Northern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Milton Truck Driver Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Andre M. Straughn, 39, of Milton, Florida, pled guilty today to receipt and transportation of child pornography, as well as making a false statement to a federal agent. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In July 2015, law enforcement agents became aware of online child pornography files that were linked to Straughn’s online activities. Law enforcement agents conducted an investigation and determined that Straughn was a truck driver who traveled to other states with his cellular device and laptop and used multiple electronic platforms to engage in online child pornography. After Straughn returned home from a trip, agents searched Straughn’s residence. Straughn told law enforcement agents that he did not have an online storage account, did not use the social media application Kik, and could not remember the password to his cellular telephone. A forensic review of Straughn’s electronic devices revealed that Straughn did maintain online storage accounts and a Kik account. In total, Straughn’s online storage account, laptop, and other electronic devices revealed more than 50,000 images and videos of child pornography, dating back approximately 10 years.
For each child pornography charge, Straughn faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. For the false statement charge, Straughn faces a maximum of 8 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 18, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, and other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Pensacola Resident Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Multi-State Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kenneth Grandison, 42, of Pensacola, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to utilize a telephone facility to further a drug trafficking offense. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea on February 29, 2016, Grandison admitted that, between January 2012 and January 2016, he received illegal drugs from California, including marijuana and codeine, for further distribution in Florida. An investigation identified dozens of Bank of America and Wells Fargo accounts that Grandison used to launder the drug trafficking proceeds. In total, the Bank of America accounts received more than 200 cash deposits, and the Wells Fargo accounts received more than 600 cash deposits. This investigation involved the laundering of between $1.5 and $3.5 million.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Gulf Breeze 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 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Pensacola Tax Preparer Found Guilty of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Yesterday, Chief U.S. District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers announced the court’s guilty verdict against Justin T. Phan, 51, of Pensacola, for filing false tax returns. Earlier this year, the court held a bench trial on a three-count Indictment charging Phan with filing false tax returns. Sentencing is scheduled before Chief Judge Rodgers on August 19, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. The court’s verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Phan owned and operated the business Global Travel and Tours on Mobile Highway in Pensacola, Florida. As a part of the business, Phan prepared income tax returns for individuals in the local Vietnamese community. Phan also sold airline tickets, prepared immigration documents, and transferred money outside the United States for his customers.
During the course of the four-day bench trial, the government proved that Phan prepared and filed false tax returns for himself for tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010. As a part of his tax returns, Phan falsely claimed that this total income for the respective years was $14,317, $23,948, and $23,649. However, the government showed that Phan’s total income for each of the years was in excess of $100,000. As a result of his false tax returns, Phan kept from paying in excess of $100,000 in taxes.
The charges were the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States 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 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Georgia Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Deon Korfhage, 37, of Griffin, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty in December 2015 to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to testimony at sentencing, in March 2015, Korfhage met a 17-year-old minor through a website on which he used a false name and represented himself to be a 19-year-old. Korfhage arranged to meet and have sex with the victim in Tallahassee. On March 4, 2015, Korfhage drove from the Atlanta, Georgia, area to Tallahassee. The victim crept from her parents’ home and met Korfhage, who drove her to a local hotel where the two had sex. Law enforcement agents later discovered that the victim had sent Korfhage nude photographs of herself and that Korfhage had taken photographs of the victim during their sexual activities.
On April 24, 2015, Korfhage was arrested in Georgia on the indictment charging him with using the internet to entice the minor victim to engage in sexual activity. Within minutes of being contacted by police, Korfhage deleted the photographs he had taken of the victim from his cellular telephone. However, a forensic examiner was able to recover them later. The examiner found that Korfhage’s phone also contained other child pornography images.
At sentencing, the government offered evidence showing that Korfhage routinely used the internet to solicit minors for sex. The government also introduced evidence that, while pending trial, Korfhage offered to pay others to intimidate the victim and dissuade her from testifying.
U. S. Attorney Canova praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gwinnett County Police Department, whose joint investigation led to this successful prosecution. U.S. Attorney Canova noted that, “While the internet offers great opportunities for education and entertainment, it also allows anonymous strangers to prey upon vulnerable children. As parents and as prosecutors, nothing is more important than the protection of children.”
“This criminal has stolen from our society. He has robbed children of their innocence and left them with a lifetime of recovery,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “This case is an example of how social media can be used to harm children, and we encourage all parents to stay engaged in their children’s digital presence to stop these unimaginable crimes.”
After incarceration, Korfhage will serve 10 years of supervised release, during which he will be required to complete sex offender treatment, will be prohibited from unsupervised contact with children, and will be subject to a search of his residence, possessions, and electronics. He will be required to register as a sex offender in any location where he resides, works, or attends school.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason R. Coody and Michael T. Simpson.
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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Washington County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Defrauding HospitalsRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Eon L. Menckeberg, 55, of Chipley, Florida, was sentenced today to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $268,135.10 in restitution to Northwest Florida Community Hospital and $122,184.38 in restitution to Jackson County Hospital. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On January 14, 2016, Menckeberg was convicted by a jury of six counts of wire fraud for falsely representing to a hospital that he possessed health insurance to obtain specialized medical treatments for a broken ankle. At trial, the government presented evidence that, in May 2012, Menckeberg visited the Jackson County Hospital emergency room after sustaining a compound fracture to his ankle. Over the next several months, Menckeberg was treated and received several surgeries for his injury. In September 2012, after falsely representing that he had insurance to cover his medical expenses at Jackson County Hospital, Menckeberg went to the Wound Trauma Institute at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital to obtain elective hyperbaric-oxygen treatment to aid in the healing of the wound. To pay for the treatments, he falsely told hospital staff that he possessed health insurance through Lloyd’s of London and was president of the Prince Trust. Menckeberg submitted false documents purporting to confirm insurance coverage and authorizing the elective treatments at the hospital. Menckeberg received numerous hyperbaric-oxygen treatments during the next several months, and the treatments and physician costs at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital totaled more than $268,000. Medical treatment at the Jackson County Hospital totaled more than $122,000. Menckeberg was assisted in the fraud by a woman who posed as a Lloyd’s of London broker and told both hospitals that Menckeberg had sufficient insurance to cover his medical treatment. The monies owed to the hospitals were never paid by Menckeberg.
While the jury was deliberating in January, the defendant was taken into federal custody for violating the terms of his pre-trial release by being illegally present in the U.S. At a hearing, it was revealed that Menckeberg was not a United States citizen, but actually a citizen of Suriname. Nineteen years earlier, the Immigration and Naturalization Service denied Menckeberg’s petition to become a permanent resident alien and ordered him to voluntarily depart from the United States by December 26, 1986. Menckeberg failed to do so. Menckeberg subsequently obtained a Florida driver’s license and claimed to be a U.S. citizen born in Florida. Menckeberg has been living and posing as a U.S citizen for the past 19 years. Upon completion of his federal prison sentence, Menckeberg will be subject to deportation from the United States.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.
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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Okaloosa County Father and Son Sentenced in Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud Non-ProfitsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Anthony Floyd Hemphill, 39, and his father, William Hemphill, 58, both of Crestview, Florida, were sentenced today after pleading guilty in February 2016 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud non-profit organizations of more than $300,000. Anthony Hemphill was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be served consecutive to another sentence he is currently serving, and William Hemphill to 5 years’ probation. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During their pleas, the conspirators admitted that, between December 2013 and December 2014, they fraudulently represented that A.F.H. Construction LLC owned modular buildings that could be donated to non-profit organizations free of charge, if the non-profit organizations would agree to pay for the transportation and set up of the buildings. Using high pressure sales tactics, the conspirators persuaded the non-profit organizations to quickly wire advance payments for transportation and set up costs, ostensibly to prevent the modular buildings from being donated to other parties.
Once they had their victims’ money in hand, the Hemphills used delaying tactics and false statements to convince the victims that the modular buildings were in the process of being delivered and set up. In fact, no modular buildings were ever delivered.
During the conspiracy, the victims wired approximately $311,700 as advance payments for the transportation and set up costs. Anthony Hemphill used $51,000 of these payments to make a partial restitution payment that he owed in another federal criminal case in the Western District of Texas. Anthony Hemphill is currently serving a 41-month sentence imposed in the Texas case. He committed the conduct underlying the modular building fraud while on pre-trial release and/or as a fugitive in the Texas case.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Anthony Hemphill pled guilty to wire fraud, and William Hemphill pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal agent.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Deangelo A. Rome, 25, of Pensacola, pled guilty today to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea, Rome admitted that, in February 2015, a law enforcement officer discovered a running vehicle with Rome unresponsive in the driver’s seat and located a loaded handgun in view under Rome’s seat.
Later, in December 2015, law enforcement responded to a “shots fired” disturbance call. A shooting victim was located, and the residence had bullet holes through a sliding glass door. Multiple shell casings and a loaded magazine were found on the scene. A fingerprint on the loaded magazine matched that of Rome.
A few days later, law enforcement responded to a call of armed individuals, who, after fleeing, were tracked to a residence with a vehicle in the driveway. A deputy saw an assault rifle in the vehicle, and ammunition was also found on the premises. During a search of the premises, Rome was located hiding under a bed. The rifle inside the vehicle had both a palm print and DNA evidence belonging to Rome, and Rome’s fingerprint was also located on a separate box of ammunition.
For each of the three firearm charges, Rome faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 18, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case resulted from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the ATF Gun Crime Response Team. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Gainesville Physician Convicted of 162 Counts of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – At the conclusion of a five-week jury trial, Ona M. Colasante, 59, a physician from Gainesville, Florida, was convicted yesterday of 162 counts of health care fraud. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Colasante owned and operated medical businesses known as the Hawthorne Medical Center in Hawthorne, Florida, between 1998 and March 2009, and the Colasante Clinic in Gainesville, Florida, between January 2010 and January 2013. Through these businesses, Colasante defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida through a series of false billing schemes. At trial, the government presented evidence that Colasante, and employees acting at her direction, ordered non-FDA approved drugs at a drastically reduced price, administered them to unsuspecting patients, and then fraudulently billed insurance companies for the cost of FDA-approved drugs. The evidence showed that Colasante also billed insurance companies for medically unnecessary tests and submitted false diagnosis codes in support of her fraudulent claims for reimbursement.
In addition, Colasante billed insurance companies for counseling, treatment, and training that was never performed. Her businesses repeatedly submitted fraudulent billings for smoking-cessation treatment purportedly administered to patients who were non-smokers.
Colasante faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the counts of conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida.
United States Attorney Canova praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the United States Food and Drug Administration, whose joint investigation led to the convictions in this case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers and Ryan J. Love.
“Health care programs and patients depend on ethical practices from medical providers,” said United States Attorney Canova. “I commend the diligent investigators and prosecutors who uphold our federal laws and bring to justice those who abuse their positions of trust.”
“The Medicare system relies on doctors to diagnose and treat beneficiaries,” stated Shimon Richmond, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “When doctors intentionally misdiagnose patients, perform unnecessary tests and procedures, and use non-FDA approved drugs and devices on patients for personal gain, they betray the trust of the Medicare system and the patients themselves.”
“This case is the result of coordination between multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies, working together to protect the American health care system. Crimes committed through fraudulent and excessive claims are not victimless; Americans everywhere absorb the costs of those schemes through higher insurance costs and medical bills. The FBI and their law enforcement partners will vigilantly identify those engaging in similar conduct and advocate for their prosecution,” said Michelle S. Klimt, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Jacksonville Division.
"The FDA's requirements for approving new drug applications are designed to ensure the safety, efficacy and quality of drugs distributed to American consumers," said Robert J. West, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office. "The FDA will continue to aggressively pursue those who place the public health at risk by distributing foreign unapproved prescription drugs of unknown origin and ingredients instead of FDA-approved drugs."
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. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Hurlburt Field Intelligence Squadron Member Pleads Guilty to Committing Federal Child Pornography Crimes on BaseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Douglas J. Plate, 53, of Navarre, Florida, a federal employee at Hurlburt Field, pled guilty today to receipt, 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 December 2015, the United States Air Force determined that Plate, who worked in a sensitive facility with a top secret security clearance, was searching for pornography online at his work station and residence. A forensic review of his work and laptop computers revealed a significant amount of accessed pornography, including sexualized images of minor females. Additionally, Plate admitted to using foreign language search terms to avoid detection.
For the receipt of child pornography charge, Plate faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. For the possession and access with intent to view child pornography charge, Plate faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 12, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]National Prescription Take-Back Day Safely Removes Unused Medications from Local HomesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tomorrow, Northern Florida residents can join citizens across the nation in safely and anonymously disposing of their unused, unneeded, or expired prescription medications, announced United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova.
In partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the United States Attorney’s Office invites Northern Floridians to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to one of more than 5,000 collection sites around the country. This service is free of charge, with no questions asked.
Approximately 22 drop-off locations are available from Pensacola to Jacksonville. To find a nearby collection site, visit www.dea.gov, click on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and enter a nearby zip code into the search window. Residents can also call 800-882-9539. Only pills and other solids, such as patches, will be accepted. Do not bring liquids, needles, or other sharp objects to take-back sites.
America is currently experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose, and death due to prescription drug abuse, particularly opioid painkillers. Consumers may be uncertain of the proper disposal method and may flush drugs down the toilet or throw them away, causing safety or environmental hazards. Many people are unaware that medicines left in storage are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, abuse, and theft. Take-Back Day is also a great opportunity to educate children on the dangers of obtaining pharmaceuticals for illicit use.
For more information about properly disposing of unused medicines, visit the United States Food and Drug Administration website.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Reentry Initiatives Help Former Inmates Successfully Return to Their CommunitiesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is joining the Federal Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement and community partners, and United States Attorney’s Offices across the country to promote the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals who have completed their sentences and are returning to live in their communities.
“National Reentry Week is an opportunity to assist formerly incarcerated individuals with the difficulties they face gaining employment, housing, and education, which can lead to a cycle of incarceration,” said Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “The following events surrounding National Reentry Week are aimed at preparing formerly incarcerated individuals for a productive and law-abiding life beyond prison by providing resources and lessons learned from others’ reentry experiences.”
Event: The Prison to Reentry Pipeline
Location: Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola, 110 Raby Ave., Pensacola, FL 32509
Date: Monday, April 25, 2016, 1:00 p.m. CST
Contact: Angel Motta, 850-458-7201, [email protected]
Description: Male inmates approaching their prison release will learn about overcoming reentry challenges from a panel discussion moderated by the United States Attorney’s Office. The panel will also include a representative from the United States Probation Office and former federal inmates on probation.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: The Prison to Reentry Pipeline
Location: Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna, 3625 FCI Rd, Marianna, FL 32446
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 8:00 a.m. CST
Contact: Todd Large, 850-526-7095, [email protected]
Description: Male inmates approaching their prison release will learn about overcoming reentry challenges from a panel discussion moderated by the United States Attorney’s Office. The panel will also include a representative from the United States Probation Office and former federal inmates on probation.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: Successful Reentry as a Solution to Sex Trafficking of Inmates
Location: Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna, 3625 FCI Rd, Marianna, FL 32446
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 1:00 p.m. CST
Contact: Todd Large, 850-526-7095, [email protected]
Description: Sex traffickers often target the most vulnerable female inmates with a history of drug use and prostitution and who do not have a place to live upon release from prison. Successful reentry is a critical tool to preventing sex trafficking and reducing recidivism at the same time. Inmates will hear from a former FCI Marianna inmate who is now an entrepreneur, a sex trafficking victim who is now the director of a faith-based women’s transitional house, and an Assistant United States Attorney.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: Employment and Community Resource Fair
Location: North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Contact:
Jessica Satterfield, 850‐521‐3551, [email protected]
Lee Warren, 850‐717‐9622, [email protected]
Description: The Florida Department of Corrections, the United States Probation Office, Leon County Probation Office, and the Big Bend AFTER Reentry Coalition is hosting this event to connect former inmates with housing, education, transportation, and employment resources.
Press: Open to public.Event: Re-Entry Partnership Initiative
Location: Alachua County Library District, Headquarters Branch: 401 E. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
Dates:- Job Searching Tips, Interview Skills, Employability
- Monday, May 2, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-A
- Creating E-mails and Résumés
- Monday, May 9, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-B
- Information about the GED and Santa Fe College Certificate Programs
- Monday, May 16, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-A
- Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business
- Monday, May 23, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-B
Contact: Nickie Kortus, 352-334-3909, [email protected]
Description: These workshops, conducted by trained instructors and field experts, help participants, especially former inmates, re-enter the workforce by providing
instruction on résumé building, interview skills, job searching, e-mail, educational programs, and entrepreneurship opportunities. View events calendar.
Press: Open to public.Event: Second Chance Job Fair
Location: CareerSource North Central Florida, 10 NW 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Contact:
Donna Scott, 352-225-4044, [email protected]
James Schindler, 352-244-5153, [email protected]
Description: Area businesses are joining the Florida Department of Corrections, CareerSource North Central Florida, and local law enforcement agencies to organize a job fair. Although the job fair is open to all applicants, the event is intended to increase career opportunities for those seeking a second chance after having been incarcerated.
Press: Open to public.Reentry Resources
- Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s message on National Reentry Week
- Big Bend “A Fight to End Recidivism” (AFTER) Reentry Coalition: contact Beth Nichols at [email protected]
- Kearney Center
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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Justice Department Reminds Taxpayers That Willful Failure to Comply with Our Nation's Tax Laws Is a CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - With the annual tax return filing deadline approaching, the Justice Department’s Tax Division reminds U.S. taxpayers that willful failure to comply with our nation’s tax laws is a crime. Whether they willfully fail to file returns, file false returns, or evade tax due, taxpayers who cheat will face serious consequences including prison and monetary sanctions.
“Our nation depends on all taxpayers, regardless of age, profession or economic status, to file accurate returns and promptly pay their taxes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “Individuals and businesses that willfully fail to comply with their legal responsibilities harm not only the U.S. Treasury, but also all Americans who are paying their fair share. The department is committed to continuing to aggressively prosecute those individuals who seek to circumvent U.S. tax laws.”
“Paying taxes is not a choice but a responsibility,” said Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “IRS-Criminal Investigation works with our partners at the Department of Justice to enforce our nation’s tax laws and ensure that we are all playing by the same rules. IRS-CI special agents are specifically trained to investigate complex financial fraud, and bring their considerable skill and experience to these investigations. Those who think they can evade our efforts will find they are terribly mistaken.”
Over the past year, the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices have worked closely with the IRS and other law enforcement partners to enforce the nation’s tax laws fully, fairly and consistently through criminal investigations and prosecutions across the country.
Failure to File Tax Returns and Failure to Pay Taxes
- In April 2016, James Redding, the president of an interior construction business in the District of Columbia and Maryland, was sentenced to two years in prison for failing to pay over $1.4 million in income and employment taxes. Redding also filed false tax returns on behalf of himself and his wife and on behalf of his business. Instead of paying his company’s employment taxes, Redding used company funds to pay the company’s creditors and for the benefit of himself and his family members. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
- In September 2015, Thomas Tilley, a businessman in North Carolina, was sentenced to 32 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $7 million in restitution to the IRS for a decades-long scheme, which included his failure to file returns despite earning a substantial income, sending fraudulent financial instruments to the IRS in an effort to discharge his tax debt, using nominee entities and sham trusts to purchase and sell real estate and placing false liens on his properties to prevent the IRS from collecting his taxes. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
- In June 2015, Ronald Martin, the former owner and operator of a New Hampshire construction company, pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion. Martin failed to file corporate or individual tax returns despite the fact that his company generated more than $1 million in gross revenue over a three year period. Martin also attempted to conceal the business revenue from the IRS by directing that payments be made in his nephew’s name, depositing only a fraction of the business receipts into the business’s bank accounts, and diverting a significant portion to his personal use. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Filing False Tax Returns
- In March 2016, Lorenzo Shane Stewart, the owner of an excavation and construction business in Illinois, was sentenced to 30 months in prison following his guilty plea to tax evasion. Stewart failed to report his business income on his tax returns and failed to pay more than $1.12 million in income taxes. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
- In February 2016, Avan Nguyen, the owner of a wholesale beauty supply business in Texas, was sentenced to three years in prison, ordered to forfeit $1.1 million, and ordered to pay restitution to the IRS for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. Nguyen caused a tax return to be filed for his company that omitted nearly $5 million of income. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
- In November 2015, Tammy Denise Westbrooks, a Texas resident and manager of a tax return preparation business in Charlotte, North Carolina, was convicted for filing false tax returns and attempting to obstruct the IRS. Westbrooks underreported her net business profit by inflating her business expenses, paid workers in cash, and failed to file the required Forms W-2 and 1099 to report workers’ compensation to the government. This case was prosecuted by the Tax Division.
Concealing Income and Assets Through Nominee Entities and Offshore Bank Accounts
- In April 2016, Michael D. Brandner, an Alaska plastic surgeon, was sentenced to four years in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion. After his wife filed for divorce, Brandner collected millions of dollars in marital assets and drove from Tacoma, Washington, to Costa Rica, where he opened two bank accounts into which he deposited over $350,000 in cash and hid a thousand ounces of gold in a safe deposit box. He then traveled to Panama where he opened an account under the name of a sham corporation and in 2008, deposited $4.6 million into the account. Brandner concealed both the existence of the accounts and the interest income earned on those accounts from the court in the divorce proceedings and from the IRS. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
- In January 2016, Gregory Claxton, a Michigan certified public accountant and tax return preparer, pleaded guilty to tax evasion after he concealed assets from the IRS to avoid paying nearly $150,000 in taxes. Claxton admitted he deposited the proceeds of his business into bank accounts in his wife’s name to avoid the appearance that he had the ability to pay his income taxes. Claxton also admitted that, just two days prior to meeting with the IRS to discuss his ability to pay his outstanding tax bill, he transferred title to his house to a trust in his wife’s name in an effort to thwart IRS collection efforts. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
- In October 2015, Terry Myr, a Michigan mechanic, who specialized in repairing classic and rare cars, including Ferraris, was sentenced to two years in prison for tax evasion and failure to file tax returns. Myr attempted to prevent the IRS from collecting nearly $200,000 in taxes by transferring property to third parties, using nominee companies and dealing in cash. Myr also failed to file tax returns for multiple years to report his income to the government. This case was prosecuted by the Tax Division.
Using Businesses to Pay Personal Expenses
- In March 2016, Faiger Blackwell, the owner of a North Carolina funeral home and other businesses, was sentenced to two years in prison for tax fraud and bankruptcy fraud. Blackwell filed for bankruptcy after accumulating more than $300,000 in federal taxes and more than $1 million in other debts. During the bankruptcy proceedings, Blackwell concealed rental income and used the money to pay for business and personal expenses. After the IRS levied one of Blackwell’s business bank accounts, he set up another company and corresponding bank accounts to divert and conceal funds and circumvent the levy. Blackwell used these funds to pay business and personal expenses, including paying for a cruise. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
- In September 2015, Sheila Mohammed, a doctor in Florida, was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay restitution for filing false income tax returns for herself and her medical practice. Mohammed used the more than one million dollars she failed to disclose to the IRS to purchase vehicles and properties in Florida, Hawaii and New Mexico. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
Obstructing IRS Efforts to Assess and Collect Taxes
- In January 2016, James S. Faller II, a former private investigator and legal consultant in Kentucky, was sentenced to serve three years in prison for obstructing the IRS, tax evasion and failing to file tax returns. Faller failed to file tax returns to report his income, which ranged from $126,000 to $289,000 per year, and attempted to hide his income from the IRS by having his income paid to a nominee and using nominee bank accounts. Faller also signed and submitted a false Form 433-A, Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-Employed Individuals, to an IRS revenue officer as part of the IRS’s efforts to collect his unpaid taxes. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
- In August 2015, F. William Messier, a Maine businessman who earned income by leasing telecommunications towers located on his property, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and corruptly endeavoring to impair and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws. Messier attempted to obstruct the IRS by, among other things, providing false tax documents to customers, submitting a fake money order and other false documents to the IRS, and dealing extensively in cash. This case was prosecuted jointly by the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
- In April 2015, John Fall, a Rhode Island real estate consultant, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstructing the IRS, tax evasion, and aiding in the filing of false corporate tax returns. Fall used nominee entities and business names to conceal his business and financial transactions, caused false tax returns to be filed in the name of his wife’s dental practice, and attempted to obstruct an IRS audit by encouraging his wife’s accountant not to provide information to the IRS and providing false documents during the audit. This case was prosecuted by the Tax Division.
“The Justice Department, along with our colleagues in the IRS, will continue to identify and vigorously pursue those engaged in tax crimes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “These efforts are critical to the continued integrity of our national tax system and send a strong message to those individuals who make good faith efforts to comply with their tax obligations that we will hold accountable those who do not. If someone suspects or knows of an individual or a business that is not complying with the tax laws, we encourage them to report that information to the IRS.”
More information about the Tax Division’s civil and criminal enforcement efforts in these and other areas is on the division’s website. The IRS website also has information about how to report tax fraud.
Local Woman Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud, Identity Theft, and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Candace B. McLeod, 32, of Holt, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 75 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and filing false tax returns. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between 2009 and 2013, McLeod embezzled over $1 million from her employer, a family-owned business in Destin. McLeod worked as a bookkeeper, and she stole money by making unauthorized online payments to pay her credit cards with employer funds, using corporate credit cards for unauthorized personal purchases, and issuing extra checks to herself from corporate accounts by fraudulently using the signature of the general manager. She used her position to create false documentation and to manipulate accounting records to cover up her scheme. McLeod also failed to report the embezzled money as income on her income tax returns.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia H. Kim prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Former Navy Noncommissioned Officer Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes While Serving in AfghanistanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Navy noncommissioned officer was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for accepting approximately $25,000 in cash bribes from vendors while he served in Afghanistan.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova of the Northern District of Florida, Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko, Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office and Brigadier General Keith M. Givens of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) made the announcement.
Donald P. Bunch, 46, of Pace, Florida, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida, who also ordered Bunch to pay a $5,000 fine and to forfeit $25,000. Bunch pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, 2015, to a one-count information charging him with accepting bribes.
According to the plea agreement, from February 2009 to August 2009, Bunch worked as a U.S. Navy E8 senior chief at the Humanitarian Assistance Yard (HA Yard) at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The HA Yard purchased supplies from local Afghan vendors for use as part of the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, which enabled U.S. military commanders to respond to urgent humanitarian relief requirements in Afghanistan, Bunch admitted.
Bunch was responsible for replenishing food and supplies at the HA Yard and for selecting vendors from a pre-determined list to provide the necessary items, according to his plea. In connection with his guilty plea, Bunch admitted that his predecessor had instructed him to rotate among the vendors.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, certain Afghan vendors offered money for the purpose of influencing their contracts. Bunch admitted that he accepted a total of approximately $25,000 in bribes from the vendors and as a result, he secured on their behalf more frequent and lucrative contracts. Bunch sent greeting cards stuffed with proceeds of the bribes to his wife and used the money to pay for the construction of a new home.
The FBI, SIGAR, CID, DCIS and OSI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Daniel P. Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg of the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Former Navy Noncommissioned Officer Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes While Serving in AfghanistanRead the Press Release
A former Navy noncommissioned officer was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for accepting approximately $25,000 in cash bribes from vendors while he served in Afghanistan.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova of the Northern District of Florida, Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko, Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office and Brigadier General Keith M. Givens of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) made the announcement.
Donald P. Bunch, 46, of Pace, Florida, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida, who also ordered Bunch to pay a $5,000 fine and to forfeit $25,000. Bunch pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, 2015, to a one-count information charging him with accepting bribes.
According to the plea agreement, from February 2009 to August 2009, Bunch worked as a U.S. Navy E8 senior chief at the Humanitarian Assistance Yard (HA Yard) at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The HA Yard purchased supplies from local Afghan vendors for use as part of the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, which enabled U.S. military commanders to respond to urgent humanitarian relief requirements in Afghanistan, Bunch admitted.
Bunch was responsible for replenishing food and supplies at the HA Yard and for selecting vendors from a pre-determined list to provide the necessary items, according to his plea. In connection with his guilty plea, Bunch admitted that his predecessor had instructed him to rotate among the vendors.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, certain Afghan vendors offered money for the purpose of influencing their contracts. Bunch admitted that he accepted a total of approximately $25,000 in bribes from the vendors and as a result, he secured on their behalf more frequent and lucrative contracts. Bunch sent greeting cards stuffed with proceeds of the bribes to his wife and used the money to pay for the construction of a new home.
The FBI, SIGAR, CID, DCIS and OSI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Daniel P. Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg of the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Hurlburt Field Intelligence Squadron Member Charged with Committing Federal Child Pornography Crimes on BaseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Douglas J. Plate, 53, of Navarre, Florida, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with receipt, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between August 2014 and December 2015, Plate knowingly received, possessed, and accessed child pornography at his home computer. It further alleges that, between June and December 2015, Plate possessed and accessed child pornography at his place of employment on Hurlburt Field. The trial is scheduled for May 9, 2016, at 8:30 a.m.
The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]German Shipping Companies Sentenced to Pay $1.5 Million for Illegally Discharging Oil into the OceanRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – The German shipping companies Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG and Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG MS “Extum,” who owned and operated the cargo ship M/V BBC Magellan, pled guilty today to failure to maintain an accurate oil record book, in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, and tampering with witnesses by persuading them to provide false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard concerning a bypass hose on the vessel that was being used to discharge oil into the sea. The two companies were sentenced to pay a total of $1.25 million in fines and a $250,000 community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects that enhance coastal habitats of the Gulf of Mexico and bolster priority fish and wildlife populations. In addition, the ship M/V BBC Magellan is banned from doing business in the United States for the next five years. The pleas and sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and by Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Section.
The operation of a marine vessel, such as the M/V BBC Magellan, generates large quantities of waste oil and oil-contaminated waste water. International and U.S. law requires that these vessels use pollution prevention equipment to preclude the discharge of these materials. Should any overboard discharges occur, they must be documented in an oil record book, a log that is regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.
In March 2015, during an inspection at the Port of Pensacola, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered an improperly attached rubber hose. Officials later determined that, between January and March 2015, the crew of the M/V BBC Magellan, acting on behalf of the vessel’s owner, had installed and illegally used the rubber hose to remove oily wastes from the vessel’s holding tanks and discharged them directly into the ocean. The crew also failed to make the required entries in the vessel’s oil record book. When questioned about the hose’s purpose and how oily wastes were discharged from the ship, the chief engineer instructed other crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
“Future generations deserve to enjoy clean and safe coastal waters, and we will continue to prosecute environmental crimes to prevent pollution of our natural resources,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova. “Our federal environmental laws rightfully require companies to record their oil waste disposal to keep them accountable and to protect our oceans and marine life.”
“Shipping companies that transport commerce across open seas must respect the international laws and obligations of their trade, which exist to prevent the spoiling of oceans and marine habitats,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. “This egregious behavior by shipping companies, which included intentional deception and witness tampering, will not be tolerated. We will continue to prosecute companies and their officers for these crimes.”
“When a company knowingly fails to comply with our nation’s environmental laws, it can have a devastating effect on both public health and wildlife,” said Andy Castro, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) criminal enforcement program in Florida. “The defendants in this case falsified entries in their vessel’s log books to hide the true nature of its open water discharges. Today’s court action should signal to would-be violators that the American people will not allow the flagrant violation of U.S. laws.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the EPA. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Brandy N. Parker of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]State Inmate Sentenced to 70 Months for Threatening JudgeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Dean Drew, 43, originally from Jacksonville but now an inmate of the Florida Department of Corrections, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison today for mailing a threatening letter to a federal judge with the intent to extort a thing of value. United States District Judge Robert Hinkle imposed this sentence consecutively to Drew’s 30-year state sentence for dealing in stolen property and to Drew’s 28-month federal sentence for threatening a different federal judge. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Drew pled guilty to the current charge on December 2, 2015. Court records show that Drew committed the stolen property offense in Jacksonville, less than two months after his release from the Florida Department of Corrections. He received the 30-year sentence under Florida’s Prison Release Reoffender law. In 2006, Drew challenged the 30-year sentence in federal court in Jacksonville. Relief was denied in 2009. In 2011, Drew sent threatening letters to the federal judge who denied him relief and to a Florida Assistant Attorney General involved in those proceedings. Drew was charged with mailing threatening communications in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and sentenced to 28 months in prison in 2012.
In June 2015, Drew sent threatening letters to the federal judge who presided over his 2012 prosecution, still seeking relief on the underlying state conviction. He was being held at the Wakulla Correctional Institution when he wrote the letters. Drew will be returned to the Florida Department of Corrections, so that he will complete his state sentence first. Thereafter, he will serve his federal sentences in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Acting United States Attorney Canova praised the work of the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Corrections, whose joint investigation led to the conviction in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Simpson.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Gainesville Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Debra A. Scott, 57, of Gainesville, was sentenced today to two years in prison and ordered to pay $179,979 in restitution for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During her guilty plea on September 2, 2015, Scott admitted that, after her mother’s death in January 1997, she continued to receive her mother’s Social Security Administration benefits checks at the home they shared. Scott forged her mother’s signature on the checks and deposited them into her own account. Between January 1997 and March 2014, Scott negotiated more than 200 stolen Social Security checks, totaling approximately $179,979.
This case resulted from investigations by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Herbert S. Lindsey.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Pensacola Resident Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kenneth Grandison, 42, of Pensacola, pled guilty late yesterday to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to utilize a telephone facility to further a drug trafficking offense. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea, Grandison admitted that, between January 2012 and January 2016, he received illegal drugs from California, including marijuana and codeine, for further distribution in Florida. An investigation identified dozens of Bank of America and Wells Fargo accounts that Grandison used to launder the drug trafficking proceeds. In total, the Bank of America accounts received more than 200 cash deposits, and the Wells Fargo accounts received more than 600 cash deposits. This investigation involved the laundering of between $1.5 and $3.5 million.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 24, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
Grandison faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and a maximum of four years in prison for conspiracy to utilize a telephone facility to further a drug trafficking offense.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Gulf Breeze Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Cyberstalker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Michael Daniel Rubens, 31, formerly of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, a $15,000 fine and $1,550 in restitution for cyberstalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea on Dec. 3, 2015, Rubens admitted that, between January 2012 and January 2015, he publicly humiliated dozens of young women by hacking into their online accounts, including e-mail and social media, stealing photographs and other personal information, using the photographs to create pornography and posting the pornographic images on social media websites and on a revenge pornography website that was recently shut down by the FBI. Rubens engaged in most of the conduct from his residence in Tallahassee. He used software to conceal his IP address.
Rubens’ victims included an employee of a local restaurant he frequented, an out-of-town colleague, an acquaintance in his office building, clients of the defendant’s employer, a former girlfriend and her colleagues, high school classmates and the victims’ relatives or friends. For one particular woman, Rubens’ laptop contained 470 files with more than 5,000 references to the victim. Rubens’ computer searches focused on finding the victims’ personal identifying information, such as past addresses, family information and other personal data that could be used to answer security questions. As a result of Rubens’ conduct, the victims became afraid to conduct any online activities and often deleted their social media presence entirely. In some instances, the conduct also damaged the victims’ personal relationships.
Urging leniency, Ruben’s counsel argued that, unlike bank robbery or drug dealing, cyberstalking was not something people thought of as a serious crime. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle for the Northern District of Florida responded, “Perhaps it’s time they learned.”
“This sentence sends an unequivocal message to anyone tempted to use a computer as a weapon to victimize and steal the identities of others: Expect to be prosecuted. And expect to go to prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Canova.
“This criminal hacked into social media accounts and tormented women with blackmail and harassment,” said Special Agent in Charge Susan L. McCormick of Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Tampa Field Office. “His crimes demonstrate how predators use the Internet to target innocent victims and ruin lives. With the help of victims and our law enforcement partners, like the Florida State University Police and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, HSI will find these predators and hold them accountable.”
This case resulted from investigations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida State University Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Beaton.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
Cyberstalker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Daniel Rubens, 31, formerly of Tallahassee, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, and $1,550 in restitution for cyberstalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer, and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea on December 3, 2015, Rubens admitted that, between January 2012 and January 2015, he publicly humiliated dozens of young women by hacking into their online accounts, including e-mail and social media, stealing photographs and other personal information, using the photographs to create pornography, and posting the pornographic images on social media websites and on a revenge pornography website that was recently shut down by the FBI. Rubens engaged in most of the conduct from his residence in Tallahassee. He used software to conceal his IP address.
Rubens’ victims included an employee of a local restaurant he frequented, an out-of-town colleague, an acquaintance in his office building, clients of the defendant’s employer, a former girlfriend and her colleagues, high school classmates, and the victims’ relatives or friends. For one particular woman, Rubens’ laptop contained 470 files with more than 5,000 references to the victim. Rubens’ computer searches focused on finding the victims’ personal identifying information, such as past addresses, family information, and other personal data that could be used to answer security questions. As a result of Rubens’ conduct, the victims became afraid to conduct any online activities and often deleted their social media presence entirely. In some instances, the conduct also damaged the victims’ personal relationships.
Urging leniency, Ruben’s counsel argued that, unlike bank robbery or drug dealing, cyberstalking was not something people thought of as a serious crime. United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle responded, “Perhaps it’s time they learned.”
Acting United States Attorney Canova stated, “This sentence sends an unequivocal message to anyone tempted to use a computer as a weapon to victimize and steal the identities of others: Expect to be prosecuted. And expect to go to prison.”
“This criminal hacked into social media accounts and tormented women with blackmail and harassment,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “His crimes demonstrate how predators use the Internet to target innocent victims and ruin lives. With the help of victims and our law enforcement partners, like the Florida State University Police and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, HSI will find these predators and hold them accountable.”
This case resulted from investigations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida State University Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason S. Beaton.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Seven People Charged with Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY/PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Defendants in seven cases were arraigned this week in federal court after a grand jury returned indictments charging them with firearms-related crimes. The indictments were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The defendants are:
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Hess, William Howard, 54, Daphne, Alabama;
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Kelly, Terrence Toboris, 37, Pensacola;
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Lange, Arthur Kyle, 30, Panama City;
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Murphy, Leroy Romaro, 51, Pensacola;
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Randall, Robert, 31, Panama City;
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Richey, Tristan M., 30, Pensacola; and
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Smith, Luther C., 44, Pensacola.
The firearms-related charges are:
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Selling a firearm to a convicted felon, (Hess and Smith);
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Possessing a non-registered firearm, (Hess); and
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Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, (Kelly, Lange, Murphy, Randall, and Richey);
Additionally, Lange and Randall are also charged with controlled substance crimes.
These cases resulted from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Beach Police Department, Pensacola Police Department, and the ATF Gun Crime Response Team. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg, Edwin F. Knight, J. Ryan Love, and Jeffrey M. Tharp 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 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]-
Okaloosa County Father and Son Plead Guilty in Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud Non-ProfitsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Anthony Floyd Hemphill, 38, and his father, William Hemphill, 58, both of Crestview, Florida, have pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud non-profit organizations of more than $300,000. The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During their pleas on February 11, 2016 (Anthony Hemphill), and yesterday (William Hemphill), the conspirators admitted that, between December 2013 and December 2014, they fraudulently represented that A.F.H. Construction LLC owned modular buildings that could be donated to non-profit organizations free of charge, if the non-profit organizations would agree to pay for the transportation and set up of the buildings. Using high pressure sales tactics, the conspirators persuaded the non-profit organizations to quickly wire advance payments for transportation and set up costs, ostensibly to prevent the modular buildings from being donated to other parties.
Once they had their victims’ money in hand, the Hemphills used delaying tactics and false statements to convince the victims that the modular buildings were in the process of being delivered and set up. In fact, no modular buildings were ever delivered.
During the conspiracy, the victims wired approximately $311,700 as advance payments for the transportation and set up costs. Anthony Hemphill used $51,000 of these payments to make a partial restitution payment that he owed in another federal criminal case in the Western District of Texas. Anthony Hemphill is currently serving a 41-month sentence imposed in the Texas case. He committed the conduct underlying the modular building fraud while on pre-trial release and/or as a fugitive in the Texas case.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Anthony Hemphill pled guilty to wire fraud, and William Hemphill pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal agent.
The sentencing hearings are scheduled for May 10, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. (Anthony Hemphill) and 2:00 p.m. (William Hemphill) at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Miami Resident Charged with Orchestrating an Immigration Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami-Dade woman is charged with stealing immigration application payments from her clients when she prepared at least 146 fraudulent petitions filed with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert C. Hutchinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Josefa M. Siverio, 60, of Miami-Dade, is charged by indictment with five counts of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341; and three counts of conversion of postal money orders, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.
As alleged in the indictment, Siverio is an immigration consulting and services provider who prepared immigration petitions and applications for aliens seeking immigration benefits from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Siverio is alleged to have prepared at least 146 fraudulent petitions and stolen checks and money orders entrusted to her to pay the fees associated with the petitions and applications for immigration benefits. It is alleged that Siverio’s clients provided her with blank checks and money orders for the application fees and Siverio made the checks and money orders payable to herself and deposited the checks and money orders into her own personal bank accounts.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Beamer.
An indictment is merely an accusation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Chairman of International Credit Union Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Samuel J. Cusumano, 66, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced late yesterday to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay $7.8 million in restitution for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent solicitation from investors of the Swedish-registered Storehouse Credit Union. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea on June 24, 2015, Cusumano admitted that, between 2007 and 2009, as the chairman of the board of Storehouse, he promoted the international credit union as a high yield investment opportunity through intentionally misleading presentations and materials. Cusumano fraudulently induced investors to transfer monies to investment accounts under Cusumano’s control by misrepresenting the rates of return being generated by the business. He falsely claimed that Storehouse used professional currency traders when, in fact, Cusumano personally executed all trades from his home, investing primarily in the Foreign Currency Exchange Market. Although the business was actually losing money, Cusumano created fraudulent financial statements to convince investors that Storehouse was reaching or exceeding the high rates of return that Cusumano had promised them. When investors discovered that they were unable to withdraw their funds due to trading losses, a financial review was conducted. The review revealed that investor funds had been depleted, that earnings had been overstated, and that Cusumano had used a large portion of the investors’ funds to pay personal expenses. The 347 victims of the scheme resided in the United States, including in the Northern District of Florida, as well as Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.
The case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. McMahon.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Local Bingo Operators Charged with Fraud Conspiracy, Illegal Gambling Operation, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Larry L. Masino, 65, of Gulf Breeze, and Dixie L. Masino, 63, of Pensacola, were arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging them with wire fraud conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between 2006 and 2015, Larry and Dixie Masino conspired to defraud local charities out of millions of dollars. The Masinos operated Racetrack Bingo Inc. in Fort Walton Beach on behalf of a number of charitable organizations in Okaloosa County. According to the indictment, Racetrack Bingo Inc. was an illegal gambling business in violation of Florida law because the Masinos compensated themselves and their employees, instead of using bona fide charity members, to run bingo games. The indictment further alleges that the Masinos charged the charities grossly inflated lease fees. By law, those proceeds should have gone to the charities. The indictment also alleges that Larry and Dixie Masino conspired to launder more than $5.8 million in proceeds of their illegal bingo operation through the deposit of profit distribution checks from Racetrack Bingo Inc. The trial is scheduled for April 18, 2016.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Kim 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Two More Defendants Charged in Interstate Armed Jewelry Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Larry Bernard Gilmore, 43, and Michael Bernard Gilmore, 46, both of Atlanta, GA, were charged by criminal complaint on Thursday with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. The criminal complaint was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The charging documents allege that the Gilmores conspired with Abigail Lee Kemp, 24, of Smyrna, GA, and Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, GA, to commit armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida; Woodstock and Dawsonville, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; Sevierville, Tennessee; and Mebane, North Carolina. It is further alleged that, in each robbery, the robber brandished a firearm and ordered the employees to the back of the store where they were forced to lie face down on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry was then removed from the jewelry display cases.
The punishment for the alleged crime is a maximum of 20 years in prison. The initial appearance is expected to take place at 3:30 p.m. today in Judge Vineyard’s courtroom in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. Future court appearances will take place in the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida, in the Northern District of Florida, on a date to be determined.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Isaac Dillard Wilson, 35, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was structured so that 84 months (seven years) would run consecutively to state prison sentences, which Wilson is already serving, and the remainder would run concurrently with the state sentences. Wilson pled guilty to this charge last November, reserving the right to appeal the denial of his motion to suppress evidence, according to Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court records showed that the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) stopped Wilson for speeding at about 10:30 p.m. on July 19, 2013. After a police canine alerted to the presence of odors associated with narcotics, Wilson’s rental vehicle was searched. TPD recovered a stolen and loaded 9 millimeter pistol from the front console, and a loaded SKS assault rifle, from the trunk. A small amount of marijuana and Wilson’s personal items were found in the vehicle as well. Wilson had paid $850 cash to rent the vehicle twelve hours earlier. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
At the time of arrest, Wilson was on probation from a 2008 conviction for fleeing or attempting to elude. That probation was revoked and a fifteen-year state prison sentence was imposed in January 2014. In July 2015, Wilson was convicted of attempted felony murder, based upon a shooting during a 2008 robbery, and received a life sentence. The federal sentence runs partially consecutive to these sentences.
Acting United States Attorney Canova praised the work of the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit, whose joint investigation led to the convictions in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Simpson.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Georgia Residents Charged in Interstate Armed Jewelry Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
Larry Bernard Gilmore, 43, and Michael Bernard Gilmore, 46, both of Atlanta, Georgia, were charged by criminal complaint on Thursday with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. The criminal complaint was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova for the Northern District of Florida.
The charging documents allege that Larry and Michael Gilmore conspired with Abigail Lee Kemp, 24, of Smyrna, Georgia, and Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, to commit armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida; Woodstock and Dawsonville, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; Sevierville, Tennessee; and Mebane, North Carolina. It is further alleged that, in each robbery, the robber brandished a firearm and ordered the employees to the back of the store where they were forced to lie face down on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry was then removed from the jewelry display cases.
The punishment for the alleged crime is a maximum of 20 years in prison. The initial appearance is expected to take place today with the Honorable Russell G. Vineyard for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. Future court appearances will take place in the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida, in the Northern District of Florida, on a date to be determined.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
Former Florida State University Finance Professor Sentenced to Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Today, former Florida State University (FSU) Assistant Professor of Finance, James S. Doran PhD, 40, of Boulder, Colorado, was sentenced to 13 months in prison and a $15,000 fine for embezzlement concerning a program receiving federal funds. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, between May 2010 and March 2011, Doran, while employed at FSU’s College of Business, intentionally embezzled money from the Student Investment Fund Inc. (SIF). The SIF was developed to give business students practice in conducting stock purchases and managing an investment portfolio. Doran, who oversaw the SIF as a faculty advisor, made a series of transfers totaling more than $650,000 from the SIF to his own personal investment account. He also used $10,000 in SIF monies to pay for a performance evaluation of his personal investment fund. Doran returned the monies after an audit disclosed his illegal transfers. Doran was convicted on November 19, 2015.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the FSU Police Department, and the FSU Office of Inspector General Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gary K. Milligan and Jason R. Coody.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Two Georgia Residents Indicted in Interstate Armed Jewelry Theft CaseRead the Press Release
Abigail Lee Kemp, 24, of Smyrna, Georgia, and Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, were arraigned today in federal court after a grand jury returned an indictment charging them with conspiracy, obstructing commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between April 2015 and January 2016, Kemp and Jones conspired to commit armed robberies at a series of jewelry stores, including Jared Vault, Zales Outlet and Reeds Jewelers. It further alleges that Kemp and Jones brandished and used a firearm during the robbery of Reeds Jewelers. The trial is scheduled for March 21, 2016, at the U.S. Courthouse in Panama City, Florida.
The potential penalties for both the conspiracy and obstructing commerce by robbery counts are a maximum of 20 years in prison. For brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the punishment is a minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison, to run consecutive to any penalty on the other counts.
Kemp and Jones were first charged by criminal complaint last month. They were arrested together in the Smyrna area on Jan. 8, 2016, on charges related to the armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida; Woodstock, Georgia; Dawsonville, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; Mebane, North Carolina; and Sevierville, Tennessee. The charging documents reflect that, in each robbery, the robber brandished a firearm and ordered the employees to the back of the store where they were forced to lie face down on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry was then removed from the jewelry display 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 at trial.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ten People Plead Guilty in $11.1 Million Tax Refund and Food Stamp Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Ten defendants pled guilty this week to conspiracy, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. The pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The defendants are:
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Ja’baree Vazquez Allen, 26, Tallahassee, Florida;
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Ronald Edward Brown, 28, Quincy, Florida;
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Anre’ Juardon Davis, 34, St. Petersburg, Florida;
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Addrain Montez McMillan, 29, Overland Park, Kansas;
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Rashard LaVonta McMillian, 27, Quincy, Florida;
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Jasmine Junae Robinson, 26, Tallahassee, Florida;
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Daria Patrice Simmons, 34, Tampa, Florida;
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Jazzman Shabazz Simmons, 27, Tallahassee, Florida;
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John Walter Simmons, 35, Tampa, Florida; and
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Mercedes Shevon Sutton, 25, Tampa, Florida.
During their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted that they conspired to file fraudulent income tax returns using stolen personal identifying information (PII) from approximately 2,800 individuals. The PII sources included an insurance provider and an online database. The stolen PII was used to file 1,466 fraudulent income tax returns, claiming refunds of approximately $11.1 million and resulting in $2,695,253 being issued by the IRS. During their pleas, Sutton, John Simmons, and Jazzman Simmons also acknowledged their involvement in a scheme to file fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications. Between August 2013 and January 2014, stolen PII was used to electronically submit 165 fraudulent food stamp applications, seeking $176,704 in benefits.
The sentencing hearings are scheduled as follows at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee:
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May 31, 2016: Davis (9:00 a.m.) and Robinson (10:30 a.m.)
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June 1, 2016: Sutton (9:00 a.m.) and Addrain McMillan (10:30 a.m.)
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June 2, 2016: Brown (9:00 a.m.), Daria Simmons (10:30 a.m.), and Allen (2:00 p.m.)
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June 3, 2016: Rashard McMillian (9:00 a.m.), Jazzman Simmons (10:30 a.m.), and John Simmons (2:00 p.m.)
The defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 years in prison for theft of government funds. Allen, Brown, Davis, Addrain McMillan, Rashard McMillian, Robinson, Daria Simmons, Jazzman Simmons, and John Simmons also face a mandatory term of two years in prison for aggravated identify theft. Additionally, John Simmons faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]-
Kemp and Jones Indicted in Interstate Armed Jewelry Theft CaseRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Abigail Lee Kemp, 24, of Smyrna, GA, and Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, GA, were arraigned today in federal court after a grand jury returned an indictment charging them with conspiracy, obstructing commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between April 2015 and January 2016, Kemp and Jones conspired to commit armed robberies at a series of jewelry stores, including Jared Vault, Zales Outlet, and Reeds Jewelers. It further alleges that Kemp and Jones brandished and used a firearm during the robbery of Reeds Jewelers. The trial is scheduled for March 21, 2016, at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Panama City.
The potential penalties for both the conspiracy and obstructing commerce by robbery counts are a maximum of 20 years in prison. For brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the punishment is a minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison, to run consecutive to any penalty on the other counts.
Kemp and Jones were first charged by criminal complaint last month. They were arrested together in the Smyrna, Georgia, area on Friday, January 8, 2016, on charges related to the armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida; Woodstock, Georgia; Dawsonville, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; Mebane, North Carolina; and Sevierville, Tennessee. The charging documents reflect that, in each robbery, the robber brandished a firearm and ordered the employees to the back of the store where they were forced to lie face down on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry was then removed from the jewelry display 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 at trial.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Third Gainesville Defendant Convicted in Child Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Tawanda LaKaye Burkett, 40, was convicted today of sex trafficking of a minor. Codefendant Hal Bernard Black, 21, pled guilty on November 5, 2015, and was sentenced on January 25, 2016, to 135 months in prison. Codefendant Ranell Carter Jr., 25, pled guilty on October 19, 2015, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville. The verdict and sentence were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, in August 2014, Burkett, Black, and Carter, all of Gainesville, Florida, were involved in a scheme to make money using a 15-year-old girl to perform sex acts. The defendants posted the victim’s photo in an online advertisement in a website section for “escort services.” The true purpose of the advertisement was to offer the victim for commercial sexual activity. The defendants also provided the victim with a cellular telephone so that “clients” could contact her. When the “clients” responded to the advertisements, Burkett, Black, and Carter transported the victim to private residences and hotels for sexual activity. The defendants shared the proceeds of the victim’s commercial sex acts.
This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.
Burkett and Carter each face a minimum of 10 years to life in prison. Burkett’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a date to be determined at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Two Men Charged in Gas Station Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Zachary Tyler Hubbard and Jarrod Lonnie Moore, both 20, of Georgia, were arraigned today in federal court after a grand jury returned an indictment charging them with conspiracy, interfering with commerce by threats or violence, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Hubbard was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, on December 7, 2015, Hubbard and Moore forcefully took money from employees at two gas stations located in the Panama City area, while carrying a pistol. The trial is scheduled for March 21, 2016, at 8:30 a.m.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Panama City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Ft. Walton Man Sentenced to 480 Months for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Samuel J. Johnson, 42, a registered sex offender who resides in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced today to 480 months in prison for production and receipt of child pornography, and the transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At his guilty plea on September 14, 2015, Johnson admitted that, between April 2013 and April 2015, he knowingly used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions, and that he committed this offense while required to register as a sex offender. During an undercover operation, law enforcement officers discovered that Johnson possessed child pornography videos and images on his cellular telephone and computers. Additionally, detectives recovered thousands of text messages between Johnson and an underage female, including those persuading the minor to produce and send videos of child pornography.
“I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement professionals for their hard work to bring child predators to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova. “This prison sentence is a reminder that those who seek to harm our children face serious consequences under federal law.”
“This criminal stole the innocence of a young victim,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “The work of HSI special agents, along with our local and state partners, has ensured he cannot hurt another child.”
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case. 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Washington County Man Convicted of Defrauding HospitalRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Yesterday afternoon, a federal jury convicted Eon L. Menckeberg, 55, of Chipley, Florida, of six counts of wire fraud for falsely representing to a hospital that he possessed health insurance to obtain specialized medical treatment services for a broken ankle. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, in May 2012, Menckeberg visited the Jackson County Hospital emergency room after sustaining a compound fracture to his ankle. He was treated and received surgery for his injury. Subsequently, in September 2012, Menckeberg went to the Wound Trauma Institute at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital to obtain elective hyperbaric-oxygen treatment to aid in the healing of the wound. To pay for the treatments, he falsely told hospital staff that he possessed health insurance through Lloyd’s of London and was president of the Prince Trust. Menckeberg submitted false documents purporting to confirm insurance coverage and authorizing the elective treatments at the hospital. Menckeberg received numerous hyperbaric-oxygen treatments during the next several months, and the treatments and physician costs at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital totaled more than $262,000. Menckeberg was assisted in the fraud by a woman who posed as a Lloyd’s of London broker who told the hospital that Menckeberg had sufficient insurance to cover his medical treatment. The monies owed to the hospital were never paid by Menckeberg.
While the jury was deliberating, the defendant was taken into federal custody pending his sentencing for violating the terms of his pre-trial release for being illegally present in the U.S. At a hearing, it was revealed that Menckeberg was not a United States citizen, but actually a citizen of Suriname. Nineteen years earlier, the Immigration and Naturalization Service denied Menckeberg’s petition to become a permanent resident alien and ordered him to voluntarily depart from the United States by December 26, 1986. Menckeberg failed to do so. Menckeberg subsequently obtained a Florida driver’s license and claimed to be a U.S. citizen born in Florida. Menckeberg has been living and posing as a U.S citizen for the past 19 years.
Menckeberg faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse, in Panama City, Florida.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties Join Federal Program to Reduce Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has announced that Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties in Northwest Florida have been added as members of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The Gulf Coast HIDTA, which includes counties and parishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi, is one of 28 nationwide drug enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing violent crime and drug trafficking. Both counties border existing Gulf Coast HIDTA designated counties in Alabama and have a direct nexus to multiple Gulf Coast HIDTA initiatives.
In 2014, law enforcement agencies in Northwest Florida began the application process to become a member of the Gulf Coast HIDTA due to drug trafficking routes running through Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties via Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 98. A threat assessment conducted as part of this request confirmed that not only do many ongoing investigations in Gulf Coast HIDTA counties have a connection to the Pensacola area, but numerous Escambia and Santa Rosa County investigations also have ties to other agencies that are part of the Gulf Coast HIDTA. Additionally, Escambia County has experienced drug-related shootings, and arrests in those violent incidents frequently are linked to the local illicit drug market.
The following coalition of federal, state, and local Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies petitioned the Office of National Drug Control Policy to designate Escambia and Santa Rosa County as part of the Gulf Coast HIDTA:
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United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
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Drug Enforcement Administration
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Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
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Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office
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Pensacola Police Department
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Gulf Breeze Police Department
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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State Attorney’s Office, First Judicial Circuit
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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Florida Office of the Attorney General
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Florida Highway Patrol
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Homeland Security Investigations
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Internal Revenue Service
“Due to collaboration and hard work of our law enforcement partners, Northwest Florida will receive additional resources and support in addressing drug-related crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova. “The enhanced communication between the local agencies in our district with the other HIDTA initiatives across the nation will also better enable law enforcement personnel to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that serve as the source and supply of dangerous drugs into the community.”
“The DEA Miami Field Division is happy to have Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties join the HIDTA program,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright. “Their inclusion will greatly contribute to the HIDTA mission of combatting drug trafficking in the Gulf Coast area.”
“Due to recent changes at the U.S. Attorney's Office and local DEA office, we will be joining the Gulf Coast HIDTA. We are encouraged that positive changes are on the horizon,” said Sheriff David Morgan of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“I'm glad we are in this partnership, and I know the community will benefit from it,” said Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander III.
“The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is proud to now be a member of the HIDTA task force, and we look forward to working with the partner agencies in an effort to disrupt criminal activity in our area,” said Chief Deputy Bob Johnson of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. The purpose of the program is to reduce drug trafficking and production in the United States. For more information about the HIDTA program, visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy website. The ONDCP release can be found at: https://www.whitehouse.gov//the-press-office/2016/01/15/white-house-drug-policy-director-announces-designation-14-counties-high
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]-
Federal Charges Brought in Interstate Armed Jewelry Theft CaseRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Abigail Lee Kemp, 24, of Smyrna, GA, was charged by criminal complaint on Friday with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. The criminal complaint was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The complaint alleges that, between April 2015 and the present, Kemp conspired with others to commit armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The complaint alleges that, in each robbery, the robber or robbers displayed a handgun, ordered the employees to the back of the store, ordered them to lie face-down on the floor, and bound their hands behind their backs with zip ties. The robber or robbers then removed hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry from the jewelry display cases.
The punishment for the alleged crime is a maximum of 20 years in prison. The initial appearance is expected to take place at noon today in Judge Walker’s courtroom in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. The next court appearance will take place at a date to be determined in the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida, in the Northern District of Florida.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Federal Charges Brought Against Codefendant in Interstate Armed Jewelry Theft CaseRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, GA, was charged today by criminal complaint with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. The criminal complaint was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Jones and Abigail Lee Kemp were arrested together in the Smyrna, Georgia, area on Friday, January 8, 2016, on charges related to the armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The complaint alleges that, in each robbery, the robber or robbers displayed a handgun, ordered the employees to the back of the store, ordered them to lie face-down on the floor, and bound their hands behind their backs with zip ties. The robber or robbers then removed hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry from the jewelry display cases.
The punishment for the alleged crime is a maximum of 20 years in prison. The initial appearance for Lewis Jones III is expected to take place tomorrow in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. The next court appearance will take place at a date to be determined in the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida, in the Northern District of Florida.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Gainesville Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Mikel Alemin Craig, 33, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for sex trafficking of an adult by force and coercion. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During Craig’s guilty plea on August 19, 2015, the government presented evidence that, between January 1, 2014, and March 30, 2014, Craig was involved in a scheme to make money by using an adult female to perform sex acts. The defendant caused a picture of the victim, posing in a motel room, to be posted on Backpage.com, an Internet advertising website. The advertisement was listed in a section for “escort services,” when, in truth, the advertisement was for the purpose of offering the victim for commercial sexual activity. As a result, the victim engaged in sexual activity for money on numerous occasions with persons who responded to the advertisement. This sexual activity took place at various locations in the Northern District of Florida, including local hotels in Gainesville, Florida. Craig used physical and nonphysical means to coerce the victim to engage in this sexual activity, including violence and the threat of physical violence against her. He also collected proceeds from the victim’s commercial sexual activity.
The prosecution was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Program. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Milton Man Convicted of Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Yesterday afternoon, a federal jury convicted Milton resident Robert F. Matlack, 79, of attempted commercial sex trafficking and attempted enticement of a minor for sex. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, in July 2015, Matlack communicated online with someone who turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer. The purpose of Matlack’s contact was to meet a 12-year-old child for sexual activity. During trial, the jury heard evidence of Matlack e-mailing and text messaging his desires for a 12-year-old child. Matlack was arrested when he arrived at the arranged meeting location in Milton, Florida, where he thought he would meet a 12-year-old child. He possessed $180 to pay for the illicit sex acts. Also seized from his vehicle were blister packs of Viagra.
For the attempted commercial sex trafficking charge, Matlack faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. For the attempted enticement of a minor charge, Matlack faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 23, 2016, at 12:30 p.m.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, and other agencies that are part of 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Washington County Man Sentenced for Stealing Social Security FundsRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Lynwood Williams, 53, of Greenhead, Florida, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to six months in prison for theft of $63,284 in government funds. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In October 2006, Williams applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, falsely claiming that he suffered from an organic brain disorder. During interviews with Social Security Administration (SSA) officials, Williams pretended to be mentally disabled, deliberately stuttering and acting as though he had great difficulty forming words. In one interview, Williams was accompanied by a person who, at Williams’ direction, falsely claimed to be Williams’ cousin. His “cousin” falsely claimed that Williams was unable to work due to his mental and speech limitations. In a separate interview, one of Williams’ friends, who was designated as Williams’ representative payee, falsely told SSA officials that Williams was so severely handicapped that he could not take care of his daily needs and had to be supervised like a child.
In 2014, the SSA discovered YouTube videos in which Williams was performing comedy routines that clearly showed Williams did not suffer from a mental or speech impairment. Postings on Facebook indicated that Williams did lawn work, pressure washing, and painting, when he was not working as a comedian.
Williams pled guilty on September 1, 2015. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay $56,287 in restitution to the SSA, and $6,997 in restitution to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Harwin.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Jackson County Man Sentenced to 720 Months in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Charles Heath Stewart, 43, of Grand Ridge, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 720 months in prison for producing child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted Stewart on August 21, 2015, after the government presented evidence that, on three occasions, in September, October, and November 2013, Stewart knowingly produced child pornography when he coerced a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct with Stewart for the purpose of creating a visual depiction. The evidence proved that, on countless occasions, Stewart used physical force and death threats to coerce the child into engaging in sexually explicit acts with Stewart while he videotaped the acts using his cellular telephone. Additionally, evidence presented at trial showed that Stewart knowingly possessed child pornographic images.
"Children deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities, and these despicable acts ruin lives at an early age," said Acting United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova. "This prison sentence sends a strong message to child predators that my office and our law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing, prosecuting, and providing justice to those who target innocent children."
"While no jail sentence is long enough to erase the damage he has done to his victim, Charles Stewart will have the next 60 years to reflect on the pain and suffering he has caused," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "Child pornography memorializes the sexual abuse of a child. We can only hope that this sentencing brings some comfort to the victim and that he will never again harm another child."
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, whose joint investigation led to the conviction in this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Defendant Pleads Guilty in Tallahassee Cyberstalking CaseRead the Press Release
Michael Daniel Rubens, 31, formerly of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday to cyberstalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft. The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova of the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea, Rubens admitted that between January 2012 and January 2015, he publicly humiliated dozens of young women by hacking into their online accounts, including e-mail and social media; stealing photographs and other personal information; using the photographs to create pornography; and posting the pornographic images on social media websites and on a revenge pornography website that was recently shut down by the FBI. Rubens engaged in most of the conduct from his residence in Tallahassee. He used software to conceal his Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Rubens’ victims included an employee of a local restaurant he frequented, an out-of-town colleague, an acquaintance in his office building, clients of the defendant’s employer, a former girlfriend and her colleagues, high school classmates and the victims’ relatives or friends. For one particular woman, Rubens’ laptop contained 470 files with more than 5,000 references to the victim. Rubens’ computer searches focused on finding the victims’ personal identifying information, such as past addresses, family information and other personal data that could be used to answer security questions. As a result of Rubens’ conduct, the victims became afraid to conduct any online activities and often deleted their social media presence entirely. In some instances, the conduct also affected the victims’ personal relationships.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee. For each of the 12 counts of cyberstalking and unauthorized access to a protected computer, Rubens faces a maximum of five years in prison. For the aggravated identity theft charge, he faces a mandatory two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
This case resulted from investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida State University Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Beaton of the Northern District of Florida.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Defendant Pleads Guilty in Tallahassee Cyberstalking CaseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Daniel Rubens, 31, formerly of Tallahassee, pled guilty yesterday to cyberstalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer, and aggravated identity theft. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his guilty plea, Rubens admitted that, between January 2012 and January 2015, he publicly humiliated dozens of young women by hacking into their online accounts, including e-mail and social media, stealing photographs and other personal information, using the photographs to create pornography, and posting the pornographic images on social media websites and on a revenge pornography website that was recently shut down by the FBI. Rubens engaged in most of the conduct from his residence in Tallahassee. He used software to conceal his IP address.
Rubens’ victims included an employee of a local restaurant he frequented, an out-of-town colleague, an acquaintance in his office building, clients of the defendant’s employer, a former girlfriend and her colleagues, high school classmates, and the victims’ relatives or friends. For one particular woman, Rubens’ laptop contained 470 files with more than 5,000 references to the victim. Rubens’ computer searches focused on finding the victims’ personal identifying information, such as past addresses, family information, and other personal data that could be used to answer security questions. As a result of Rubens’ conduct, the victims became afraid to conduct any online activities and often deleted their social media presence entirely. In some instances, the conduct also affected the victims’ personal relationships.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 25, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. For each of the 12 counts of cyberstalking and unauthorized access to a protected computer, Rubens faces a maximum of five years in prison. For the aggravated identity theft charge, he faces a mandatory two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
This case resulted from investigations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida State University Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason S. Beaton.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Four People Charged in Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jorge Maldonado, 51, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned a 21 count indictment charging him and his daughter, Jennifer Maldonado, 28, both of Oviedo, Florida, and co-conspirators Sharon Glover, 53, and Diane White, 54, both of Sanford, Florida, with conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft. Jennifer Maldonado, Glover, and White were arraigned in federal court on November 16. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between February 2009 and October 2011, the Maldonados, who were both tax preparers, together with Glover and White, conspired to obtain more than $815,000 in tax refunds issued on fraudulent income tax returns. The trial is scheduled for January 11, 2016, at 8:15 a.m.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Herbert S. Lindsey 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Former Florida State University Finance Professor Convicted of EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Today, a federal jury convicted former Florida State University (FSU) Assistant Professor of Finance, James S. Doran PhD, 40, of Boulder, Colorado, of embezzlement concerning a program receiving federal funds. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, between May 2010 and March 2011, Doran, while employed at FSU’s College of Business, intentionally embezzled money from the Student Investment Fund Inc. (SIF). The SIF was developed to give business students practice in conducting stock purchases and managing an investment portfolio. Doran, who oversaw the SIF as a faculty advisor, made a series of transfers totaling more than $650,000 from the SIF to his own personal investment account. He also used $10,000 in SIF monies to pay for a performance evaluation of his personal investment fund. Doran returned the monies after an audit disclosed his illegal transfers.
Doran faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 12, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse, in Tallahassee, Florida.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the FSU Police Department, and the FSU Office of Inspector General Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason R. Coody and Gary K. Milligan.
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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Pensacola Man Convicted of Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Late yesterday, a federal jury convicted Pensacola resident Robert M. Grafton Jr., 29, of attempted enticement of a minor for sex. Additionally, Grafton pled guilty to possession of child pornography just prior to jury selection. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
At trial, the government presented evidence that, in May 2015, Grafton communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer for the purpose of meeting a 12-year-old special needs child for sexual activity. Grafton was arrested when he arrived at the arranged meeting location in Pensacola. A search of his cellular telephone and digital media at his residence revealed numerous images and videos of child pornography.
For the attempted enticement of a minor charge, Grafton faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. For the possession of child pornography charge, Grafton faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2016.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, Gulf Breeze Police Department, and other agencies that are part of 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. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. 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.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]