Northern District of Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Michael Daniel Rubens, 30, formerly of Tallahassee, with seven counts of cyberstalking, five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Rubens was arraigned yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The 13-count indictment alleges that, between January 2012 and January 2015, in the Northern District of Florida, Rubens used interactive computer services, such as social media accounts, to engage in conduct causing emotional distress to multiple women. Rubens is also charged with hacking into various online accounts of multiple women to obtain information about them. The trial is scheduled for November 16, 2015.

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

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854,

[email protected]

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jonathan Marshall Taylor, 46, of Gainesville, Florida with sex trafficking of a minor.  Taylor was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, on June 13, 2015, Taylor solicited a person, and that he did so knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the person was less than 18 years of age and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.  The trial is scheduled for October 27, 2015, at 8:30 a.m.

This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Herdeypal Singh Bhatti, 41, of Pensacola, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola after a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments charging him with unlawfully attempting to procure naturalization and with wire and mail fraud. The indictments were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The naturalization indictment alleges that, in November 2011, Bhatti knowingly and falsely indicated on his naturalization application that he never failed to file a required federal income tax return and that he did not owe overdue federal taxes. The trial is scheduled for September 21, 2015.

The fraud indictment alleges that, in 2010 and 2011, Bhatti committed wire and mail fraud by knowingly submitting fraudulent claims and supporting documentation to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility ("GCCF") in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The indictment alleges that Bhatti falsely claimed to be a hotel manager seeking payment for his lost earnings from the spill. The trial is scheduled for October 5, 2015.

These cases resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the State Attorney's Office for the 1st Judicial Circuit. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the cases.

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access 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 – A federal trial jury convicted Charles Heath Stewart, 42, of Grand Ridge, Florida, of producing and possessing child pornography.  The verdict was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, on three occasions, in September, October, and November 2013, Stewart knowingly enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.  Additionally, evidence presented at trial showed that Stewart knowingly possessed child pornographic images.  Law enforcement officers discovered the sexually explicit images when they executed state and federal search warrants on Stewart’s phone in 2014.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2015, at 12:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse, 30 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida.  For each count of production of child pornography, Stewart faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  For the possession of child pornography, Stewart faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, whose joint investigation led to the conviction in this case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Pamela Cothran Marsh announced her resignation today as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, effective September 4, 2015.  Since 2010, U.S. Attorney Marsh has served as the leading federal prosecutor for Florida’s 23 panhandle counties, from Alachua to Escambia, overseeing offices in Gainesville, Tallahassee, Panama City, and Pensacola.

“For more than five years as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Pamela Cothran Marsh has worked tirelessly to protect and empower the people of her community,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  “The skills, integrity, and passion that Pam has brought to the job each and every day have advanced the cause of justice on a variety of important fronts, from human trafficking to public corruption to law enforcement officer safety.  Pam’s remarkable record of service reflects her immense talent as an advocate, her consummate professionalism as a leader, and her unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice.  From our earliest days together on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, I have always admired Pam’s dedication to the mission of this Department, to the high ideals of public service, and to the timeless principles that make our nation exceptional.  I thank her for her extraordinary work as United States Attorney, and I look forward to all that she will continue to achieve in the next phase of her already distinguished career.”

“It was a tremendous honor to be appointed by President Barack Obama as United States Attorney, and it has been my great privilege to lead this office for the last five and a half years,” said U.S. Attorney Marsh.  “I have loved working for Justice since my first day on the job.  The lawyers and staff are incredibly talented and work hard every day in the name of justice, fairness, and equality.  I would like to express my deep thanks to the President, the two wonderful Attorneys General with whom I worked – Eric H. Holder, Jr., and Loretta Lynch – and to Senators Nelson and Rubio for the confidence they placed in me.  I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I have had as United States Attorney to protect our communities in the Northern District of Florida.”

On June 25, 2010, following President Obama’s nomination and the U.S. Senate’s confirmation, U.S. Attorney Marsh became the district’s 40th U.S. Attorney, and the first woman to serve in this position for the Northern District of Florida

Over the past five years, the Northern District of Florida has prosecuted a variety of cases related to tax and BP oil spill fraud, drug trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, and civil rights violations, including:

• In 2012, seven individuals were sentenced in Tallahassee for conspiring to file more than 350 fraudulent income tax returns, seeking more than $2.4 million in tax refunds.
• In 2012 and 2013, as part of “Operation See Change”, nine individuals were sentenced in Tallahassee after a six-month undercover investigation targeting street-level drug distribution along Tallahassee’s Alabama Street corridor.
• In 2013, as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a Georgia man was sentenced in Gainesville to 235 months in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor via the Internet.
• In 2014, nine individuals were sentenced in Pensacola for filing fraudulent BP oil spill claims.
• In 2014, a California woman was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for her role in a $16 million mortgage fraud scheme involving properties in Navarre, Santa Rosa Beach, and Panama City.  She was ordered to pay over $10 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud.
• In 2014, a Freeport physician was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges that included health care fraud violations and illegally distributing controlled substances.
• In 2015, a former Gadsden County Deputy Sheriff’s Captain was sentenced in Tallahassee to 30 months in prison for violating the civil rights of an arrestee.

During her tenure, in addition to criminal prosecution, U.S. Attorney Marsh’s priorities have included outreach in human trafficking, reentry, violent crime prevention, and law enforcement officer safety.

U.S. Attorney Marsh created and chaired the Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking, which has contributed to an increase in both human trafficking awareness and prosecutions.  In a 2014 Panama City case, a human trafficker received life in prison for kidnapping and transporting a victim to Mississippi for prostitution.

Through the Big Bend After Reentry Coalition, U.S. Attorney Marsh’s office has joined other government agencies and non-profit groups in North Florida to assist offenders upon their release from incarceration, by providing support during their transitions into our communities.

U.S. Attorney Marsh has hosted law enforcement training sessions and recently co-produced an officer safety training video for officers responding to violent encounters.

Also, in a unique case, U.S. Attorney Marsh personally led a successful civil case to return a renaissance painting taken from the rightful owners, a Jewish family living in France, during World War II.  The painting, known as the Cristo Portacroce by Romanino, was seized from an exhibit of paintings on loan from the Italian state museum in Milan, Italy.

After U.S. Attorney Marsh’s departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

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

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Michael Alexander Hayes and Ranell Carter Jr., both 24, of Gainesville, Florida, with sex trafficking of a minor.  Carter was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville, and Hayes was arraigned on August 6, 2015.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between May and June 2015, Hayes and Carter knowingly enticed a person less than 18 years of age to engage in a commercial sex act.  Carter was charged in a separate indictment in June 2015 with sex trafficking of a minor.  The trial is scheduled for September 22, 2015.

This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Late yesterday, a federal trial jury convicted Kenneth Hobson, 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, of knowingly assaulting and injuring a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Marianna.  The verdict was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, in July 2014, Hobson forcibly assaulted a corrections officer after the officer attempted to search him for possession of contraband.  During the assault, Hobson delivered multiple punches to the officer’s face and body, punching and kicking the officer as he was rendered unconscious.  The officer fell to the ground, and Hobson continued to punch and kick him.  The officer sustained contusions to his face and jaw, a fractured cheek bone, and a loose tooth.

Hobson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Sentencing has been scheduled for November 10, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Panama City, Florida.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA –Sammie Lee Underwood III, 22, of Panama City, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, in May 2014, Panama City police officers were on patrol in the Glenwood neighborhood when Underwood, driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe, ran a stop sign.  He then led the officers on a chase through the neighborhood.  As officers finally approached Underwood’s still-moving vehicle, he jumped out and fled on foot.  The driverless vehicle then collided with a residence on East 13th Court.  Under the Tahoe’s driver seat, officers found the loaded firearm and baggies of crack cocaine, bath salts, and marijuana.  Testimony from Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Laboratory analysts showed that DNA recovered from the firearm matched Underwood.  Underwood was convicted in March 2015.

The case was investigated by the Panama City Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gayle E. Littleton and Katy D. Risinger.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Dorothy Jean Bailey, 52, and Phillip Walker III, 24, of Tampa, Florida, were sentenced to 110 months and 48 months in prison respectively today for conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft in connection with the filing of false federal income tax returns.  They were also ordered to pay $475,402.01 in restitution.   Bailey and Walker were the last of five defendants to be sentenced in the case.  The sentences were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During their guilty pleas in November and December 2014, the defendants admitted that, between 2011 and 2014, they conspired with co-defendants Darren Christopher Royal, 22, Cedric William Page, 25, and Gabriela Gloria Huerta, 23, each of Tallahassee, to file approximately 335 fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $3.4 million in tax refunds.  To prepare these returns, the conspirators used personal identification information (PII) stolen from approximately 662 individuals.  The group obtained the PII from criminal court records in Texas, from tenant records maintained by apartment complexes in Tallahassee, and from deceased victims.  Bailey, Walker, and Royal also filed fraudulent returns in their own names.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Coody.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access 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 – William M. Goode, 48, of Crestview, Florida, was sentenced today to 10.5 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervision, for attempting to entice a minor for sex and for receipt of child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his guilty plea on April 1, 2015, Goode admitted to posting an online advertisement to solicit sex with a minor, which an undercover law enforcement officer answered in November 2014.  Goode’s online communications with the undercover officer were an attempt to entice sexual activity with the undercover officer’s purported 12-year-old daughter.  Goode arranged to meet the undercover officer in Pensacola but was taken into custody after traveling more than 50 miles for the sexual encounter.  A subsequent forensic review of Goode’s digital media revealed several dozen images of child pornography and numerous online communications with people who offered to allow Goode to engage in sexual acts with minors.

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Four Pensacola residents, including a former IRS tax examiner, have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to file false claims for payment in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The sentences were announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On June 30, 2015, Rosa M. Bonner, 52, and Ariyanna S. Lampley, 33, were sentenced to 27 months and 48 months in prison respectively.  Both pled guilty on April 8, 2015.  On July 16, 2015, Jimmie A. McCorvey, 41, and Marcia D. McCorvey, 42, were sentenced to 72 months and 12 months and one day in prison respectively.  Jimmie McCorvey pled guilty on April 30, 2015, and Marcia McCorvey pled guilty on May 7, 2015.

During their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted their participation in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud.  The conspiracy involved the filing of false claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (“GCCF”) alleging lost income as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.  Between 2010 and 2012, the defendants agreed to have Jimmie McCorvey file false GCCF claims in their names and other names provided by Lampley, seeking more than $327,000 in payments for alleged lost earnings and profits as a result of the spill.  Jimmie McCorvey fraudulently used Pensacola addresses to indicate that all claimants lived and worked in Pensacola.  As a result of these false claims, GCCF paid $95,200 to the defendants.

Jimmie McCorvey, who was an IRS employee at the time, also admitted to conspiring with Lampley and others to prepare and file approximately 25 fraudulent federal income tax returns between 2009 and 2011, resulting in the issuance of more than $62,000 in tax refund checks.  The fraudulently obtained tax refund checks were deposited in bank accounts controlled by Lampley, who paid Jimmie McCorvey a portion of each check.  Jimmie McCorvey also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft for fraudulently using other people’s identities in both schemes.

This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Kim.

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]

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Christine Thurman, 29, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 126 months in prison yesterday, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to transport a minor for prostitution.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During her guilty plea on January 15, 2015, Thurman admitted that, between November 2013 and May 2014, she knowingly conspired with others to transport an individual less than 18 years of age for prostitution.  This sex trafficking organization posted online advertisements offering underage girls as escorts.  Upon discovering the advertisements in January 2014, an undercover investigator attempted to arrange a meeting at a local motel with a girl featured in one of the online ads.  While surveilling the motel, investigators observed Thurman leave a motel room adjacent to the room where the undercover investigator had arranged to meet the minor.  Investigators then obtained documentation indicating that Thurman had been involved in the payment for both motel rooms.  When investigators obtained access to the rooms, they found evidence of prostitution, Thurman’s and the victim’s personal belongings, and an online advertisement offering escort services under Thurman’s alias.  Investigators were also able to establish that Thurman was connected to prepaid debit cards that had been used to pay for online advertisements offering minors as escorts.  In May 2014, investigators discovered another online advertisement featuring another underage victim, whom Thurman had transported from Georgia to Tallahassee, and Thurman was arrested.

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

“The safety and well-being of our children is a top priority for this U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Marsh.  “We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to protect the community and children, who are our most innocent victims.  Great praise is deserved by all of our law enforcement partners who contributed to the success of this investigation.”

“HSI remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of society, our youth,” said Susan L. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Tampa.  “This sentencing is the result of the hard work of HSI, FBI, Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, working together to make our communities safer.”

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 – Ralph Jason Miller, 32, of Woodville, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after convictions for using a minor in the production of child pornography and for committing these offenses while required to register as a sex offender.  The sentence was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.  Upon Miller’s release from prison, he will be supervised by the United States Probation Office for the remainder of his life.

Miller was convicted at a jury trial held April 20-22, 2015.  During the trial, the government presented evidence that, in January, April, and July 2012, Miller caused a minor female to engage in sexual intercourse and in graphic sexual displays for the purpose of making visual depictions of these activities.  The victim was 14 and 15 at the time of these offenses.

Sheriff’s detectives discovered the child pornography when they executed a search warrant on Miller’s residence on December 4, 2013.  The search warrant was based upon reports that Miller had engaged in sexual acts with other minor females.

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, whose joint investigation led to this successful prosecution.  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 – Ranell Carter Jr., 24, the last of three defendants charged in a federal sex trafficking indictment, was arraigned yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between August and December 2014, Carter, Hal Bernard Black, 20, and Tawanda LaKaye Burkett, 39, all of Gainesville, Florida, knowingly enticed a person less than 18 years of age to engage in a commercial sex act and that they financially benefited from a sex trafficking venture.  Carter was arrested on Saturday as a result of a traffic stop, and Black and Burkett were arrested in June.

This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gainesville Police Department, and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams.

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Robert W. McCandless, 38, of Bristol, Florida, pled guilty today to interstate domestic violence and interstate violation of a protection order.  The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, McCandless admitted to violating a protection order by unlawfully entering the victim’s residence on January 16, 2015.  McCandless and the victim had lived together for approximately five years and had two children.  After attempting to strangle the victim with a communications cord, McCandless forced her and their children to leave Liberty County with him in the victim’s vehicle.  Approximately eight hours later, law enforcement agents pulled over the victim’s vehicle in South Carolina and arrested McCandless.  The victim received medical treatment for injuries consistent with strangulation.  Law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for the victim’s residence and found evidence of an assault.  The communications cord was also analyzed and found to have the victim’s blood and DNA on it.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.  McCandless faces a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment on each separate count of conviction.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kevin D. Webster, 44, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for wire fraud.  Restitution was ordered in the amount of $144,229.07.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his guilty plea in February 2015, Webster admitted that, between 2008 and 2012, as an insurance agent registered in Florida and other states, he knowingly defrauded NFL and NBA player clients by falsely representing that he had used the clients’ money to obtain umbrella insurance policies, with coverage amounts ranging from $5 million to $1 million, from United States Liability Insurance Group.  Instead, Webster stole approximately $140,000 in client payments meant for policy premiums.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Financial Services.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Kim.

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]

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jamie Vincent Ward, 38, of Bronson, Florida, pled guilty today to two charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

According to documents filed in the case, Ward was convicted in Georgia for the felony offenses of Escape, Theft by Taking, First Degree Arson, and Possession of Methamphetamine.  Ward is the leader or “Grand Dragon” of the Florida-Georgia chapter (“Klavern”) of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (TAKKKK).  In 2014 and 2015, Ward discussed his possession of firearms with another member of the TAKKKK.  On March 2, 2015, Ward transferred a German Sports Gun .22 caliber rifle to that person, asking that it be converted to a fully automatic weapon.

Law enforcement agents served search and arrest warrants at Ward’s Bronson residence on April 2, 2015.  Ward was arrested as he attempted to flee.  A loaded Hi-Point nine-millimeter pistol and an assortment of ammunition were found within his residence.

Ward is scheduled for sentencing on September 23, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. in Gainesville.  He faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, whose joint investigation led to the convictions in this case.  This case is being 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]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Darius D. Williams, 24, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 14.5 years in prison late yesterday for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and for possession of a stolen firearm.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his guilty plea in February 2015, Williams admitted to knowingly possessing a stolen firearm, after prior convictions for felony offenses.  In the early morning hours of September 14, 2014, a person was shot in the head outside a Pensacola bar.  A responding law enforcement officer pursued a suspicious vehicle that was fleeing the scene of the shooting at a high rate of speed.  When the vehicle stopped, Williams jumped from the rear seat, holding a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, and continued his flight on foot.  Williams was ultimately apprehended, and the arresting officer recovered the firearm that Williams had discarded during his flight.  Forensic tests revealed gunshot residue on Williams’s hands and clothes.  Williams’s DNA was also found on the firearm.  The victim of the shooting survived.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Thomas Victor Sway, 25, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for receipt of child pornography.  The sentence was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, between November 2012 and May 2013, Sway received and possessed child pornography, including videos depicting images of minors less than 12 years of age engaged in sex acts.  Undercover law enforcement officers discovered and downloaded the pornographic files from a public file sharing network that could be traced to Sway’s computer.  After agents executed a search warrant at Sway’s residence, a forensic analysis of his hard drive revealed at least 140 video files containing images of child pornography.  Additionally, the system file history indicated a pattern of Sway using dozens of distinct search terms to locate child pornography on the internet.  Sway was convicted on April 15, 2015.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.

“This sentence is just one example of the hard work of our district’s prosecutors and law enforcement professionals to combat child exploitation crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Marsh.  “These cases illustrate how dangerous the internet can be, and we will continue to investigate and charge those who target children.”

"Protecting children is a top priority for HSI, and we will continue to work in partnership with other agencies, like the Pensacola Police Department and the Northwest Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to stop the exploitation of our children," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “It is imperative for law enforcement to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

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]

Samuel J. Cusumano Jr., 65, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent solicitation of more than $17 million from 400 investors of the Swedish-registered Storehouse Credit Union.  The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Pamela C. Marsh for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, Cusumano admitted that between 2007 and 2009, as the chairman of the board of Storehouse, he promoted the international credit union as a high yield investment opportunity through intentionally misleading presentations and materials.  Cusumano fraudulently induced investors to transfer monies to investment accounts under Cusumano’s control by misrepresenting the rates of return being generated by the business.  He falsely claimed that Storehouse used professional currency traders when, in fact, Cusumano personally executed all trades from his home, investing primarily in the Foreign Currency Exchange Market.  Although the business was actually losing money, Cusumano created fraudulent financial statements to convince investors that Storehouse was reaching or exceeding the high rates of return that Cusumano had promised them.  When investors discovered that they were unable to withdraw their funds due to trading losses, a financial audit was conducted.   The audit revealed that investor funds had been depleted, that earnings had been overstated and that Cusumano had used a large portion of the investors’ funds to pay personal expenses.  Investors resided in the United States, including in the Northern District of Florida, Canada, Great Britain and Australia.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida.  Cusumano faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

The charges result from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory P. McMahon.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Samuel J. Cusumano Jr., 65, of Orlando, Florida, pled guilty yesterday afternoon to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent solicitation of more than $17,000,000 from 400 investors of the Swedish-registered Storehouse Credit Union.  The guilty plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, Cusumano admitted that, between 2007 and 2009, as the chairman of the board of Storehouse, he promoted the international credit union as a high yield investment opportunity through intentionally misleading presentations and materials.  Cusumano fraudulently induced investors to transfer monies to investment accounts under Cusumano’s control by misrepresenting the rates of return being generated by the business.  He falsely claimed that Storehouse used professional currency traders when, in fact, Cusumano personally executed all trades from his home, investing primarily in the Foreign Currency Exchange Market.  Although the business was actually losing money, Cusumano created fraudulent financial statements to convince investors that Storehouse was reaching or exceeding the high rates of return that Cusumano had promised them.  When investors discovered that they were unable to withdraw their funds due to trading losses, a financial audit was conducted.   The audit revealed that investor funds had been depleted, that earnings had been overstated, and that Cusumano had used a large portion of the investors’ funds to pay personal expenses.  Investors resided in the United States, including in the Northern District of Florida, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville.  Cusumano faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

The charges result from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. McMahon.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.   For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern

District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA –Paul R. Bloom, 31, of Crestview, pled guilty today to production and receipt of child pornography.  The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, Bloom admitted to using a publicly available peer-to-peer file sharing network to receive child pornography.  During February and March 2015, undercover law enforcement agents downloaded sexually explicit video files that were traced to Bloom’s residence.  Agents executed a federal search warrant at Bloom residence and seized multiple pieces of digital media, including laptops and external hard drives.  An on-scene forensic review of the digital media revealed large amounts of child pornography.  While interviewing Bloom and reviewing the seized evidence, law enforcement agents determined that Bloom produced child pornography in his own home.  The child pornography produced by Bloom involved a nine-year-old female.  A final forensic review of Bloom’s digital media revealed more than 850 videos and 2,000 images of child pornography that he had received and/or shared over the last few years.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2015, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.  For the production of child pornography, Bloom faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  For the receipt of child pornography, Bloom faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  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 – Richard Michael Colbert, 54, of Pensacola Beach, was charged by a federal grand jury with 15 felony counts, including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and/or mail fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of false statement to a federally insured financial institution, one count of theft, embezzlement or misapplication by a person connected with a financial institution, and nine counts of money laundering.  The indictment, unsealed today, was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that Colbert, while the manager of Beach Title Services, a subsidiary of Beach Community Bank, participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain money and/or property by fraudulent means from federally insured financial institutions.  As a part of the scheme, Colbert allegedly signed and submitted false settlement statements to Bank of America and Beach Community Bank.  The indictment also alleges that Colbert signed and submitted a false settlement statement to the now defunct GulfSouth Private Bank, so former builder Lawrence Wright could obtain a loan.  The indictment further alleges that Colbert, while acting as an escrow agent for Beach Community Bank, embezzled and misapplied funds being held at Beach Community Bank.  Thereafter, Colbert allegedly conducted a series of financial transactions thereby laundering the embezzled funds.

Colbert was arrested this morning, and his initial appearance was this afternoon at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.  Trial will be scheduled at Colbert’s arraignment next Wednesday, June 24.

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers.

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

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 Office
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Pensacola resident John W. Robertson, 68, with attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, in May 2015, Robertson knowingly attempted to entice an individual less than 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and that he possessed sexualized images and videos involving minors less than 12 years of age.

Robertson originally appeared in federal court last month upon being arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  He will be arraigned on the indictment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, and is being held in federal custody at the Santa Rosa County Jail, pending further proceedings.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and other agencies that are part of 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.  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 Office
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Pensacola resident Robert M. Grafton Jr., 29, with attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, in May 2015, Grafton knowingly attempted to entice an individual less than 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and that he possessed sexualized images and videos involving minors less than 12 years of age.

Grafton originally appeared in federal court last month upon being arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  He will be arraigned on the indictment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, and is being held in federal custody at the Santa Rosa County Jail, pending further proceedings.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and other agencies that are part of 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.  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 Office
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

TALLAHASSEE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging that correctional officers William J. Ray, 40, of Carrabelle, Florida, and Corry B. Fletcher, 43, of Bristol, Florida, conspired to violate the civil rights of a state inmate and deprived the inmate of constitutional rights at the Franklin Correctional Institution, a state prison in the Northern District of Florida.  Fletcher was additionally charged with obstruction of justice.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, in July 2014, Ray and Fletcher, while acting as state correctional officers, conspired to intimidate a state prison inmate in the free exercise and enjoyment of the constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by correctional officers.  The indictment further charges that Ray and Fletcher physically assaulted an inmate at the Franklin Correctional Institution without justification and caused the inmate bodily injury.  The indictment finally charges that, in April 2015, Fletcher obstructed justice by intentionally misleading FBI and FDLE agents through false statements.

Ray and Fletcher were arrested this morning and arraigned in federal court today.  The trial is scheduled for July 13, 2015, in Tallahassee.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.

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.

TALLAHASSEE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging that correctional officers William J. Ray, 40, of Carrabelle, Florida, and Corry B. Fletcher, 43, of Bristol, Florida, conspired to violate the civil rights of a state inmate and deprived the inmate of constitutional rights at the Franklin Correctional Institution, a state prison in the Northern District of Florida.  Fletcher was additionally charged with obstruction of justice.  The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, in July 2014, Ray and Fletcher, while acting as state correctional officers, conspired to intimidate a state prison inmate in the free exercise and enjoyment of the constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by correctional officers.  The indictment further charges that Ray and Fletcher physically assaulted an inmate at the Franklin Correctional Institution without justification and caused the inmate bodily injury.  The indictment finally charges that, in April 2015, Fletcher obstructed justice by intentionally misleading FBI and FDLE agents through false statements.

Ray and Fletcher were arrested this morning and arraigned in federal court today.  The trial is scheduled for July 13, 2015, in Tallahassee.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz.

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 Office

(850) 216-3854, [email protected]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – John Matthew Love, 36, and Bryant Anthony Kreis, 32, of the Panama City area, and Carmen Theresa Silva, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  Love was sentenced to 84 months in prison, Kreis to 48 months in prison, and Silva to 42 months in prison.  Love was also sentenced to a consecutive term of 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.  The sentences were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Co-defendants Mabrye Joseph Bettinger, 41, and Dusti Nicole Broxson, 26, both of the Panama City area, were previously sentenced on February 4, 2015, to 94 months and 151 months in prison respectively.  Co-defendant Anastacio Mendoza, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5th at 9:30 a.m.

In September 2014, law enforcement officers arrested Love outside a Panama City Beach apartment building carrying a handgun and five plastic containers filled with methamphetamine.  The total weight of the containers and methamphetamine was approximately 4 kilograms.  Love admitted to transporting approximately two to four kilograms of methamphetamine from Atlanta to Panama City Beach on approximately 10 separate occasions during the summer and fall of 2014.  Love then sold the methamphetamine to mid-level dealers, including Bettinger, Kreis, and Broxson.

Later on the day of Love’s arrest, Bettinger, Kreis, and Broxson showed up at Love’s apartment carrying cash in amounts ranging from approximately $4,000 to $13,900, for the purchase of methamphetamine from Love.  Kreis and Bettinger admitted that they had purchased methamphetamine from Love on at least five different occasions.  Several days after Love’s arrest, Mendoza and Silva were arrested while transporting an additional 4.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, intended for Love, from Atlanta, Georgia.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Panama City, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Risinger and Edwin Knight 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.  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.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – John Matthew Love, 36, and Bryant Anthony Kreis, 32, of the Panama City area, and Carmen Theresa Silva, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  Love was sentenced to 84 months in prison, Kreis to 48 months in prison, and Silva to 42 months in prison.  Love was also sentenced to a consecutive term of 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.  The sentences were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Co-defendants Mabrye Joseph Bettinger, 41, and Dusti Nicole Broxson, 26, both of the Panama City area, were previously sentenced on February 4, 2015, to 94 months and 151 months in prison respectively.  Co-defendant Anastacio Mendoza, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5th at 9:30 a.m.

In September 2014, law enforcement officers arrested Love outside a Panama City Beach apartment building carrying a handgun and five plastic containers filled with methamphetamine.  The total weight of the containers and methamphetamine was approximately 4 kilograms.  Love admitted to transporting approximately two to four kilograms of methamphetamine from Atlanta to Panama City Beach on approximately 10 separate occasions during the summer and fall of 2014.  Love then sold the methamphetamine to mid-level dealers, including Bettinger, Kreis, and Broxson.

Later on the day of Love’s arrest, Bettinger, Kreis, and Broxson showed up at Love’s apartment carrying cash in amounts ranging from approximately $4,000 to $13,900, for the purchase of methamphetamine from Love.  Kreis and Bettinger admitted that they had purchased methamphetamine from Love on at least five different occasions.  Several days after Love’s arrest, Mendoza and Silva were arrested while transporting an additional 4.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, intended for Love, from Atlanta, Georgia.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Panama City, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Risinger and Edwin Knight 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.  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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Frank William Johannissohn, 67, of Tallahassee, was sentenced late yesterday by United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle to 25 months in federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The sentence was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In July 2013, Johannissohn mailed a fraudulent “Redress of Alimony” order bearing the forged signatures of a Wakulla County circuit court judge and a deputy clerk of the court to the United States Office of Personnel Management.  The fraudulent “Redress of Alimony” purported to order the termination of Johannissohn’s obligations to provide health insurance, survivor benefits, and alimony for his former spouse.  Johannissohn mailed the fraudulent document in an attempt to remove his former spouse as the surviving beneficiary of his federal retirement annuity.

The case was investigated by the United States Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General with the assistance of the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Beaton.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA –Kandel Markie Whiting, 35, of Pensacola, pled guilty yesterday to receipt and distribution of child pornography.  The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, Whiting admitted that, between October 2014 and January 2015, he used the social media applications Twitter and Kik to share images of minors engaged in sex acts.  In January 2015, Whiting’s Twitter account was reported to law enforcement for containing images of child pornography.  When agents executed a federal search warrant at Whiting’s residence and seized his cellular phone, they quickly located the illicit material within his social media applications.  Whiting then admitted to sharing child pornography online using Twitter and Kik.  Additionally, a forensic review of Whiting’s digital media revealed numerous child pornographic images and videos.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 17, 2015, before Chief United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.  Whiting faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and maximums of 20 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

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

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jonathan Harry Lee Williams of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by United States District Judge Mark E. Walker for using a minor to produce child pornography and for possessing child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Williams, formerly a registrar at Ruediger Elementary School, was arrested on December 11, 2014, after FBI agents executed a search warrant at his home.  During the search, law enforcement officers seized Williams’s smart phones, which contained child pornography.  Williams, who pled guilty in February 2015, admitted to taking sexually explicit photos of two children and uploading the images to a “photo hosting” website.  Williams also admitted that he had been downloading nude photographs of children from the internet for the past ten years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Beaton.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Paul R. Bloom, 31, of Crestview, with production, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Count One of the indictment alleges that, in February 2015, Bloom knowingly used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.  Count Two alleges that, between March 2012 and April 2015, Bloom received, and attempted to receive, images and videos containing child pornography.  Count Three alleges that, between February and March 2015, Bloom knowingly distributed, and attempted to distribute, images and videos of child pornography.  Finally, Count Four alleges that, in April 2015, Bloom knowingly possessed material containing images and videos of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor under age 12.

Bloom was arraigned in federal court today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth M. Timothy at the United States Courthouse, in Pensacola, Florida.  The trial is scheduled for July 6, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It 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 – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Samuel J. Johnson, 42, of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, with production, receipt, and possession of child pornography, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor.  The indictment was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between April 2013 and April 2015, Johnson knowingly used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions, and that he committed this offense while he was required to register as a sex offender.  The indictment also alleges that Johnson received images and videos containing child pornography, that he possessed material containing images and videos of child pornography involving a minor under age 12, and that he transferred obscene matter to an individual less than age 16.

Johnson was arraigned in federal court today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth M. Timothy at the United States Courthouse, in Pensacola, Florida.  The trial is scheduled for July 6, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.

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]

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Johnathon Mathew Garrett, 36, of Panama City, Florida, pled guilty late yesterday to giving false information to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by claiming that he was planning to blow up the Social Security Office located at 97 Oak Avenue, Panama City, Florida.  The plea was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During his plea, Garrett admitted that, on August 27, 2014, he called an SSA employee and threatened to “blow the whole thing up and destroy something.”  The SSA employee understood this comment to be a bomb threat against the SSA office.  Garrett was attempting to intimidate the SSA employee into restoring his social security disability benefits.  As a result of his threat, the SSA office in Panama City and the surrounding block were evacuated until the area could be cleared by a bomb-detection team.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Panama City Police Department and Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2015, at 9:45 a.m., before United States District Judge Richard Smoak at the United States Courthouse, 30 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida.  Garrett faces a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of three years, and a court-ordered reimbursement for the cost associated with investigative response.

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.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Jonathon Luke Holder, 23, of Panama City Beach, was sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Richard Smoak for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Holder admitted that, on January 7, 2015, he travelled from Bay County, Florida, to the Atlanta, Georgia, area to purchase methamphetamine that he intended to distribute.  When Holder left Bay County to travel to the Atlanta area, he took with him a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol for his protection and for the protection of his drug-trafficking activities.

Holder returned to the Bay County area early the next morning.  Holder was arrested as he exited the vehicle he was driving with a small Sentry safe.  Inside the safe, Holder had approximately 1010 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and the pistol.

This was Holder’s third trip to the Atlanta area to purchase methamphetamine for distribution in the Bay County area.  In the first trip, Holder purchased and distributed one pound of methamphetamine, and in the second trip, Holder purchased and distributed two pounds of methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.

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.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Marcia Dawn Lowery, 41, of Parker, Florida, was sentenced to four and a half months in federal prison by United States District Judge Richard Smoak for impersonating a federal law enforcement officer.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between September and October 2014, Lowery resided at the Smuggler’s Cove residential complex (the “complex”) in Bay County where she posed as a Deputy United States Marshal.  Lowery told residents in the complex that she working undercover.  To further her impersonation, Lowery walked around the complex wearing a t-shirt with the word “POLICE” on it.

While posing as a Deputy United States Marshal, Lowery: (1) told a resident in the complex that Lowery would arrest the resident’s children for their bad behavior and take them to juvenile detention; (2) told a resident in the complex that the resident was in Lowery’s protective custody because of the resident’s outstanding arrest warrant from Tennessee; (3) told a resident, who was on probation, that Lowery would get the resident’s conviction expunged if the resident provided Lowery with the names of his drug sources, which he did; and (4) based on her representations that she was a Deputy United States Marshal, obtained extensions on her rent, which went unpaid and resulted in a loss to the complex of approximately $1500.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Parker Police Department, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Walter John Cassidy, also known as “William James Cassidy,” 54, of Florence, Indiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark E. Walker to 12 years in prison for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain money by operating a private prisoner transportation business under false pretenses.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between October 2010 and June 2014, Cassidy transported prisoners throughout the country as an employee and manager of United States Prisoner Extradition Service and Interstate Criminal Extraditions.  In contracting with sheriffs’ offices to transport prisoners from one jurisdiction to another, including violent felons, Cassidy misrepresented the prisoners’ security and treatment and concealed material facts concerning his fitness to operate as a prisoner transport agent.  Specifically, Cassidy concealed that he was on felony probation while transporting prisoners and that his conditions of probation prohibited him from associating with felons, from visiting jails, from carrying weapons, and from leaving the state of Kentucky.  Additionally, during his transportation of female prisoners, Cassidy left the prisoners unrestrained, gave them drugs and alcohol, and had sex with them in his vehicle and hotel rooms.  Cassidy pled guilty in September 2014.

Although Cassidy was indicted under the name of “William James Cassidy,” the identity he used in committing these offenses, Cassidy’s true name is actually Walter John Cassidy.  Shortly before he was to be sentenced in this case, officials learned that Cassidy had been living under the false name of “William Cassidy” for more than 17 years.  By adopting another identity, Cassidy was able to conceal his lengthy record of criminal convictions for burglary, theft, firearms, and other offenses.  In addition to working as a private prisoner transport agent, Cassidy had also previously served as a constable in Gibson County, Tennessee, under the assumed identity of William Cassidy.

“Over the course of four years, the defendant defrauded sheriff’s offices who entrusted him with the security and transportation of prisoners throughout the nation, and he abused their trust by using female prisoners for his own sexual gratification,” said United States Attorney Marsh.  “Today’s sentence makes clear that such abuses of power carry severe consequences.”

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges and sentence.  The case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Karen Rhew-Miller.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Walter John Cassidy, also known as “William James Cassidy,” 54, of Florence, Indiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark E. Walker to 12 years in prison for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain money by operating a private prisoner transportation business under false pretenses.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between October 2010 and June 2014, Cassidy transported prisoners throughout the country as an employee and manager of United States Prisoner Extradition Service and Interstate Criminal Extraditions.  In contracting with sheriffs’ offices to transport prisoners from one jurisdiction to another, including violent felons, Cassidy misrepresented the prisoners’ security and treatment and concealed material facts concerning his fitness to operate as a prisoner transport agent.  Specifically, Cassidy concealed that he was on felony probation while transporting prisoners and that his conditions of probation prohibited him from associating with felons, from visiting jails, from carrying weapons, and from leaving the state of Kentucky.  Additionally, during his transportation of female prisoners, Cassidy left the prisoners unrestrained, gave them drugs and alcohol, and had sex with them in his vehicle and hotel rooms.  Cassidy pled guilty in September 2014.

Although Cassidy was indicted under the name of “William James Cassidy,” the identity he used in committing these offenses, Cassidy’s true name is actually Walter John Cassidy.  Shortly before he was to be sentenced in this case, officials learned that Cassidy had been living under the false name of “William Cassidy” for more than 17 years.  By adopting another identity, Cassidy was able to conceal his lengthy record of criminal convictions for burglary, theft, firearms, and other offenses.  In addition to working as a private prisoner transport agent, Cassidy had also previously served as a constable in Gibson County, Tennessee, under the assumed identity of William Cassidy.

“Over the course of four years, the defendant defrauded sheriff’s offices who entrusted him with the security and transportation of prisoners throughout the nation, and he abused their trust by using female prisoners for his own sexual gratification,” said United States Attorney Marsh.  “Today’s sentence makes clear that such abuses of power carry severe consequences.”

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges and sentence.  The case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Karen Rhew-Miller.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Walter Eric Holmes, 44, of Quincy was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark Walker to 180 months in prison for distributing cocaine and crack cocaine.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.  Holmes, who pled guilty earlier this year, had a lengthy history of convictions, including seven drug felony offenses and an aggravated battery involving a shooting.

United States Attorney Marsh credited the success of this prosecution to the joint efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Gadsden and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices.  The 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kandel Markie Whiting, 35, of Pensacola, with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  Counts one and two of the indictment allege that, between October 2014 and January 2015, Whiting knowingly received and distributed images and videos of child pornography.  Count three alleges that, on or about March 24, 2015, Whiting knowingly possessed child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor younger than 12.  Whiting’s conduct came to light based upon his use of the social media applications Twitter and Kik.  The indictment, which was unsealed today, was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Whiting was arraigned in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Miles Davis at the United States Courthouse, in Pensacola, Florida.

The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the Northwest Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marheem R. Smith, 24, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In October 2014, while attempting to arrest Smith on state charges of aggravated assault and firearm violations, law enforcement officers discovered a loaded Ruger .45 caliber pistol and bags of cocaine located inside a vehicle underneath where Smith was seated.  Additionally, the officers found approximately $1,000 and a digital scale on Smith’s person.  Inside an apartment linked to Smith, law enforcement seized more than 34 grams of cocaine and materials to convert powder cocaine into crack cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office as part of the ATF Gun Crime Response Team.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Dr. Sheila Mohammed, 55, of Pace, Florida, pled guilty today to seven counts of submitting false tax returns.  The guilty plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During her plea, Dr. Mohammed admitted that she signed and caused to be filed, false personal tax returns that grossly underreported her total income for tax years 2010 through 2013.  In addition, Dr. Mohammed admitted that, as president and owner of The Industrial Medicine Institute, Inc., a medical practice in Pace, Florida, she signed and caused to be filed, false corporate tax returns for The Industrial Medicine Institute, Inc., for the years 2010 through 2012.

As part of the plea agreement, Dr. Mohammed agreed that the restitution amount owed for her crimes is $255,158, and she has agreed to make full restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Sentencing is scheduled by Chief United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers on July 20, 2015, at 1:00 p.m.  Dr. Mohammed faces maximum penalties of 21 years in prison (three years for each count) and a $700,000 fine ($100,000 for each count).

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.  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.  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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal trial jury convicted Ralph Jason Miller, 32, of Woodville, Florida, of three charges of using a minor in the production of child pornography and one charge of committing these offenses while required to register as a sex offender under the laws of the State of Florida and the United States.  The verdict was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, on three occasions, in January, April and July 2012, Miller caused a minor to engage in sexual intercourse and in graphic sexual displays for the purpose of making visual depictions of these activities.  Sheriff’s detectives discovered these images when they executed a search warrant on Miller’s residence on December 4, 2013.  Miller was required to register as a sex offender at the time of the production of child pornography offenses because he was convicted of sexual battery in Leon County in 2002.

United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle presided over the jury trial.  He set sentencing for July 16, 2015.  Because of the prior conviction, Miller may face imprisonment for at least 25 years and a maximum of 50 years on each of the production convictions.  He faces an additional term of 10 years’ imprisonment, which must be served consecutively, for being required to register at the time of those offenses.

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), whose joint investigation led to the convictions in this case.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Simpson.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John David Castleberry, 64, and Teresa Haggerty, 61, both formerly of Pensacola Beach, Florida, Mark Douglas Stokes, 61, and Melinda K. Stokes, 60, of Colleyville, Texas, and Christopher Stephen Baum, 57, of Arlington, Texas, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday by Senior United States District Judge Roger Vinson for conspiring to commit tax fraud.  The sentences were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The defendants were convicted on January 22, 2015, at the conclusion of a 12-day jury trial.  In addition to conspiracy, Castleberry and Haggerty were also convicted for assisting in the preparation and filing of fraudulent tax returns, and Castleberry was convicted for filing his own false federal income tax return.

At trial, the government presented evidence that between 2008 and 2010, the defendants participated in a scheme to prepare and file fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $9 million in refunds.  The group used an obscure IRS Form 1099-OID to falsely report that they and/or their clients’ creditors had withheld large amounts of federal income taxes and had paid this money over to the IRS.  As a result of the fraudulently-overstated income tax withholding, the tax returns that were filed on behalf of the defendants and/or their clients claimed large refunds to which the defendants and their clients were not entitled.

The defendants were sentenced as follows:

• Castleberry: 126 months in prison and $328,143.90 in restitution to the IRS;
• Haggerty: 18 months in prison and $129,762.85 in restitution to the IRS;
• Mark Stokes: 24 months in prison and $162,608.23 in restitution to the IRS;
• Melinda Stokes: 12 months and 1 day in prison and $162,608.23 in restitution to the IRS; and
• Baum: 51 months in prison and $162,608.23 in restitution to the IRS.

United States Attorney Marsh said, “This week, millions of Americans submitted accurate and timely tax returns.  The individuals who defraud the United States Treasury are also stealing from each honest American taxpayer.”

Special Agent in Charge James D. Robnett stated, “Tough sentences like the one handed down to John Castleberry should be a stark reminder to those out there contemplating theft of taxpayer dollars.  Even lessor participants pay a heavy price for their participation in tax fraud schemes, and during a time when Americans are all paying their fair share of taxes, the mistakes of these individuals should be a lesson to us all.”

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Dallas Field Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Randall J. Hensel and J. Ryan Love.

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

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Jermaine Winters, 39, of Coleman, Florida, and Rosetta Presley, 23, of Chipley, Florida, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft in connection with the electronic filing of false federal income tax returns.  The pleas were announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During their pleas, Winters and Presley admitted that between July 2011 and July 2012, they conspired to file fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of assisted-living facility residents at the Dogwood Inn in Bonifay, Florida, clinical laboratory patients at Sun Laboratory Services in the Tampa, Florida area, and others, in an attempt to steal more than $118,000 from the United States Treasury.  Refunds issued on the fraudulent returns were loaded onto prepaid debit cards mailed to addresses in the Northern District of Florida.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 1, 2015, before United States District Judge Richard Smoak at the United States Courthouse, 30 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida.  Winters and Presley face a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment for wire fraud, and a two-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft that must run consecutively to any other sentence.

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chipley Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle Littleton.

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

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – William F. Finch, 35, of Wauseau, Florida, and Dalton E. Riley, 24, of Bethlehem, Florida, pled guilty today to conspiring to violate the civil rights of an inmate at the Northwest Florida Reception Center (“NWFRC”), a state prison in Chipley, Florida.  Their co-defendant, Robert L. Miller, 48, of Lynn Haven, Florida, pled guilty on April 1.  The guilty pleas were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During their pleas, Finch, Riley, and Miller admitted to physically assaulting an inmate at NWFRC on August 5, 2014, without justification and causing the inmate bodily injury.  To conceal the defendants’ actions, Finch falsified reports of the incident by falsely stating that the assault was in response to the inmate spitting on another officer.

Sentencing for Finch and Riley is scheduled for July 1, 2015, before United States District Judge Richard Smoak at the United States Courthouse, 30 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida.  Sentencing for Miller is scheduled for June 17.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.

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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal trial jury convicted Thomas Victor Sway, 24, of Pensacola, of receipt, attempted receipt, and possession of child pornography.  The verdict was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, between November 2012 and May 2013, Sway received and possessed child pornography, including videos depicting images of minors less than 12 years of age engaged in sex acts.  Undercover law enforcement officers discovered and downloaded the pornographic files from a public file sharing network that could be traced to Sway’s computer.  After agents executed a search warrant at Sway’s residence, a forensic analysis of his hard drive revealed at least 140 video files containing images of child pornography.  Additionally, the system file history indicated a pattern of Sway using dozens of distinct search terms to locate child pornography on the internet.

Sway faces a minimum of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Sentencing has been scheduled for June 30, 2015, before Chief United States Judge Casey Rodgers at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  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 – Tashina Phillips, 30, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to federal prison this week by United States District Judge Mark E. Walker for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft.  The sentence was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Between 2012 and 2013, Phillips cashed more than $50,000 in fraudulent IRS tax refund checks using other people’s personal identification information.  In this scheme, Phillips paid a portion of the fraudulent proceeds to the individual who initially prepared the fraudulent tax return, and she also paid a commission to the individual who cashed the fraudulent refund check for her.  In some instances, Phillips obtained fraudulent power of attorney forms to cash the fraudulent refund checks.

Phillips was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $52,324.50 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

“With the tax deadline only five days away, this sentence serves as an important reminder of carefully guarding personal information,” said U.S. Attorney Marsh.  “Stolen identity tax refund fraud is harmful to all honest taxpayers, and we are grateful to our law enforcement partners who help bring these thieves to justice.”

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Ustynoski.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging former Florida State University Finance Professor, James S. Doran, 39, of Boulder, Colorado, with embezzlement.  The indictment, which was unsealed today, was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between May 2010 and March 2011, Doran, while employed as an Assistant Professor of Finance at Florida State University, embezzled more than $650,000 in funds held by FSU.  The arraignment is scheduled for April 24 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Charles A. Stampelos at the United States Courthouse, in Tallahassee, Florida.

The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Florida State University Police Department, and the Florida State University Office of Inspector General Services.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody.

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.