia was illegally present in the United States and that the identity he was utilizing was that of a true citizen of Puerto Rico.

The defendant is being detained.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.

Castron-Murcia faces a maximum of 30 years in prison for the traveling for illicit sexual conduct and a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity.

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.  Assistant United States Attorney David Goldberg is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, recognized the brave women and men in Northwest Florida’s law enforcement community today for working diligently through the weekend to keep the Pensacon event safe for all participants.  This statement is issued after a cyber threat was made to the event just prior to its opening day.

Founded in 2013, Pensacon was held this year from February 22-24 primarily at the Pensacola Bay Center and hosted more than 30,000 participants.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Protecting our communities from cyber threats of fraud or violence requires constant vigilance, and much of the work takes place behind the scenes.  I am grateful for the Pensacola Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as well as staff in my own office for safeguarding this event.”

Pensacola Police Chief Lyter said, “I am thankful for the great working relationship we have with our federal and state law enforcement partners and the Bay Center staff.  These partnerships helped ensure that the citizens and guests attending the Pensacon event remained safe during the entire weekend.”

“FDLE’s Pensacola Regional Office is committed to preventing and solving crime and creating a sense of community awareness in our beautiful region,” said Jack Massey, Special Agent in Charge.  “We appreciated the opportunity to work with our partners to make sure all visitors as well as the community were safe while they enjoyed Pensacon.”

In the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg is detailed as the national security cyber specialist.

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, FLORIDA – David Ernesto Nolasco Soriano, 31, of El Salvador, made a first appearance and had a detention hearing on Friday, February 22, 2019, in Pensacola in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.  United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida made the announcement.

Nolasco Soriano was a fugitive who was located in Pensacola and arrested on February 20 at 3:10 p.m. near the Cordova Mall by the FBI and the Pensacola Police Department.  Nolasco Soriano was working in Pensacola and Destin and has a Pensacola mailing address.  United States Magistrate Judge Charles J. Kahn Jr. detained Nolasco Soriano and ordered the U.S. Marshals to transport him back to Maryland to await trial.  Assistant United States Attorney and Border Security Coordinator James M. Ustynoski handled the detention hearing in the Northern District of Florida. 

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “This case is an example of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces throughout the nation working together to dismantle dangerous gangs.  My office is committed to pursuing a safer North Florida, Maryland, and all communities in between.”

Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth S. Clark in the District of Maryland is prosecuting the case.  The District of Maryland charged Nolasco Soriano with:

• Conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise;
• Conspiracy to murder, maim, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering; and
• Attempted murder, maiming, and assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.

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.

PANAMA CITY & PENSACOLA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that 12 previously deported aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Enforcing immigration laws is a priority of the Department of Justice, along with protecting all members of our community.  Although our office regularly charges illegal reentry cases, the cases below represent an unprecedented number of illegal reentry cases charged in our district at a particular time during the past five years.  The Northern District of Florida, along with our law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorneys Offices throughout the country, are committed to upholding our federal immigration laws to ensure that only those entering our country through a lawful process are allowed access.”

Yony Javier Barraona Lopez, 25, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in December 2018, after being deported in 2011, 2013, and 2015.  He was located in Crestview.

Erick Geovanni Carrillo-Franco, 46, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2014.  He was located in Pensacola.

Freddy David Chavez-Lopez, 31, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2006 and 2010.  He was located in DeFuniak Springs.

Juan Alejandro Cortes-Sabillon, 47, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2004 and 2005.  He was located in Panama City.

Javier Gonzalez-Valdivia, 56, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2010.  He was located in Okaloosa County.

Fransis Leonei Lima-Sanchez, 25, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2017.  He was located in Okaloosa County.

Ricardo Alejandro Maldonado-Lopez, 35, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2003, 2009, and 2014.  He was located in Panama City.

Jose Luis Ortiz-Maradiaga, 27, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2016 and 2017.  He was located in Crestview.

Danis Ramiro Sanchez-Sandoval, 28, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2012.  He was located in Panama City Beach.

Juan Sopino-Sanchez, 41, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in November 2018, after being deported in 2011 and 2012.  He was located in Okaloosa County.

Juan Vasquez-Reymundo, 34, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2009.  He was located in Panama City.

Gabriel Villela, 30, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2008 and 2012.  He was located in Milton.

The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Cortes-Sabillon faces an enhanced maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on his prior criminal history, which includes a felony conviction.  Lima-Sanchez, Maldonado-Lopez, and Sanchez-Sandoval face an enhanced maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, due to prior criminal records with aggravated felony convictions.

The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office, and the Panama City Beach Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Aine Ahmed, Michelle K. Daffin, Alicia H. Forbes, Edwin F. Knight, J. Ryan Love, and James M. Ustynoski are prosecuting the cases.

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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ronald Roscoe, 56, of Traverse City, Michigan, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transporting material involving sexual exploitation of minors.  The guilty plea was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In September 2018, an undercover investigator began chatting online to identify individuals interested in exploiting children.  An individual, later identified as Roscoe, sent a private message via the social media platform KIK to the investigator, who was posing as a 12-year-old girl.  Over the next month, Roscoe discussed sexual activity with the investigator posing as the girl and the possibility of meeting her in person.

During the week of October 15, 2018, Roscoe informed the investigator posing as the girl that he had purchased a plane ticket to fly from Michigan to Florida to engage in sexual contact with her over the weekend.  Law enforcement located a hotel in Destin where Roscoe had reserved a room.  Roscoe was arrested at the airport, and his cellular telephone contained child pornography, including children under age 12.

Roscoe faces the following potential penalties:

• Attempted enticement of a minor: a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life;
• Travel to engage in sex with a minor: due to a prior sex offense conviction, a maximum of 60 years in prison; and
• Transporting material involving sexual exploitation of minors: due to a prior sex offense conviction, a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Because Roscoe is a registered sex offender, he will receive a mandatory 10 years consecutive to imprisonment imposed for the attempted enticement and sex traveling charges.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 6, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.

The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by First 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher M. Arguelles, 34, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison today and a lifetime of supervised release as a federal sex offender.  On November 15, 2018, Arguelles pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, 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, the provider 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.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “I am proud that prosecutors, law enforcement professionals, and North Floridians are all working together to bring child predators to justice and protect the most innocent members of our communities from exploitation.”

“This case highlights the value of vigilance by members of the community, who come forward and work with law enforcement when they see something wrong,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.  “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to working together to protect and serve, but we are far more effective when the community also works with us.  We appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in the case, and their unwavering commitment to protect our children.”

The case was 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 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Antoine Devon Wilson, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced today to serve 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on November 29, 2018, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine.  The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In July 2018, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 23 kilograms of cocaine that were being delivered to Wilson in Pensacola.  Wilson was subsequently arrested.  Following Wilson’s arrest, search warrants were obtained authorizing the search of his cellular telephones seized from him.  Evidence on one or more of Wilson’s cellular telephones confirmed that Wilson had ordered the 23 kilograms of cocaine and was expecting them to be delivered to a location in Pensacola.

The case resulted from the investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Breeze Police Department, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.  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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jerry T. Vertefeuille, 54, of Niceville, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison.  Co-defendant Christopher A. Carter, 37, of Fort Walton Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, February 15, at 11:00 a.m. CST.  The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On July 11, 2018, Vertefeuille pleaded guilty to conspiracy (to commit theft of honest services and wire fraud), bribery of a public official, and obtaining and disclosing procurement information.

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.  Vertefeuille received kickbacks in exchange for approving Carter’s fraudulent invoices and recommending the renewal of TCC’s contract. 

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Public corruption is an attack on the rule of law, which is the mission of the Department of Justice and the cornerstone of American government.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, is committed to upholding the public’s faith in honest services and enforcing high ethical standards.”

“Corruption in the government procurement process damages the public trust and ultimately degrades the warfighting mission of the Department of Defense,” commented Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, DCIS, Southeast Field Office.  “DCIS, along with our investigative partners, remains committed to pursuing and bringing to justice anyone who uses fraud and deception to undermine the critical missions of the Department of Defense and the safety of our communities.”

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that he has installed a new management team to assist him in fulfilling his pledge to work with the women and men of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice for the people of North Florida and the nation.

Jeffrey Tharp will serve as the First Assistant to the U.S. Attorney.  David Goldberg was appointed Senior Litigation Counsel.  Nancy Hess will serve as Criminal Chief, Kathryn Drey as Civil Chief, Karen Rhew-Miller as Appellate Chief, and Eric Mountin as Deputy Criminal Chief.  This group brings a wealth of experience, skill, and knowledge to the management team and looks forward to serving law enforcement and the citizens of North Florida under U.S. Attorney Keefe’s guidance.

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, FLORIDA – Lawrence “Larry” Keefe, of Shalimar, Florida, took the oath of office this morning from Chief District Judge Mark E. Walker to become the 41st U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.  Mr. Keefe was nominated by President Donald Trump on August 16, 2018, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2019.  Mr. Keefe succeeds Christopher P. Canova, who has served as U.S. Attorney for the district since September 4, 2015, when U.S. Attorney Pamela Cothran Marsh resigned.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “It is a privilege to serve as the United States Attorney, and I am deeply grateful to President Trump, Senator Rubio, Senator Nelson, and to all those who supported my nomination and confirmation.  I look forward to working with the dedicated public servants in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the brave women and men of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice for the people of North Florida and the nation.  I took an oath today to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and I will do that with every bit of energy, intelligence, and commitment that I can muster.”

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keefe is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of Florida, which includes Florida’s 23 panhandle counties, from Escambia in the west to Alachua in the east.  The district has offices in Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee, and Gainesville.  The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, health care fraud, firearms, and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Keefe, a North Florida native, has been a member of the Florida Bar for more than 30 years.  Mr. Keefe is the son of a World War II fighter pilot and a public school librarian aide.  After graduating from Okaloosa County public schools, Mr. Keefe attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship, where he earned both his bachelor’s degree with honors in 1983 and juris doctor in 1986.  Mr. Keefe began his legal career in Tampa, where he tried complex business litigation, construction litigation, and product liability cases, before returning home to Northwest Florida in 1991.  Since that time, he has litigated civil and criminal matters in both federal and state courts, and at the appellate level.  Mr. Keefe has received various recognitions, and articles he has written are featured in law publications, including the Florida Bar Journal.

U.S. Attorney Keefe and his wife Lynn have been married for 30 years.  Lynn has practiced medicine in Northwest Florida for more than two decades and was the first pediatrician to establish a pediatrics practice in Niceville, Florida.  The Keefe family has four adult sons.  Two have careers in public service in the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Air Force, one is an attorney at a Miami law firm, and the youngest is a senior on an athletic scholarship at The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Keefe recognized Mr. Canova for his faithful service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida and North Florida communities.  Mr. Canova will continue his nearly 18-year career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Photos of U.S. Attorney Keefe’s swearing in ceremony are attached.  His primary office will be in Tallahassee.

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, FLORIDA – As 2018 has drawn to a close, Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, reviews the district’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) cases.

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

U.S. Attorney Canova said: “We are committed to pursuing public safety in the Northern District of Florida through prosecutions of violent criminals, and collaborations with the community and other law enforcement agencies.  We will also continue public outreach through programs such as BLAST, which encourages students to build positive relationships with law enforcement officers.  As evidenced by the long list of law enforcement partners who investigated PSN cases, it takes a team approach to fight violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe places to live, work, and go to school.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida has developed a Project Safe Neighborhoods public service announcement that we encourage you to watch and share:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9vgkiijXGw.

The following are highlights of PSN cases:

In February 2018, Savario Beshawn Champion, 30, a Pensacola convicted felon, was sentenced to 147 months in prison for armed carjacking.  Champion carjacked two men from Georgia at gunpoint at a local hotel in Escambia County.  Read more.

In April 2018, Terrell Jerome Cochran, 43, of Crestview, Florida, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison after pleading guilty 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.  Read more.

In June 2018, Marcus Andre Robinson, 35, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.  While serving a term of state probation, he was found to be in possession of more than 40 grams of methamphetamine, a Taurus 9 millimeter pistol, a Remington .243 caliber rifle, and various rounds of ammunition.

In July 2018, Gregory S. Rothwell Jr., 32, of Fort Walton Beach, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison after having been found guilty 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.  Read more.

In August 2018, Jonta Terrell Carter, 29, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  In April 2018, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Carter while he was driving a vehicle in a Pensacola parking lot.  Carter fled in the vehicle until the vehicle struck a curb, and then he fled on foot while trying to conceal a firearm in his waistband.  This case is part of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

In August 2018, Robert Wayne Cornwell, 46, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  During a traffic stop for suspected DUI, Cornwell 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 August 2018, Kenneth Ray McLemore, 29, of Destin, Justin G. Reimche, 40, of Lorain, Ohio, and Alex A. Mena, 30, of Stockton, California, were sentenced to 106 months, 120 months, and 131 months respectively in federal prison for marijuana conspiracy and firearm offenses.  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.  Read more.

In September 2018, Jermaine Carl Curtis, 35, of Old Town, was sentenced to 125 months in prison, and William Lonnie Jenkins, of Old Town, 24, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone and 100 grams or more of a heroin mixture, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Curtis was arrested on this charge after his release from prison, when he moved to Dixie County and into the house of co-conspirator Jenkins.  Curtis and Jenkins bought pills from sources who had prescriptions for controlled substances. Curtis and Jenkins sold the pills and were armed during the transactions.   As the supply of prescription drugs became more scarce, Curtis and Jenkins began selling Dilaudid and heroin.

In October 2018, Keenan J. Boggan, 30, of Mary Esther, Florida, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.   A state trooper noticed a vehicle weaving and traveling at speeds of 101 mph in a 65 mph zone.  The trooper attempted to catch the vehicle, which merged onto another road, but was unsuccessful.  Two other troopers responded to the area, and all of them discovered that the vehicle had crashed and was now empty.  Boggan’s co-defendant was lying face down on the ground next to the passenger side door.  An assault rifle was visible in the backseat, and a loaded pistol and three black ski masks were also located in the vehicle.  Law enforcement officers began a tracking search for the driver and found a man’s jacket and a GPS monitor belonging to Boggan along the way.  Five hours later, a canine team captured Boggan in a forested area.  He was on release for unrelated state charges when this event took place.

In October 2018, Gary Deshon Shepard, 45, of Tallahassee, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Shepard is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in Tallahassee.  Shepard was identified as part of a drug distribution network trafficking up to kilogram quantities of cocaine, which were transported from South Florida for further distribution in the Tallahassee area.  After a series of undercover drug purchases involving Shepard, a federal search warrant was executed at his Southwood residence during which investigators discovered and seized over a kilogram of powder cocaine, “crack” cocaine, multiple stolen firearms, and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.

In November 2018, Darcy Andrew Darby, 26, of Fort Walton Beach, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in Pensacola.  Darby’s former roommate, W.F., contacted law enforcement officers and reported the theft of firearms from his residence.  An investigation revealed that Darcy had taken the firearms and later disposed of them by having different individuals pawn them.

In November 2018, Ronald Gray, 31, of Carrabelle, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and transmitting a threat to injure in interstate commerce.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in Tallahassee.  While in custody for shooting multiple rounds at an occupied vehicle, Gray threatened to kill the sheriff and his family.  Gray was found in possession of two rifles and over a hundred rounds of assorted ammunition when he was arrested.

In November 2018, Justice Lewis, 24, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  When law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle with an expired registration, Lewis, the rear passenger, fled on foot.  Officers pursued Lewis, and after jumping a fence into a neighboring wooded area, used a Taser to apprehend Lewis.  Officers observed a loaded pistol underneath Lewis.  In Lewis’s pockets, officers found tied sandwich bags containing a combined total of approximately 29 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, another baggie containing approximately 7 grams of cocaine, $340 in currency, and two cellular telephones.

In November 2018, Ryan Stuart Madden, 36, of Pace, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Madden, a convicted felon, met a confidential informant (CI) and an undercover agent (UC) and sold them six firearms.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.

In December 2018, Emil Joseph Bayus, 55, from various locations in Ohio, pleaded guilty to bank robbery.  A man (who was later determined to be defendant Louis Martin Cillo) informed a bank teller “this is a robbery” and slid a note to the teller with “robbery” written on it.  After receiving approximately $2,090, Cillo left the building, ran across the parking lot through a retention pond, and got into a vehicle which drove away.  The next day, a law enforcement officer from another state advised that the vehicle and tag matched a bank robbery committed by Bayus that occurred in Ohio.  Bayus was the getaway driver in the Pensacola robbery.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in Pensacola.

In December 2018, Ben Granberry, 56, of Graceville, Florida, after a day and a half trial, was convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Granberry is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee.  A confidential informant (CI) traveled to the Atlanta area along with two other people to pick up drugs for Granberry.  The CI decided once there not to participate and abandoned the other people.  After the CI’s mother contacted law enforcement officers, the CI told them that Granberry had given the CI a firearm that Granberry now wanted returned to him.  At the officers’ direction, the CI delivered the firearm to Granberry’s residence.  Additional firearms and methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, including glass pipes and scales, were recovered in the residence.

In December 2018, Brian M. Stadelmaier, 30, of Webster, Florida, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.  Late one night, an Escambia County sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle with three occupants and no lights turned on, parked on a street that has no residences.  As the deputy approached the vehicle on foot, he noticed the sole backseat passenger (Stadelmaier) had a firearm next to him.  Stadelmaier was removed from the vehicle.  The firearm had been stolen as part of a burglary in Pensacola along with approximately 50 other firearms.  Stadelmaier’s firearm was loaded, and he possessed methamphetamine on his person.

These cases were investigated by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including:

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
• Drug Enforcement Administration;
• Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement;
• Florida Highway Patrol;
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission;
• Eglin Air Force Base;
• Escambia County Sheriff’s Office;
• Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office;
• Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office;
• Franklin County Sheriff’s Office;
• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office;
• Leon County Sheriff’s Office;
• Taylor County Sheriff’s Office;
• Pensacola Police Department;
• Gulf Breeze Police Department;
• Carrabelle Police Department;
• Tallahassee Police Department;
• Perry Police Department;
• Lorain City Police Department (Ohio); and
• Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

Learn more about PSN in the Northern District of Florida.

Learn more about the national initiative.

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, FLORIDA – Daniel J. Gould, 36, of Crestview, pleaded guilty yesterday to two drug trafficking conspiracy counts involving 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.  The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between January and August 2018 in the Northern District of Florida and in the country of Colombia, Daniel Gould of the United States Army conspired to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.  He also conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

In August 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that Gould had attempted to import 40 kilograms of cocaine onto a military transport flight in Colombia with a final destination of the Northern District of Florida.  Suspicion was aroused at the United States Embassy when packages were x-rayed, revealing cocaine within gutted out punching bags.  On August 13, 2018, when the cocaine was seized at the embassy, Gould had already returned home and was awaiting its arrival.

The conspiracy began in early 2018 when Gould and his co-defendants conspired to import 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.  Gould’s co-defendant traveled to Colombia with U.S. currency to use as payment.  Another co-defendant confirmed he could acquire cocaine for $1,800-$1,900 per kilogram.  Gould placed the cocaine in a gutted punching bag and had the package transported to Bogota to be placed on a United States military aircraft.

A few days later, the cocaine-filled punching bag arrived at Duke Field.  Gould and a co-defendant distributed the 10 kilograms of cocaine in Northwest Florida.

Gould and his co-defendant reinvested the money from the first load of cocaine into a second load of 40 kilograms of cocaine.  Gould placed approximately $65,000 on a United States military cargo aircraft destined for Colombia as funds for the next purchase.

In early August, Gould and his co-defendant returned to Colombia and provided their co-defendant the money for the 40 kilograms.  Gould and his co-defendant received the cocaine, loaded the 40 kilograms into two gutted punching bags, and coordinated their transport to the embassy before flying back to the United States.  The estimated value of 40 kilograms of cocaine in the Northern District of Florida would be in excess of $1 million.

Gould faces 10 years to life in prison for each of the drug trafficking conspiracy charges.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 12, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.  Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Vicki Dyer Middlemas, 49, of Panama City, was sentenced Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire and tax fraud on August 2.  She was ordered to pay $44,696.00 in restitution.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between May 2010 and May 2015, Middlemas used her position as Executive Director of the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida (“the VAC”) in Panama City to fraudulently obtain money by writing herself checks on the VAC bank account and by making unauthorized charges for personal expenses on the VAC debit card.  Middlemas falsified invoices and VAC records to conceal her thefts and underreported her income and tax owed.

Middlemas’s personal, unauthorized expenditures from the VAC account included:

• a custom painting of her daughter;
• designer handbags, a dress, a trench coat, and other clothing;
• perfumes;
• air travel tickets to Las Vegas;
• a down payment on annual Walt Disney World park passes for Middlemas and her three daughters;
• Alys Beach vacation home rentals on two occasions;
• tattoos;
• rugs; and
• payment of 27 cellular phone bills for her family.

The tax investigation revealed that the Forms 1040 and 1040X Middlemas filed for the years 2012 through 2015, grossly underreported the income Middlemas earned and embezzled from the VAC.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Panama City Police Department, and the IRS Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Aine Ahmed 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, FLORIDA – Glenn Varrin, 56, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced to 120 months in prison today for attempted enticement of a minor after pleading guilty on August 15.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In March 2018, an undercover investigator began chatting online to identify individuals interested in exploiting children.  Varrin sent a message to the investigator, who was posing as a 14-year-old female.  Over the next two months via e-mail and later by text message, Varrin discussed engaging in sexual intercourse with the investigator posing as the 14-year-old female.  In May 2018, Varrin traveled to Fort Walton Beach for the purposes of engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual he believed was a 14-year-old child.  Varrin arranged to meet the investigator posing as the 14-year-old female at a gas station, and he was arrested when he arrived there.

U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Protecting children from exploitation is a top priority of my office and the Department of Justice.  I commend the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement professionals who protect our communities and bring child predators to justice.”

“The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and HSI special agents, working together, were able to identify and arrest this predator who traveled to our local area from out of state in order to have sex with a female minor,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.  “This case is an example of the strong law enforcement partnerships HSI has in the Panhandle area and together, once again, we have stopped another criminal from sexually abusing a child.”

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.