Northern District of Florida

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Edward Leonforte, 55, of Gainesville, and Larry Burstein, 69, of Alachua, Florida, have pled guilty in a multimillion dollar internet pharmacy case.  On September 13, Leonforte pled guilty to conspiracy, distribution of the controlled substance codeine, and money laundering.  Burstein pled guilty today to conspiracy.  The guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Leonforte and Burstein operated multiple internet pharmacy websites from a Progress Park rental space in Alachua, Florida, and sold substantial quantities of prescription drugs without requiring customers to provide a prescription.  Between 2013 and 2015 through freeworldpharmacy.com, Leonforte’s business sold more than $7.5 million in pharmaceuticals, including more than $385,000 in generic codeine in 2015 alone.  On several occasions in 2012 and 2013, an undercover DEA law enforcement agent was able to order and receive hundreds of codeine pills from the freeworldpharmacy.com and medsindia.net websites without providing a prescription.

The defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Leonforte’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 4, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville.  Burstein’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.

This case resulted from a joint investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, the Alachua Police Department, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Jason S. Beaton 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.  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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Derek Lamar Reddick, 28, of Boynton Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 235 months in prison yesterday afternoon for sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to transport a minor for prostitution.  After incarceration, Reddick will serve a 20-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.  In July 2015, Reddick’s co-conspirator Christine Thurman, 30, of Thomasville, Georgia, was sentenced to 126 months in prison for conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor.  In October 2016, co-conspirator Timothy Gosier, 28, of Thomasville, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for conspiracy and coercion to engage in prostitution.  The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In January 2014, an undercover investigator arranged to meet a girl featured in an online sex trafficking advertisement posted by the defendants.  At the motel where the meeting was to take place, investigators observed Reddick and Thurman leave a room adjacent to the motel room where the girl had arranged to meet the undercover officer.  A search of both rooms revealed evidence of prostitution; documentation that the rooms were registered to Reddick and Thurman; and personal belongings of the victim, Reddick, and Thurman.  Investigators were later able to establish that Reddick was connected to prepaid debit cards that had been used to pay for the online advertisements and vehicle rentals to transport the victim for prostitution.  Gosier was involved in transporting this victim on several occasions.

In May 2014, investigators discovered an online advertisement featuring another underage girl, which led them to the same motel where the previous victim had been found.  Reddick was observed dropping off the victim at a motel room.  Directly afterwards, a customer who had arranged to meet the victim entered the motel room.   Investigators immediately went to the room and arrested the man.  Reddick was arrested a short distance away.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tallahassee Police Department, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

“This case is an example of the positive impact local and federal law enforcement officers have when they join efforts to protect children from predators who would exploit them for personal, financial gain,” said United States Attorney Canova.  “My office and the Department of Justice will continue to prioritize these cases, both in the investigative phase and during prosecution, as they are so profoundly important.”

“This is a horrific example that child sex trafficking exists even in the best of communities,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “This sentencing will stop this predator from harming any more young girls and will serve as a warning that HSI special agents will aggressively investigate crimes against our children.”

“Trafficking minors for sexual exploitation is a horrific crime, and one that the FBI remains dedicated to fighting,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.  “Offenders like the perpetrators in this investigation must know that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing, and use every resource available, to fight for the interests of our young people and bring justice to bear upon those seeking to exploit their vulnerabilities.”

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]

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Corey Lawayne Mosley, 40, of Ocala, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking by coercion.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his guilty plea, Mosley admitted that, between September 2010 and March 2012, he was involved in a sex trafficking scheme using a woman who was addicted to cocaine.  Mosley transported the victim to various locations within the Northern District of Florida, including hotels and area truck stops, for commercial sex.  Mosley coerced the victim both with physical violence and nonphysical means.  He also provided her with cocaine and then forced her to pay for it by performing sex acts for money.  Mosley collected the proceeds from the victim’s commercial sexual activity.

“Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and tragically, it occurs in the Northern District of Florida, as well as throughout the nation,” said United States Attorney Canova.  “This horrific crime is often hidden in plain sight because traffickers use coercion tactics to keep their victims silent.  I am proud of the hard work of all those who are fighting human trafficking, including prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, local coalitions, and community members.”

“Sex trafficking is a violation of its victims’ civil rights, and infringes upon the protected liberties guaranteed to all Americans,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville Division.  “This type of illegal activity demonstrates a very real risk to our local communities, and stopping it remains one of the highest criminal investigative priorities for the FBI.”

“FDLE, along with our partners, will continue to aggressively investigate human trafficking cases,” said FDLE Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Dennis Bustle.  “These crimes have devastating impacts on their victims, and we must remain vigilant to identify and investigate these criminals.”

This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA –Robert M. Grafton Jr., 30, of Pensacola, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.  A jury convicted Grafton of attempted enticement of a minor for sex, and Grafton also pled guilty to possession of child pornography just prior to jury selection for the trial.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, 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.  This included electronic folders in a hidden partition, which contained child pornography involving infants and toddlers.

“Tragically, the advantages of advanced technology also bring opportunities for child predators to contact and victimize the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said United States Attorney Canova.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute offenders who seek to harm children.”

“This predator attempted to target the most vulnerable in our society, a special needs child,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “The hard work of our HSI special agents and partners prevented him from harming a child, and our communities are safer with him behind bars.”

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.  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]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Eight defendants, all of whom resided illegally in the United States, have been sentenced in an interstate human trafficking case.  The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The defendants and sentences are:

• Edegardo Osorno Rodriguez, 38, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 60 months in prison;
• Mauro Gonzalez-Lira, 25, McComb, Mississippi, 60 months in prison;
• Jose Juan Ruiz Prudencio, 41, Montgomery, Alabama, 48 months in prison;
• Romon Tobon, 46, Starkville, Mississippi, 42 months in prison;
• Antonio Flores-Esparza, 32, Pensacola, Florida, 24 months in prison;
• Jose Alvaro Trujillo-Santiz, 46, Panama City Beach, Florida, 18 months in prison;
• Emerson Corvera, 21, Montgomery, Alabama, 9 months in prison; and
• Rosa Mirtha Cruz Vidal, 35, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 8.5 months in prison.

Between February and May 2016, seven defendants pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy during 2014 and 2015, to transport, harbor, and market undocumented female immigrants for prostitution in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.  Thereafter, the defendants wired the prostitution proceeds outside the United States.

In addition to conspiracy, the following defendants also pled guilty to:

• Enticing individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution

  (Rodriguez, Flores-Esparza, Gonzalez-Lira, and Prudencio);

• Transporting individuals in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution

  (Rodriguez, Flores-Esparza, Prudencio, Tobon, and Corvera); and

• Illegal entry by a deported alien (Tobon).

In May 2016, Cruz Vidal pled guilty to fraud and misuse of a falsely made permanent resident alien card.

Upon completion of their sentences, each defendant will be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for deportation.  Cruz Vidal has already been deported from the United States.  Lazaro Juarez-Juarez, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, who was also indicted in this case, has not been apprehended.

United States Attorney Canova stated, “Combatting human trafficking is a priority of the Department of Justice and my office, and the trafficking of women for commercial sex is a significant part of the human trafficking problem that our country faces.  In this particular case, dozens of women were brought into the United States illegally and exploited by the defendants to engage in prostitution in several states for the defendants’ profit.  This office will continue to partner with our federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and vigorously prosecute the trafficking of vulnerable victims for sex.”

“Human trafficking is a violation of its victims’ civil rights, and infringes upon the protected liberties guaranteed to all Americans,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville Division.  “This type of illegal activity demonstrates a very real risk to our local communities, and stopping it remains one of the highest criminal investigative priorities for the FBI.”

“Human trafficking is an abomination, and this criminal organization has devastated the lives of so many women,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “These sentencings are the result of the hard work of our special agents and show the importance HSI places on investigating human trafficking crimes.”

This case resulted from a 15-month investigation into human trafficking activities in the Northern District of Florida by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.  It is a follow-up prosecution to a previous kidnapping case prosecuted in federal court in Panama City.

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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova will lead the efforts of the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2016, general elections.  As the United States Attorney and District Election Officer, United States Attorney Canova is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for the public to report election violations while the polls are open on Election Day.  This program deters election fraud and discrimination by increasing the Department’s ability to prosecute these offenses when they occur.

United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova said, “The ability to exercise the right to vote is the centerpiece of American democracy.  The Department of Justice will act aggressively to ensure that those who are entitled to vote may do so and that those who seek to corrupt the integrity of the process are brought to justice.  It is imperative that anyone with specific information about voting abuses or election fraud share the information with my office, the FBI, or the Department of Justice, so that we may ensure an open and fair election process.”

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also protects voters from intimidation and harassment.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

To respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 8, 2016, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, District Election Officer Christopher P. Canova will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached at (850) 942-8430.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in each field office and resident agency in the Northern District of Florida to receive and respond to allegations of election fraud, voter intimidation, voter suppression, and other election abuses.  The FBI can be reached by the public at (904) 248-7000.

Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section in Washington at (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by e-mail to [email protected], or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.  The DOJ 2016 Election press release also contains additional information.

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, FLORIDA – Andre M. Straughn, 40, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced late yesterday to 15 ½ years in prison for receipt and transportation of child pornography, as well as making a false statement to a federal agent.  After incarceration, Straughn will serve 10 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

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.  Straughn pled guilty on June 2, 2016.

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

“Our communities are safer today now that this criminal will spend the next 15 ½ years behind bars,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “HSI special agents will continue to relentlessly pursue those who want to do harm to our children.”

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies in the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Ray Eugene Collins, 62, of Tallahassee, was convicted today of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, in January 2014, law enforcement officers identified a computer determined to belong to Collins that was sharing child pornography files through a peer-to-peer network.  A forensic review of Collins’s laptop and external hard drive revealed that Collins had downloaded dozens of videos and images of child pornography between October 2013 and January 2014.

This case resulted from investigations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason S. Beaton.

Collins faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Collins’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 11, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA –Patrick Shawn Kelley, 54, of Panama City Beach, has pled guilty to two counts of tax evasion.  The plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between 2009 and 2011, Kelley was a partner in American Construction Logistics and Services (ACLS), a construction company that performed work for the U.S. Government in Afghanistan.  During his guilty plea on October 14, Kelley admitted that he failed to file tax returns for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 tax years on income consisting of $1,167,025.32 in wages, ACLS funds used for personal expenditures, and cash wired to Kelley’s wife from ACLS employees.  In total, Kelley never paid the IRS $210,397 in taxes due and owing for the unreported income.

During the years 2010 and 2011, in an effort to conceal his income from the IRS, and without the knowledge or consent of his business partners, Kelley made significant personal expenditures directly from the ACLS bank account.  The expenditures included $320,550 for the purchase of his personal residence in Panama City Beach; $156,000 for an ownership interest in a motorcycle shop; $44,000 for the purchase of a boat; $10,393 for the purchase of a Jeep Wrangler; and a $9,500 loan to a friend.  Kelley also diverted funds totaling $353,520.37 from the ACLS corporate bank account to his personal bank accounts, and directed Afghan employees to wire cash to his wife.

For each count of tax evasion, Kelley faces a maximum of five years in prison, a total fine of $250,000, and an order of restitution.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Panama City.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz 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, FLORIDA – Regis L. Walker, 30, of Pensacola, has been arrested on a charge of mailing threatening communications.  The criminal complaint was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Walker mailed a threatening letter on notebook paper to Sheriff Morgan at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  The affidavit further alleges that Walker claimed several people who had joined ISIS would simultaneously attack military bases, beaches, and schools at a nonspecific time and could not be stopped by law enforcement.  Walker appeared to sign the note as “ISIS ALLAH.”

The punishment for the crime alleged is a maximum of five years in prison.  Walker will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals at the Santa Rosa County Jail pending further judicial proceedings.  Future court appearances will take place in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola on a date to be determined.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg 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.  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]

BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) Program Brings Law Enforcement and Youth Together

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In recognition of National Community Policing Week (October 2-8, 2016), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, together with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and Twin Oaks Juvenile Development, Inc., will present a BLAST Program event on Friday to 40 youth from the Juvenile Unit for Special Treatment, located in Wilma, Florida.

The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with officers in a familiar setting. Officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.

Event: BLAST Program
Location: Veterans Memorial Civic Center
10405 NW Theo Jacobs Way
Bristol, FL 32321
Date: Friday, October 7, 2016
Press: A media availability will take place at 1:45 p.m. The youth discussion sessions are closed to the media and the public, and videography and photography of students is not permitted.

The schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers:      • Crime and Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
     • Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which police respond to an injured victim. Discussion topics will include de-escalation in a stressful environment, rights of witnesses and suspects, and the benefits of providing information to        the police.
     • Traffic Stop Simulation: Students will take turns playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop scenario in which some participants are compliant and some are argumentative. Discussion topics include vehicle searches based on probable        cause and the dangers faced by officers during a traffic stop.
     • Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation.

Participating agencies include:      • United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
     • Federal Bureau of Investigation
     • Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
     • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
     • Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office
     • Drug Enforcement Administration

The United States Attorney’s Office is expanding the BLAST program across the district, building on a successful event in Pensacola last month.

About National Community Policing Week:

Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.

In support of community policing efforts around the country, the United States Department of Justice will lead nearly 400 events, and President Obama will designate the week of Oct. 2-8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week is also an extension of the Attorney General’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlighted collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens.
     • 21st Century Policing Task Force report
     • Attorney General’s Community Policing Op-Ed

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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In recognition of National Community Policing Week (October 2-8, 2016) and the first national Coffee with a Cop Day, representatives of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, together with law enforcement officers across the district, will share a cup of coffee and conversations with members of their communities on Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7, 2016.

Community members will have a chance to discuss issues of concern with police and federal prosecutors in a familiar restaurant setting during the morning commute. This event is also an excellent opportunity to meet law enforcement officers and prosecutors who work and live in the community they serve.

PENSACOLA AREA

Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Location: Starbucks at 346 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL

Participating Agencies:

• United States Attorney’s Office

United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova will participate in this event.

• Gulf Breeze Police Department
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Date and Time: October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Location: Oscar’s Restaurant at 2805 W. Cervantes St, Pensacola, FL

Participating Agencies:

• Pensacola Police Department
• United States Attorney’s Office

TALLAHASSEE AREA

Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Locations:

• Red Eye Coffee at 1122-7 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL
• Red Eye Coffee at 1184 Capital Circle, NE, Tallahassee, FL

Participating Agencies:

• United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
• Leon County Sheriff’s Office
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

PANAMA CITY AREA

Location:

• McDonald’s at 3608 U.S. Highway 98, Panama City Beach, FL

Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Participating Agencies:

• United States Attorney’s Office
• Panama City Police Department
• Homeland Security Investigations

GAINESVILLE AREA

Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Location:

• McDonald’s at 1030 E University Avenue, Gainesville, FL

Participating Agencies:

• Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
• United States Attorney’s Office
• Gainesville Police Department
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Location:

• McDonald’s at 3826 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608

Participating Agencies:

• Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
• United States Attorney’s Office
• Gainesville Police Department
• Internal Revenue Service

Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Location:

• McDonald’s at 16018 NW US Hwy 441 in Alachua, FL

Participating Agencies:

• Alachua Police Department
• High Springs Police Department
• Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
• United States Attorney’s Office
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

About the "Coffee with a Cop" initiative:

The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has partnered with the Hawthorne (California) Police Department to conduct the

first national Coffee with a Cop Day on October 7, 2016. Coffee with a Cop is an innovative program started by the Hawthorne Police Department in 2011 to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community. Today, more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve have participated in this program, both throughout the United States and abroad.

For more information about the Coffee with a Cop program, please visit http://coffeewithacop.com/. For more information about the United States Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/about.

About National Community Policing Week:

Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.

In support of community policing efforts around the country, the United States Department of Justice will lead nearly 400 events, and President Obama will designate the week of Oct. 2-8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week is also an extension of the Attorney General’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlighted collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens.

• 21st Century Policing Task Force report
• Attorney General’s Community Policing Op-Ed

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]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jack D. Messerschmidt, 36, of Laurel Hill, Florida, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with the production and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between December 2015 and January 2016, Messerschmidt persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.  The indictment further alleges that, in September 2016, Messerschmidt possessed child pornography.  The trial is scheduled for November 21, 2016, at 8:00 a.m.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Dora Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  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.  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, FLORIDA – Robert Blake Jackson, 31, of Pensacola, pled guilty today to making materially false statements in a federal investigation.  The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In October 2014, Jackson’s Facebook profile contained comments, photos, and videos expressing support for extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).  In January 2015, a Pensacola telemarketing corporation reported they recently fired Jackson for viewing ISIL-related and other terrorist-related websites and videos on his work computer.

In June 2015, during an interview with the FBI, Jackson stated that he never posted any pro-ISIL or violent content and that he only used the internet at work to search news sites.  At his plea hearing, Jackson admitted that these statements were false.

Jackson faces a maximum of five years in prison.  Jackson is currently in federal custody at the Santa Rosa County Jail.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 12, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of David Cora of the National Security Division.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access 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]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – James R.J. Scheltema, 56, of Pensacola, made an initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with filing false tax returns and tax evasion.  The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that Scheltema filed false tax returns, claiming a total tax of $18 for 2011 and $1,369 for 2012, when he knew his total tax exceeded that amount.  The indictment further alleges that Scheltema attempted to evade paying tax on his taxable income of $598,291 for the calendar year 2013 by failing to file a timely income tax return and later filing a false tax return.  The arraignment is scheduled for September 28, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg 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.  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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – As designated by Presidential proclamation, September 18 through 24 is National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.  In observance, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is participating in several events throughout October to educate students on the rising public health crisis of opiate abuse.

Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) co-produced a 45-minute documentary titled Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict.  The film features several stark, first-hand accounts of the dangers of opiate addiction.

Beginning this week and continuing through October, the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, DEA, the United States Probation Office, and other agencies will host several screenings of Chasing the Dragon at local colleges to educate students on the dangers of opiate abuse and to discuss how the issue could impact their lives and future careers.  Events took place this week at Florida State University, the University of West Florida, and Pensacola State College, with additional events to be announced as scheduled.

“The Northern District of Florida is joining United States Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, as well as law enforcement, health professionals, and concerned citizens in our communities to bring awareness to this important issue,” said United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova.  “The heroin and opioid epidemic requires a coordinated response to address prevention, drug enforcement, and treatment.”

In 2014, more than 27,000 lives were lost to heroin and opioids, and reports from the field indicate that this number has increased in 2015 and this year.  During this week and beyond, Americans can learn more about the disease of addiction, join with community members to support evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, and stand with those who are suffering or recovering from a substance use disorder to let them know they are not alone.

As part of this initiative, more than 70 U.S. Attorneys around the country have already committed to doing more than 160 different events, and more than 90 events are planned at Bureau of Prison facilities.

For more information and resources about heroin and opioid awareness, visit www.justice.gov/opioidawareness.  More information about Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict can be found at the following link, including a free download of the film and teacher discussion guide: www.fbi.gov/chasingthedragon.

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]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida developed and presented the district’s first BLAST youth dialogue event on Tuesday in coordination with the Pensacola Police Department.  The program offered local students an opportunity to meet law enforcement officers in their community and ask the officers questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with the officers in a familiar setting.  Officers also provided students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.

The event was held at Camelot Academy of Escambia County, a transitional school for 11 to 18-year-olds, who have been removed from a traditional school.  Approximately 59 students from the school attended the event.

Participating agencies included:

• United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida

• Pensacola Police Department

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

• United States Probation Office

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement

The schedule included the following breakout sessions, during which students had a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers:

• Crime and Justice Overview: Students learned about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.

• Domestic Violence: Students participated in a scenario in which police respond to an injured victim.  Discussion topics included de-escalation in a stressful environment, rights of witnesses and suspects, and the benefits of providing information to the police.

• Traffic Stop Simulation: Students took turns playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop scenario in which some participants were compliant and some were argumentative.  Discussion topics included vehicle searches based on probable cause and the dangers faced by officers during a traffic stop.

• Use of Force: Facilitators and students discussed when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation.

After lunch, students heard two formerly incarcerated individuals speak about the consequences of criminal activity and the difficulties of living with a felony record.  The day ended with a basketball game between officers and youth.  The United States Attorney’s Office plans to expand the BLAST program across the district, which runs from Escambia to Alachua Counties.

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]

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PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – David Michael Hobby Rossner, 35, of Panama City, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Panama City after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with production, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, in December 2015, Rossner persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.  The indictment further alleges that, during various dates in 2015 and 2016, Rossner received, distributed, and possessed child pornography.  The trial is scheduled for November 21, 2016, at 8:15 a.m.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Daniel Leroy Ard, 33, a registered sex offender in Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty in June 2016 to receipt of child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During an online investigation, federal agents discovered that on numerous occasions, between June 14, 2014, and May 26, 2015, Ard received or attempted to receive child pornography images and videos.  A forensic review of Ard’s laptop computer and numerous hard drives recovered approximately 87 videos and 4,257 images containing child pornography.

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Pensacola Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Robert Lamar Gerald, 37, of Pensacola, was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty in April 2016 to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In June 2015, an Escambia Country Sherriff’s Deputy on patrol stopped the vehicle Gerald was driving.  After the stop, Gerald fled on foot and was apprehended after a brief chase.  The search of his vehicle revealed a loaded 9 millimeter pistol.

The indictment lists 14 prior state felony convictions for Gerald.  As a previously convicted felon, Gerald is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.  Because his prior criminal record includes several violent felonies and drug offenses, Gerald qualifies for enhanced sentencing as an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.

This case resulted from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gun Crime Response Team.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Winston D. Foster, 40, of Milton, was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty in April 2016 to production and distribution of child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In January 2016, law enforcement agents became aware that Foster was communicating via Facebook with a 12-year-old child.  These communications included Foster requesting the child perform and photograph sexually explicit acts and then send him the images.  Foster also sent many sexually explicit images of himself to the child.  In February 2016, a search warrant was executed at Foster’s residence, and agents seized his computers and cellular telephone.  A forensic review of Foster’s electronic media revealed approximately 46 images of child pornography, of which approximately 33 were of the victim.

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Tanga J. Tarnower, 73, of Navarre, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay $132,957.70 in restitution to the Social Security Administration after pleading guilty in April 2016 to theft of government money.  The sentence was announced today by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between approximately 1997 and 2014, Tarnower stole Social Security benefits that were being paid in the name of her deceased mother, whose benefits were directly deposited into a joint account they held.  When the Social Security Administration was unable to contact Tarnower’s mother, Tarnower was asked to confirm whether her mother was still alive.  Tarnower submitted a counterfeit death certificate fraudulently claiming her mother died in January 2014 to hide the fact she had taken and used her deceased mother’s benefits, when in fact, her mother had died in the mid-1990s.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Kim 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, FLORIDA – Robert Blake Jackson, 31, of Pensacola, made an initial appearance today in federal court after being arrested this morning on a charge of making materially false statements in a federal investigation.  The criminal complaint was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

According to the criminal complaint affidavit, on several occasions in 2014 and 2015, Jackson made Facebook postings expressing support for extremist terrorist groups and stating a desire to assist the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL).  The affidavit also alleges that, in January 2015, a Pensacola telemarketing business reported it had fired Jackson for viewing ISIL and other terrorist-related websites and videos on his work computer.  It is further alleged that, when FBI agents interviewed Jackson in June 2015, he denied all these activities.

The punishment for the crime alleged is a maximum of five years in prison.  Jackson is currently in federal custody, being held at the Santa Rosa County Jail, pending further proceedings.  Future court appearances will take place in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola on a date to be determined.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg 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.  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]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Yesterday evening, a federal jury convicted Lewis Jones III, 36, Larry Bernard Gilmore, 43, and Michael Bernard Gilmore, 46, all of Atlanta, GA, of conspiracy, interfering with commerce by robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.  Co-conspirator Abigail Lee Kemp, 25, of Smyrna, GA, pled guilty on July 11.  The verdicts and guilty plea were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between April 2015 and January 2016, the conspirators committed armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida; Woodstock and Dawsonville, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; Sevierville, Tennessee; and Mebane, North Carolina.  More than $4 million of jewelry was stolen during the time frame of the conspiracy.

After the April 2015 robbery, Jones and the Gilmores began training Kemp to rob the jewelry stores on her own.  The training took place at the Gilmore's window tint shop in Atlanta, Georgia.  Jones and the Gilmores reviewed jewelry store layouts with Kemp and taught her how to handle a gun, secure employees with zip ties, and what merchandise to steal.  They also gave Kemp various code words, decided her clothes and disguises, and then purchased supplies for her.  Jones and the Gilmores always selected the dates and locations of the jewelry stores to be robbed.

Thereafter, Kemp would enter an outlet mall jewelry store at approximately the same time of day, brandish a firearm, order the employees to the back of the store, and force them to lie face down while she zip tied their hands behind their backs.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry was then removed from the jewelry display cases.  Kemp would use an earpiece to communicate with her conspirators while Jones and the Gilmores conducted surveillance and security outside.

In December 2015, a jewelry store manager believed Kemp matched the description of the white female who was previously linked to the armed robberies of various jewelry stores in the southeast.  The store manager requested that another employee contact the police.  The conspirators decided to call off the robbery and left the store.  Five days later, they robbed the Mebane, North Carolina, jewelry store.

For each of the conspiracy and robbery charges, the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison.  For each of the firearm charges, the defendants face a consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years and up to life on the first conviction, and a consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 25 years and up to life on the second conviction.  The sentencing hearings are scheduled for October 12, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. (Kemp) and 2:00 p.m. (Jones and the Gilmores) at the United States Courthouse in Panama City, Florida.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Panama City Beach Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn D. Risinger and Michael J. Frank are prosecuting the case.

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

For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tomorrow, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida and the Big Bend “A Fight to End Recidivism” (AFTER) Reentry Coalition are co-hosting the Big Bend Second Chance Employer Summit.

Event: Big Bend Second Chance Employer Summit

Location:                    FSU Law School, Lecture Hall (Room 101)
425 W. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Parking at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center

Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Description: Turn someone’s life around with a second chance at a job.  Learn about the benefits of hiring a formerly incarcerated individual from employers, law enforcement, and community partners.

Keynote Speaker: Former FSU Coach Bobby Bowden

Lunch: Provided at no cost.

RSVP: All participants, including media, should RSVP at https://usaoflntraining.org/employersummit if they wish to attend any portion of the event.  The target audience is employers, human resource directors, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and reentry providers.  Available space for 200 participants to attend.

Press: A brief media availability will take place after the event concludes.  Reporters are asked to set up camera equipment prior to the beginning of the event or during scheduled breaks.

This half-day summit will offer employers, human resource directors, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and reentry providers an opportunity to learn from leaders who gave a previously incarcerated person a second chance.  Former FSU Football Coach Bobby Bowden will give the keynote address, and two panels will discuss benefits and challenges of hiring formerly incarcerated individuals.  Former inmates who now have successful careers will also share their reentry experiences.

“Nearly a quarter of Americans may face obstacles to achieving productive, law-abiding lives due to previous encounters with the criminal justice system,” said United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova.  “The most important challenge for these individuals is finding a job.  Employment helps reduce crime and makes neighborhoods across our district and nation better places to live.”

“We need to hear the voices of business leaders to address this economic and public safety challenge,” said Lauren Walker, Chair of the Big Bend AFTER Reentry Coalition.  “To keep our economy growing, we need all hands on deck.”

The United States Attorney’s Office and the Big Bend AFTER Reentry Coalition thank the following organizations for their assistance in planning the employer summit:

• Federal Bureau of Prisons

• Florida Department of Corrections

• Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

• FSU Project on Accountable Justice

• United States Probation Office

• The Living Harvest

Reentry Resources

• Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s message on National Reentry Week

• Big Bend “A Fight to End Recidivism” (AFTER) Reentry Coalition

• DOJ Roadmap to Reentry

• Employer Tax Credit

• Federal Bonding Program

• Kearney Center Reentry Services

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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – After a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Jennifer Maldonado, 29, and her father Jorge Maldonado, 52, both of Oviedo, Florida, of conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft.  Co-conspirators Sharon Glover and Diane White, both 54 of Sanford, Florida, pled guilty in February 2016 to conspiracy, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft.  The verdicts and guilty pleas were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, between 2009 and 2011, Jorge Maldonado and his daughter Jennifer, who were both tax preparers, conspired with Glover and White to obtain more than $1.2 million in income tax refunds issued on fraudulent tax returns.  The Maldonados filed returns that generated refunds.  Glover and White cashed refund checks issued as a result of the fraudulent returns at a Tallahassee supermarket.  They deposited cash proceeds of the checks into the Maldonados’ bank accounts or delivered the cash to the Maldonados.  Glover and White cashed 505 checks by using fraudulent powers of attorney, approximately 16 different forged notary seals, and forged taxpayer signatures.

The defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy and wire fraud, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for theft of government property.  The defendants also face a mandatory term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which must be served consecutively to any penalty they receive on the other counts.

The sentencing hearings are scheduled as follows at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee:

• Jorge Maldonado: October 5, 2016, at 9:30 a.m.;

• Jennifer Maldonado: October 5, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.;

• Sharon Glover: August 4, 2016, at 10:30 a.m.; and

• Diane White: September 16, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Herbert S. Lindsey and Gary K. Milligan are 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, FLORIDA – Douglas J. Plate, 53, of Navarre, Florida, a federal employee at Hurlburt Field, was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for receipt, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

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.

“I commend the diligent work of our hard working prosecutors and law enforcement professionals to bring to justice those who abuse their positions of trust,” said United States Attorney Canova.  “Serving as a representative of the U.S. government carries a high responsibility of setting an ethical example, and no one is above the law.”

“This case is particularly disturbing because a government employee violated the trust of the United States in one of the most heinous ways imaginable,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “Thanks to our HSI special agents’ partnership with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, an individual who was jeopardizing our Nation’s security and trust is now facing justice.”

The case was 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 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, FLORIDA – Trenton S. Sommerville, 48, of Destin, Florida, was sentenced Friday afternoon to 51 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his guilty plea in January 2016, Sommerville admitted that he obtained funds from investors for ventures he controlled, including that of an insurance provider and companies involved in gambling initiatives in the Caribbean.  At Sommerville’s direction, investors wired funds or sent checks to Sommerville’s bank accounts in Destin, Florida, held in the names of these companies.

Sommerville concealed from investors that he would take a salary and pay for personal expenses with investment funds.  He also did not invest any of his own capital in his ventures.  As a result, between January 2011 and December 2014, Sommerville embezzled investment funds by making personal expenditures directly from corporate accounts, transferring investment funds to his personal account, and writing corporate checks to a family member.  In addition, when certain investors asked to have their investments refunded, Sommerville used investment funds from other investors to pay refunds.

As of May 2012, Sommerville owed approximately $549,789.56 in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service for the tax years 2004 through 2010.  He tried to evade paying taxes by concealing income and assets from the IRS through the use of nominee names and accounts, by using a cashier’s check to pay off the mortgage on his residence, and by selling his personal shares and instructing the buyer to wire the money into another bank account.  Sommerville failed to file federal income tax returns for the tax years 2011 through 2013, despite earning approximately $585,214 in income and owing approximately $103,279 in taxes for those years.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Kim 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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Nine defendants have been sentenced for conspiracy, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft.  The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The defendants and sentences are:

• John Walter Simmons, 35, Tampa, Florida, 168 months in prison;

• Daria Patrice Simmons, 34, Tampa, Florida, 65 months in prison;

• Jazzman Shabazz Simmons, 27, Tallahassee, Florida, 65 months in prison;

• Anre’ Juardon Davis, 34, St. Petersburg, Florida, 36 months in prison;

• Rashard LaVonta McMillian, 27, Quincy, Florida, 36 months in prison;

• Ronald Edward Brown, 28, Quincy, Florida, 30 months in prison;

• Addrain Montez McMillan, 30, Overland Park, Kansas, 18 months in prison;

• Ja’baree Vazquez Allen, 27, Tallahassee, Florida, 3 years of probation, 600 hours community service;

• Mercedes Shevon Sutton, 25, Tampa, Florida, 3 years of probation, 300 hours of community service; and

• Jasmine Junae Robinson, 26, Tallahassee, Florida, sentencing hearing scheduled for August 19, 2016.

During their guilty pleas in February 2016, 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, an online database, and an area hospital.  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.

“These conspirators stole the personal information of thousands of real victims and used their identities to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from government programs and lawful taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova.  “I commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work investigating this case.

“This case is a good example of the continuing efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation and our local law enforcement partners working in concert to combat identity theft,” said Kimberly A. Lappin, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office for IRS Criminal Investigation.  “This crime can make honest taxpayers face a more difficult time obtaining their lawful refund or bring more pain to the families whose deceased relative was also a victim.  This sentence demonstrates that criminals will have a price to pay for their roles in perpetrating these crimes.”

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 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]

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Tawanda LaKaye Burkett, 40, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At Burkett’s trial, which concluded on January 28, 2016, 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 on 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.

Codefendant Hal Bernard Black, 21, was sentenced on January 25, 2016, to 135 months in prison, and Codefendant Ranell Carter Jr., 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2016, at 3:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville. 

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.

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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Yesterday afternoon, a federal jury convicted Robert E. Youman, 32, of Tallahassee, of possession with intent to distribute the controlled substance alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (“alpha-PVP”).  The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, on July 9, 2015, an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent posing as a delivery man delivered a package to Youman containing five kilograms of alpha-PVP that had been mailed from China to a “Jeffrey Davenport” at Youman’s address in Tallahassee.  Youman told the undercover agent that he was “Jeffrey” and signed “Jeffrey Davenport” to receive the package.  A short time later, Youman left his residence with the package.  Law enforcement officers stopped Youman’s vehicle and arrested him.  A search of Youman’s home revealed scales, additional alpha-PVP, and drug packaging materials.

Youman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Tallahassee Police Department.  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.  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, 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, 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, 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]

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]

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]

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, 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, 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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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.

 

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.

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]

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]

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, 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]