Southern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two South Florida Residents Indicted for Stealing Millions in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge in Fort Lauderdale has unsealed an indictment today charging Carl Henry Charles, 43, of Miramar, Fla., and Patrick Charles, 41, of Lake Worth, Fla., for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans and advances from the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to the indictment, from March 2020 through December 2021, Carl Charles and his brother, Patrick Charles, submitted applications to the SBA for EIDL program loans seeking nearly $5 million for purported businesses that did not exist before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and did not have any revenue or other business activity. As a result of the false and fraudulent applications, the SBA disbursed approximately $2.5 million in loan proceeds and advances to the defendants, who in turn used the funds to enrich themselves and others.
The indictment charges each defendant with multiple counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Carl Charles faces up to 80 years in prison and Patrick Charles faces up to 60 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Morini Jr. of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Southern Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, made the announcement.
FBI Miami, TIGTA, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Samad Pardesi and Ariel Glasner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-60072.
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Brothers Charged for Stealing Millions of Dollars in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging two Florida men for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans and advances from the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through December 2021, Carl Charles, 43, of Miramar, and his brother, Patrick Charles, 41, of Lake Worth, together with their accomplices, submitted applications to the SBA for nearly $5 million in EIDL loans, making false statements regarding the businesses’ revenues, creation dates, and number of employees. As a result of the false and fraudulent applications, the SBA disbursed over $2.5 million in loan proceeds and advances to the defendants and others.
Carl Charles is charged with four counts of wire fraud and Patrick Charles is charged with three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Morini Jr. of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Southern Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Investigations Division’s Eastern Region made the announcement.
The FBI, TIGTA, and SBA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Samad Pardesi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with a Consumer ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, has pled guilty in federal district court in Fort Pierce to tampering with a consumer product.
From approximately February 28 to April 18, 2022, Dunton, a Florida licensed Registered Nurse (RN), worked at an outpatient surgical center in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Fla. as a circulating nurse. While working at the center, Dunton took vials of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller in liquid form, and self-administered it by injection. To avoid detection, she replaced the fentanyl from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures.
At sentencing, Dunton faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for June 27, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14073.
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Community Engagement Efforts Surge as U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Multiple Events within a WeekRead the Press Release
MIAMI – It was a busy week for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, which held three significant events over a four-day period in early April.
“This is something you just don’t see very often,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “We’ll usually host one big event per week, with other smaller ones interspersed throughout. But to host this many large events and to be spread out over our agency’s footprint was a real challenge.”
Smith and crew first hosted a Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. Groceries and resource materials were given to nearly 500 families. These food drives—held each Tuesday—have gone on for years and helped thousands of South Florida residents.
Next up was a Re-Entry Simulation also held at Wells Recreational Center on April 5. More than 100 community stakeholders attended the event to get a better perspective on what former inmates face when attempting to re-enter society.
“This will be unlike any training you’ve experienced,” Smith told participants. “I went through it twice and it was physically and mentally challenging both times. You’re going to get various types of customer service. Not everyone is going to be helpful.”
Stations had been set up prior to the participants’ arrival and were labeled bank, employer, transportation, and counselor, among others. Each participant had a folder with bio, background situation, education level, and limited resources to navigate the course. They had to find housing, pay rent, pass drug tests, acquire health care, and try not to end up back in “jail,” which was located in a corner of the gymnasium.
“You have to be able to play the game,” said Re-entry and Community Outreach Specialist Keisha Bazile. “This training is a unique way to bring light to the hardships of re-entering society. Hopefully, it will spark compassion in those who come in contact with returning citizens.”
Most participants had no clue what they were in for as the event unfolded. It was intended to be frustrating to navigate, exactly how it is for returning citizens. Several threw up their hands in disgust because customer service wasn’t as helpful as they thought it should be. The point of the training was to open the minds of the community stakeholders in hopes that the system can change … that the path for returning citizens can be made easier, which benefits everyone.
“Most attendees are apprehensive at the beginning of the training because it’s set up to be difficult,” said Bazile. “But once it was over, several people expressed how much they enjoyed it. For me, that’s a success.”
The week culminated with the 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. Ten teams participated and were comprised of law enforcement personnel and local kids who had been recruited via community outreach efforts.
“Each year I’m amazed at the talent we see from both the adult players and the kids,” said Smith. “The games are very entertaining to watch but for me the most special thing to see is how the adults and kids interact and work together as teammates.”
Miramar Police Department took the title with a win over North Miami Police Department. The basketball was great, but in the end, it was about creating and fostering relationships.
“The main goal of this tournament is to develop a level of togetherness between youth and law enforcement,” said Bazile. “Usually, law enforcement interacts with youth when they are in trouble. However, this gives them an opportunity to meet under different circumstances. It’s about building trust.
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney unpacks frozen chickens in preparation for a recent Farm Share Drive-Thru Food Distribution where more than 500 families were served.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida gives closing remarks following a Re-Entry Simulation held at Wells Recreational Center in Riviera Beach, Fla. The simulation gave community stakeholders a view into what former inmates face when trying to re-integrate into society.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida takes a moment to pose with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s basketball team during the recent 3rd Spring Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla.
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South Florida Resident Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Damian Davis, 41, has been sentenced in federal district court to 24 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for bank and wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of loan proceeds. These loans are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Additionally, the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas ordered Davis to pay over half a million dollars in restitution.
In June and July 2020, Davis applied for PPP loans in the name of the following three companies, which he owns; Wolf of Flagler, LLC, in the amount of $128,400; Crates Tavern, LLC, in the amount of $183,780, and Fifth Marketing Group, LLC, in the amount of $274,365. As a result of these loan applications, Davis received a total of $586,545 in PPP funds, which he used for his personal benefit.
For example, in one of the companies’ loan applications, Davis listed a loan amount of $274,365 and an average monthly payroll of $109,746, he falsely certified the companies’ number of employees and payroll payments. Also, he falsely certified that the funds would be used to support the ongoing operations of the company. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds, Davis did not make any payroll, rent, utility, or mortgage interest payments. Instead, he used the PPP funds to purchase a car. On August 28, 2020, Davis wired $31,000, from the PPP loan proceeds for the alleged purchase of “equipment.” However, Davis did not buy any equipment, he purchased a 2001 Blue BMW M3.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Dimitrouleas.
IRS-CI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Lilia Fernandez prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60186.
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Palm Beach Resident Headed to Federal Prison for Defrauding Cystic Fibrosis NonprofitRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A West Palm Beach federal district judge has sentenced 34-year-old fraudster Elizabeth Genna Suarez (formerly known as “Elizabeth Mirson Suit”) to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. The sentence comes after a jury’s verdict finding Suarez guilty of wire fraud and the trial judge’s later ruling that Suarez had lied on the stand and submitted fake character letters to the court.
From August 2018 to November 2019, Suarez executed a scheme to defraud Piper’s Angels Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with cystic fibrosis and their families. During that time, Suarez was married to the foundation’s executive director and used her access to the foundation money to divert it to herself. For example, Suarez used her copy of the foundation’s corporate credit card in July 2019 to make an $8,000 deposit on a cosmetic surgical procedure, pay $1,680 for a cosmetic laser procedure, and spend $800 on a necklace.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80185.
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South Florida Marketer Sentenced to Prison Term for Buying and Selling over 2.6 Million Medicare Beneficiary Identification NumbersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Palm Beach County man was sentenced on Friday in federal court to 41 months in prison following his earlier guilty plea to buying and selling more than 2.6 million Medicare beneficiary identification numbers, along with other personal identifiers.
In one of the first prosecutions brought under The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), Charles William McElwee, 36, was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment following his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to violate MACRA by buying and selling beneficiary identification numbers.
Among other things, MACRA makes it illegal to buy, sell, or distribute without lawful authority Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary numbers. (Title 42, United States Code, Section 1320a-7b(b)(4)).
As part of his plea, McElwee admitted that he and his co-conspirators used “data mining” and “social engineering techniques” to collect Medicare beneficiary information, which McElwee then advertised and sold online. The trafficked information included beneficiary names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, and Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. According to the indictment, some of the illicit transactions involved foreign actors, including sellers in the Philippines and buyers in Egypt.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.
HHS-OIG Miami and FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Juenger prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
Medicare beneficiaries who believe they have been a victim of medical identity theft can file a complaint with the HHS-OIG hotline by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477) or with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60202.
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Brothers Sentenced for $1.6M COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a COVID-19 fraud scheme, which involved fraudulent applications for $1.6 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Dumarsais Blaise Jr., 45, of Stonecrest, Georgia, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. His brother, Alexander Blaise, 41, of Plantation, Florida, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
According to court documents, Dumarsais Blaise and Alexander Blaise worked together to submit fraudulent PPP applications. Dumarsais Blaise used his expertise as a tax preparer to create fake tax documents that were submitted in support of the fraudulent applications. The conspiracy involved fabricating information about three purported companies, two of which did not exist. For the third company, the brothers falsely inflated the number of employees and payroll costs, claiming the company employed 41 people when in fact it employed only one person.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Atlanta Region, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffery Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Edward Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran Bhat for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
Ten People Charged for their Involvement in the Illegal Trafficking of Migratory BirdsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge has unsealed indictments brought against 10 defendants in 10 separate cases for their alleged involvement in the illegal trafficking of migratory birds under Operation Ornery Birds II.
The cases brought against the 10 defendants are:
United States v. Alain Armando Hernandez, case no. 22-cr-20535.
United States v. Daniel Hernandez Matos, case no. 22-cr-20536.
United States v. Alejandro Hernandez Valero, case no. 23-cr-20119.
United States v. Julio Cesar Santana Menduina, case no. 22-cr-20537.
United States v. Andres Hernandez Rivera, case no. 22-cr-20538.
United States v. Felix Yoan Diaz Montesinos, case no. 23-cr-20120.
United States v. Yoander Cruz Sardina, case no. 22-cr-20589.
United States v. Conrado Torres Aleman, case no. 23-cr-20121.
United States v. Armando Espino Gonzalez, case no. 22-cr-20590.
United States v. Onelio Rene Hernandez, Jr., case no. 22-cr-20591.
In 1918, Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) for the protection of migratory birds. Now in its 100th year, the MBTA prohibits, among other things, the pursuit, hunting, taking, capture, killing, possession, sale, barter, purchase, shipping, exportation, and importation of migratory birds. Migratory birds are listed at Title 50, Code of Federal Regulation, Section 10.13.
According to the indictments, the defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps spread throughout the region as collection points and the barter, purchase, and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals employing internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. They also unlawfully transported the captured wildlife between buyers and sellers across the country.
According to the allegations contained in the indictments, the various defendants offered to buy, sell, or barter a variety of MBTA protected birds, including specimens of Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), Blue Grosbeaks (Passerina caerulea), Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus), Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris), Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena), all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities.
Federal agents from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recovered more than 500 illegal specimens from the defendants. After a determination that the release of the seized wildlife was safe and appropriate, the USFWS returned as many of the birds to the wild as possible. Some of the birds did not survive.
If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face a possible maximum statutory sentence of 2 years in prison for each count of trafficking migratory birds and criminal fines of up to $250,000 per count.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Major Alberto Maza, Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, announced the charges.
USFWS, HSI Miami, and FWC investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The public is encouraged to report any instances of illegal wildlife trapping and trafficking to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service at 305-526-2620 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at 888-404-3922 or by email or text to [email protected].
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under the case numbers listed above.
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Immigration Services Provider Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Mario Henry Garcia, 65, of Miami has pled guilty to one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, as well to one count of aggravated identity theft.
Garcia operated a business, Mar Financial, through which he provided a variety of tax preparation, divorce, and immigration services. In particular, the Defendant would assist clients preparing immigration applications (form I-485) to adjust their status to that of a legal permanent resident. Often those clients would have to provide an Affidavit of Financial Support (form I-864) from a financial sponsor guaranteeing to support the applicant while they were in the United States. When a client of the Defendant did not have anyone to act as their financial sponsor, the Defendant would steal the personal identifying information and supporting documents of a sponsor for a prior legitimate application without the sponsors’ knowledge or consent, in exchange for a fee.
The Defendant was released on bond. On February 1, 2023, the Defendant failed to appear at his arraignment in this case. The Defendant absconded and left the country traveling on a Peruvian travel document. The Defendant was detained in Panama after arriving on a flight from Costa Rica and returned to the United States.
U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga set the sentencing hearings for Garcia for June 14.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the guilty plea.
HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Former City of Miami Police Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Gregory Dennis, 45, a former police officer with the City of Miami Police Department, has pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with two fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans he submitted to a Small Business Administration (SBA) approved PPP lender while he was still employed with the City of Miami Police Department.
On March 28, 2021, Dennis submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application claiming to be a sole proprietor operating a cleaning service. The PPP loan application falsely represented his business’ 2020 gross income and in support of the application, he submitted a false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, including a Schedule C, for tax year 2020. As a result of the false and fraudulent application, Dennis obtained a $20,833 PPP loan from a California-based SBA approved PPP lender.
On April 10, 2021, Dennis submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application, this time seeking a second draw PPP loan. Once again, Dennis claimed to be a sole proprietor operating a cleaning service, and this second draw application also fraudulently represented his business’ 2020 gross income. This second draw application also was supported by the same false and fraudulent 2020 IRS Form 1040 and Schedule C that was used to fraudulently obtain the first PPP loan. Again, the fraudulent application was approved successfully, and Dennis received an additional $20,833 in second draw PPP loan proceeds from the same California-based lender.
Dennis is scheduled for sentencing on June 13, at 1:15 p.m. before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas in Fort Lauderdale, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the guilty plea.
The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Section, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Lapointe thanked the City of Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General for their invaluable assistance with this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-60063.
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Four Miami Residents Indicted for their Alleged Role in a Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury has indicted, Maylin Salado Garcia, “Salado Garcia,” 34, Niubis Garcia, “Niubis Garcia,” 52, Oscar Enrique Pujadas, “Pujadas,” 32, and Sirce Rodriguez Rosales, “Rosales,” 38, residents of Miami, Fla., for their alleged participation in a wire fraud scheme to defraud the federal government out of more than $250,000 of funds intended for workforce development programs. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, theft of government funds, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly executed a scheme to enrich themselves by obtaining reimbursement of monies from federally funded programs and depositing the reimbursed federal funds into personal and corporate bank accounts they controlled for their own personal use. In furtherance of the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators used stolen personal identifying information (PII) to create false and fraudulent employee files (“participant files”) and wage records. These fake participant files and wage records were used as proof of employment showing that individuals were employed at companies the defendants and their co-conspirators owned and controlled, as well as other companies.
According to court documents, Salado Garcia worked at Transition, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation located in Miami-Dade County; first as a program supervisor, and then as executive director. Transition received federal grants of money through the state of Florida, which were used to provide job training and placement services in the community. Transition worked with, for example, the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department’s (MDCR) Boot Camp Reentry Program, a federally funded program designed to provide education and training to inmates transitioning out of prison. From around April 2017 and February 2019, while employed at Transition, Salado Garcia allegedly created participant files and wage records using stolen PII to obtain federal funds for work that was never performed and, in some cases, to employees who were not employed at listed companies, and the few that did, received lower hourly wages than what Salado Garcia recorded in the participant files.
It is also alleged that Salado Garcia represented in the participant files that the employees purportedly worked at companies owned by her co-conspirators; her mother, Niubis Garcia, and her significant other, Pujadas. Additionally, Salado Garcia entered false payroll information into the Transition’s web-based payroll processor, including bank accounts owned by her and her co-conspirator, Rosales, to receive direct deposit payments from the federally funded programs which were intended for the purported employees. In addition, Rosales provided Salado Garcia with stolen PII to create the fraudulent participant files, while Pujadas also cashed the fraudulently obtained reimbursement checks at a check cashing store.
Salado Garcia, Niubis Garcia, and Rosales made their initial appearances last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Otazo-Reyes. If convicted, Salado Garcia faces a maximum sentence of up to 87 months in addition to 24 months consecutively in prison, Niubis Garcia faces a maximum sentence of up to 51 months in prison, and
Rosales faces a maximum sentence of up to 57 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, announced the charges.
DOL-OIG investigated the case, with assistance from Miami-Dade County Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yisel Valdes is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20116.
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Five Men Sentenced in Conspiracy to Distribute Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Anthony Wayne Santiago, 28, of Novi, Mich.; Jacob Dominic VanDyke, 25, of Muskegon, Mich.; Johnathan Scott Fleak, 32, of Pryor, Okla.; Aaron Ray Iuliano, 27, of Ravenna, Ohio; and Michael Paul Gianfrancesco, 39, of Livingston, Tenn., all have pled guilty and been sentenced to conspiracy to distribute child sexual abuse material and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of children under the age of 13 years.
From September to October 2021, the five defendants entered and participated in a private chat room within a social networking application. Each had to distribute CSAM of children under the age of 13 to enter the chat room. These defendants all distributed and solicited CSAM and discussed the sexual abuse of children among more than 50 other individuals. The children in the images and videos were as young as 4 years old.
Today, Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced the last of three defendants charged in the conspiracy. Michael Paul Gianfrancesco, who had previously distributed CSAM through multiple other social networking accounts, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. Aaron Ray Iuliano was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jacob Dominic Vandyke to 13.3 years in prison. Previously, Judge Middlebrooks sentenced Johnathan Scott Fleak, who distributed CSAM through another online message boards, to 15 years in prison. Anthony Wayne Santiago, a registered sex offender who was on a GPS monitor at the time of his arrest, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
HSI West Palm Beach Office and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case as part of a joint effort of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Schiller and Brian Ralston prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80127.
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Miami Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Miami resident Ari P. Weingrad, 51, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS.
Weingrad owned and operated two car rental companies, Rent Max Miami Inc., and Rent Max North Inc., both of which had locations throughout Florida. As the sole owner and chief executive officer of Rent Max Miami and as the co-owner and president of Rent Max North, Weingrad knew he was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over payroll taxes withheld from his employees’ wages to the IRS. Between 2011 and 2016, however, he withheld employment taxes from his employees’ wages, and he failed to pay them over to the IRS. These employment taxes included income taxes as well as Medicare and Social Security taxes.
In total, Weingrad failed to pay approximately $850,000 in employment taxes owed to the IRS, including both the employer’s and employee’s share of employment taxes. Instead, he caused Rent Max Miami to spend corporate funds to pay discretionary expenses, including a $50,000 cashier’s check to himself, $45,000 in cashier’s checks payable to his wife, and expenses related to a 55-foot yacht.
Weingrad had also failed to pay employment taxes for a previous business. In imposing a sentence at the high end of the guideline range, the Court stated that Weingrad’s failure to pay employment taxes was a serious offense that impacts employees as well. The Court stated that the sentence needed to promote respect for the law and provide deterrence to employers. The Court immediately remanded the defendant into custody.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg, Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, IRS, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
IRS-CI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20342.
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American Man Who Joined ISIS in Syria Sentenced to 20 yearsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A U.S. citizen, Emraan Ali (“Ali”), has been sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release by the Honorable Beth Bloom for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. Ali entered a guilty plea on November 22, 2022.
On March 20, 2015, Ali, aka Abu Jihad Al-Trinidadi Al-Amriki, took his family from Trinidad and Tobago to Brazil, and thereafter to Turkey and Syria with the purpose of joining ISIS. Before leaving Trinidad and Tobago to join ISIS, Ali set up a financial system whereby he could receive funds in Syria, collected $15,000 in cash, falsely told his children they were going on vacation, and melted down gold to be converted to jewelry so he would have money and financial support once he was in Syria. Ali also made efforts to make Trinidadian authorities believe he was not leaving Trinidad so they would not interfere with his efforts to provide material support to ISIS.
Upon arriving in Turkey, Ali and his family stayed in Istanbul and then traveled to Gaziantep, Turkey. While in Gaziantep, Ali contacted coconspirators to arrange for travel across the Turkey-Syria border to join ISIS. Shortly thereafter, Ali and his family were driven from Gaziantep to the Syrian border in a van. Once at the border Ali and his family, including small children, got out of the van and ran across the border into Syria on foot.
Once they arrived in ISIS controlled territory, ISIS registered Ali and his family, who thereafter joined a settlement in Manbij, Syria, where they lived while Ali awaited ISIS military training. From July through November 2015, Ali went to Raqqa, Syria, for ISIS religious and military training with other English speakers. The training included instruction on the operation of various automatic weapons such as the AK-47 assault rifle and PKC machine gun. Following this training, Ali was assigned an ISIS census number in the “12000” series - the series reserved for military enlistees. He was given boots, socks, and a gun barrel. Ali also registered with ISIS the M4 weapon he had personally acquired.
After he completed military training, Ali was assigned to the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah (battalion) in Raqqa and received an ISIS identification card under the kunya (alias) of “Abu-Jihad al-Trinidad al-Amriki” or “Abu Jihad TNT.” Between September and November 2015, Ali’s son, Jihad Mohammed Ali, then 15 years old, began attending ISIS religious and military training in Raqqa, after which he also was assigned to the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah. Eventually, Ali was discharged from the Anwar al-Awlaki katibah for medical reasons, and he moved his family to another location in Raqqa, which had become the de facto ISIS capital.
Ali thereafter continued to provide material support to ISIS and contribute to its economy while in Raqqa, approximately between 2015 and 2017. First, Ali worked in residential construction for ISIS. Ali’s construction work helped create homes for ISIS members, including fighters and their families who occupied territories ISIS claimed from Syria. Like others who received housing to help the occupation, Ali also received free housing upon his arrival in Syria and his entry into ISIS military training. In addition, Ali worked to create buildings for ISIS operations. Ali also became a merchant, thereby supporting ISIS and its members. Ali began buying and selling livestock, cars, weapons, weapons accessories, and telephones to and from other ISIS members.
Ali also assisted ISIS’s military goals by purchasing and selling weapons and weapons accessories to ISIS members to use in their fighting, preferring superior American-made accessories to those manufactured by China. Ali also provided money remitting services to other Trinidadian ISIS fighters in Syria, serving as a “hawalder,” or money transfer broker. He also donated his own money to ISIS members to support the ISIS cause.
Eventually, in late 2017, Ali left Raqqa with his family and moved to Mayadin, Syria, which had become the new headquarters for ISIS after the Coalition Forces retook Raqqa. While in Mayadin, Ali was assigned to an ISIS housing battalion, or katibah, and received an ISIS identification card. Consistent with ISIS’s bureaucratic structure, Ali also received a monthly stipend or payment in the amount of $35 US per adult and $28 US per child in his household. In addition, Ali was again provided free housing by ISIS.
In 2018, Ali moved his family to Hajin, Syria, where ISIS assigned him to construct a well to provide the ISIS community with potable water. When ISIS came under attack in Hajin, Ali moved his family to Al-Shafah, Syria, where he ran a store that sold various goods. While in Hajin, Ali donated some of the store’s profits to other ISIS members, thereby furthering ISIS’s goals.
Between late 2018 and early 2019, after ISIS was targeted in Al-Shafah, Ali moved his family to Baghuz, Syria, the last ISIS stronghold before its collapse in 2019. In fact, in March 2019, just before his surrender on March 19, Ali urged other Trinidadian ISIS members to refuse to surrender to the Coalition Forces. Ali did this in the hope that Coalition Forces would allow ISIS members to simply relocate.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Stratton for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20123.
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Palm Beach Gardens Attorney Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 53-year-old West Palm Beach licensed attorney has been arrested with possession of child pornography. Michael T. Dolce will appear in a West Palm Beach federal court tomorrow for his initial appearance.
According to the filed criminal complaint affidavit, on March 15, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dolce’s West Palm Beach apartment. They discovered Dolce actively downloading child pornography using peer-2-peer software. Nearly 2000 images and videos of child pornography were recovered from his devices.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges.
FBI Miami, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting the case.
A complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-mj-08161.
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Former State Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Alfredo Hudson, 36, a former correctional officer with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) has pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with two fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid.
On June 12, 2020, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application claiming to be a self-employed individual operating a recreation business under the name “Alfredo Enterprise.” The PPP loan application falsely represented Alfredo Enterprise’s monthly payroll and included a false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C for tax year 2019. As a result of the false and fraudulent application, Hudson obtained a $10,104 PPP loan from a Georgia-based lender.
On April 25, 2021, Hudson submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application, this time claiming to be a sole proprietor operating a barbershop under the tradename of “Alfredo Enterprise.” The second draw PPP loan application also fraudulently represented Alfredo Enterprise’s 2019 gross income. In support of the application, Hudson submitted a different false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, for tax year 2019. Once again, the fraudulent application was approved, and Hudson obtained approximately $11,251 in PPP loan proceeds from a Florida-based lender.
Subsequently, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan forgiveness application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) seeking repayment forgiveness for the PPP second draw loan he received from the Florida-based lender. As a result of this false and fraudulent forgiveness application, the SBA excused the defendant from any repayment obligation on the second draw PPP loan.
Hudson is scheduled for sentencing on May 24, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. He faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Small Business Administration, Investigations Division’s Eastern Region (SBA-OIG), announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami and SBA-OIG investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections’ (FDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20060.
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Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Retaliatory Attack on Federal Cooperating WitnessRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Aurelio Luis Perez, a 55-year-old Miami resident, has pled guilty to retaliating against a witness in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(b)(2). Perez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to 20 years.
Perez assaulted a federal cooperating witness at a local club on September 4, 2021, just several days after the victim was identified as a government witness in a federal criminal trial. Specifically, Perez followed the victim into the restroom and assaulted him at the urinal while yelling, “This is for snitching” in Spanish. As a result of the assault, the witness suffered inflammation, bruising, lacerations to his lip, and a cracked front tooth. The victim did not know Perez. Court records indicate that Perez was a close associate of another individual under investigation at the time of the attack. Perez’s associate was subsequently charged for his role in allegedly distributing over $230 million of adulterated HIV medication.
U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola will sentence Perez on June 5 in Miami, Florida.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region; and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, made the announcement.
HHS-OIG Miami and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Abraham of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20253.
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Coral Springs Resident Sentenced to 51 Months for Embezzlement Scheme Against Former Employer and Submission of Fraudulent CARES Act Loan ApplicationRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Jennifer Pamela Izzo, 35, of Coral Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for embezzling $94,500 from her former employer, a trucking maintenance company based in Fort Lauderdale. She also exploited her position at the company when filing a COVID-19 assistance loan on its behalf, attempting to fraudulently divert government funds for her own personal benefit. Although the loan was never granted, she stood to gain as much as $150,000 in additional illicit funds.
In August 2019, the auto-maintenance company hired Izzo as its financial bookkeeper, entrusting her with direct access to the vendor accounts and the company credit cards, including the cards issued in the names of individual employees. However, from October 2019 through April 2020, Izzo orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to defraud her employer by creating fictitious vendor accounts that she secretly controlled.] Throughout her employment, she carried out dozens of unauthorized transactions using the company’s credit cards, re-routing the stolen funds from the fake vendors, and ultimately into her own bank account.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Izzo also abused her position of trust when she was asked to file an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) on behalf of the company, seeking federal funds to help cover its payroll expenses. But rather than listing the company’s bank account in the unsuccessful application, Izzo listed her own personal bank account as the intended beneficiary.
Izzo pled guilty on December 20, 2022, to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. While awaiting sentencing, Izzo’s bond was revoked and she was remanded into federal custody when the district court found probable cause to believe that Izzo had stolen money from yet another company that had just recently hired her. In addition to her sentence, Izzo has been ordered to pay back in the form of restitution all of the $94,500 stolen from her previous employer.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and Chief of Police Patrick Lynn of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Robin L. Rosenberg.
USSS Miami and FLPD investigated the case, with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea Jr. prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Stone and Sara Klco are handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60155.
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75-Year-Old South Florida Man Charged in $3 Million Check Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami federal grand jury has charged Alan Paul Brooks, of Aventura, with mail fraud and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from June to December 2022, Brooks engaged in a scheme to steal funds payable to a health system in Louisiana. As alleged, Brooks caused a change of mail address to be filed for a U.S. post office box that received checks for the Louisiana health system. The address change diverted checks that were mailed to the post office box to the defendant’s home in Aventura.
It is also alleged that Brooks created fictitious operating names for a Florida shell company that he controlled. These fictitious operating names matched those of the Louisiana health system’s regional medical centers. Brooks also opened bank accounts in Aventura using the fictitious operating names and deposited into those accounts over $3 million in checks that were payable to the actual regional medical centers, according to the charges. After depositing the checks, Brooks moved the funds to other accounts that he controlled.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office; acting Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division; Chief of Police Michael Bentolila of the Aventura Police Department, announced the charges.
FDIC-OIG, USSS Miami, USPIS Miami, and Aventura Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20117.
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South Florida Recidivist Fraudster Sentenced to 88 Months for COVID-19 Related Unemployment Insurance ScamRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Marlin Jean, 31, has been sentenced to 88 months in prison for stealing other people’s identities to fraudulently obtain $826,332 in COVID-19 related unemployment benefits from the State of California. The stolen benefits came from federal funds provided to state unemployment agencies to help Americans economically harmed by the global pandemic.
From August 2020 through October 2021, Jean spearheaded a scheme to use the stolen identities of dozens of Florida and California residents (among others) to fraudulently open accounts in their names with the California Employment Development Division (“EDD”). Jean then directed the EDD to mail the unemployment benefits, issued in the form of pre-paid debit cards, to addresses throughout South Florida. Acquaintances collected the cards for Jean to use for his personal benefit. Jean committed this crime soon after completing a federal sentence on a separate 2016 fraud conviction.
Jean pled guilty on December 21, 2022, to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to his prison sentence, Jean has been ordered to pay $826,332 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman.
HSI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Miami Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea Jr. prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act provided hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds for unemployment insurance benefits to be distributed by the states directly to their residents.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20018.
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Key Deer Killer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Wendy C. Kilheffer, 77, of Big Pine, Florida was sentenced today in Key West federal district court for violating the Endangered Species Act by shooting and killing a Key deer.
On November 16, 2022, several Florida Keys residents discovered a Key deer lying on the ground with its antlers entangled in rope. Kilheffer arrived on the scene and -- despite having zero veterinary training or related experience -- decided that the deer was in distress and would not survive. Kilheffer went to her vehicle, secured a high caliber handgun, shot the deer in the head at close range, and killed it. According to witnesses, the deer’s death was not immediate.
When law enforcement later questioned Kilheffer, she denied even being at the scene. Video surveillance and eyewitness statements refuted her lie.
Kilheffer pled guilty and now has a federal conviction. She must serve one year of probation, pay a $4,000 criminal fine, complete 100 hours of community service, and strictly abide by all laws and regulations involving human interaction with the Key deer.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Resident Agent in Charge Robert Register of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Congress enacted the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) to conserve endangered and threatened species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The term “endangered species” means any species, or part thereof, which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Title 16, United States Code, Section 1532(6). The Florida Key deer is included within the list of designated endangered species, set forth in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 17.21(c)(1).
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the National Fish & Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald prosecuted this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-10023.
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Cruise Ship Employee Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Angelo Victor Fernandes, a 34-year-old cruise ship employee from Goa, India, was sentenced in federal district court to 188 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material.
Between January 16 and April 30, 2022, Fernandes sent 13 child pornography videos through an instant messaging application to Daniel Scott Crow. Fernandes also communicated with Crow about arranging for Crow to travel to engage in sexual activity with minor children. During a separate communication with an unidentified person, Fernandes talked about sexual abuse of minor children and his ability to obtain children for sex.
Crow pled guilty to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of production of child pornography in case number 22-cr-14035. He was sentenced on December 12, 2022, to 30 years in prison.
United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the sentence.
HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you have information regarding this case, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14046.
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Broward County Man Sentenced to 108 Months’ Imprisonment for Ponzi Scheme & COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Ft. Lauderdale has sentenced David J. Varrone, 56, of Weston, Florida, to 108 months’ imprisonment for his role in organizing an elaborate credit and investment Ponzi scheme through his company, The Credit Engineers, Inc.
In addition, Judge Raag Singhal ordered Varrone to pay over $3,5 million in restitution and entered a forfeiture judgment on Varrone’s Weston home and a bank account containing COVID-19 relief funds that Varrone had fraudulently obtained.
Varrone previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From 2018 through 2021, Varrone and his company offered individuals with good credit a short-term investment program tied to a purported hedge fund that guaranteed investment returns and fully repaid investments in 36 months or less. To obtain funds, Varrone helped victims apply for the high interest, short term loans and the victims “leased” the proceeds to The Credit Engineers and Varrone.
In fact, there was no hedge fund and the victims’ funds were never invested as promised. Instead, the proceeds were used to enrich Varrone and to repay earlier victims. The scheme funneled over $6.4 million of misappropriated victims’ funds into Varrone’s accounts.
Additionally, Varrone fraudulently applied for and received approximately $650,000 in CARES Act, Economic Injury Disaster Relief Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans were intended to keep small businesses afloat and retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
David J. Varrone’s wife, Sherry D. Varrone, also pled guilty to her role in the conspiracy in case number 22-cr-60196. She is scheduled for sentencing on April 3, in Ft. Lauderdale before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Commissioner Russell C. Weigel III of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), Bureau of Financial Investigations (BFI), Miami Region, made the announcement.
OFR-BFI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60197.
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Miami Man Charged for Running Fraudulent Cryptocurrency and Stock Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted Ryan James Crawford, a/k/a “Brody,” 30, with eight counts of wire fraud for running a fraudulent cryptocurrency and stock investment scheme.
According to the charges, from around June 2020 through March 2022, Crawford tricked victims into investing about $800,000 in his scheme by: falsely claiming to be a highly successful licensed stockbroker who had made tens of millions of dollars through similar cryptocurrency and stock investments; falsely claiming to have access to enough money to timely repay potential investors; falsely claiming that he had developed an artificial intelligence trading software that “never lost,” and misrepresenting the investment as low-risk and high reward, among other things.
It is alleged that Crawford did not return any victim funds, or generate the exponential returns he promised. Rather, on some occasions, he simply diverted investors’ funds and cryptocurrency for his own personal use, including to pay for luxury rental cars and gambling at the casino.
Crawford was arrested in Colorado and made his initial federal court appearance on March 13, in Denver federal court.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the charges.
FBI Miami, USSS Miami, and Miami-Dade Police Department Cyber Crimes Investigative Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR). Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hauser is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20100.
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Former South Florida Regional Bank Manager Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Daniel Hernandez, 51, a former South Florida regional manager for a leading national bank has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) out of loan proceeds. These loans are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Hernandez conspired with Erich Alfonso Barata, Armando De Leon, and others to submit over 90 fraudulent PPP loan applications. The applications were primarily submitted to two banks, Hernandez’s employer at the time, and his previous employer, another leading national bank.
Hernandez also conspired to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications through the SBA, but most of the applications were declined.
Hernandez and his co-conspirators attempted to defraud the PPP and EIDL programs out of approximately $25 million. The conspiracy caused approximately $15 million in losses. The investigation has recovered over $800,000 so far.
Daniel Hernandez pled guilty on December 21, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. De Leon and Alfonso Barata previously pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. De Leon was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment on February 21. Alfonso Barata is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Small Business Administration, Investigations Division’s Eastern Region (SBA-OIG), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
FDIC-OIG, FBI Miami, and SBA-OIG investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 22-cr-20529 (Hernandez), 22-cr-20420 (De Leon), and 22-cr-20487 (Alfonso Barata).
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Owners of Freight Forwarding Company Plead Guilty to Exporting Stolen Outboard Engines to MexicoRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two Miami residents, Carlos Orlando Ledesma, 57, and Nadia Esperanza Ledesma, 46, have pled guilty to conspiring to export nearly 600 stolen outboard engines to Mexico through a Miami-based freight forwarding company.
Previously, on February 22, co-defendants Roberto Marrero-Cisneros, 65, from Miami, and Osmani Valdivia Perez, 55, from Lehigh Acres, also pled guilty to the same conspiracy charge.
Nadia Ledesma is the President of Netcycle Trading Corp., a freight forwarding company in Miami, and Carlos Ledesma is the warehouse manager. According to court documents, from 2015 to 2018, Carlos and Nadia Ledesma received almost 600 stolen outboard engines for export to Mexico. Dozens of individuals delivered the stolen engines. The engines had visible damage from the thefts, and cables and lines had been cut rather than properly detached. The individuals delivered the stolen engines in non-commercial vehicles without bills of sale or any other documentation for the engines.
According to court documents, Marrero-Cisneros created false serial number stickers to place on the stolen outboard engines. Nadia and Carlos Ledesma, and their co-conspirators, created false bills of sale and submitted false export information to the United States.
Many of the stolen engines were directed to Tomas Vale Valdivia, a co-conspirator who was then in Mexico. Later, on January 28, 2020, Vale Valdivia was sentenced to 57 months for alien smuggling, in a separate case before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams.
Vale Valdivia is the nephew of defendant Osmani Valdivia Perez. Valdivia Perez made many cash payments to co-conspirators in this case, on behalf of Vale Valdivia. The cash payments included payments to Netcycle for the fees for exporting the stolen outboard engines, payments to Marrero-Cisneros for the false serial numbers, and payments to the individuals who stole the outboard engines.
U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. set the sentencing hearings for Marrero-Cisneros and Valdivia Perez for May 8, and the sentencing hearings for Carlos and Nadia Ledesma for May 23.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Zinnia P. James, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, announced the guilty pleas.
HSI Miami and CGIS investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20269.
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Middle School Students Take Field Trip to U.S. Attorney’s Office to Learn Importance of Choosing WiselyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Students from BridgePrep Academy of North Miami Beach took a field trip to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida to learn how to make better choices and participate in a courtroom mock trial.
The seventh graders gathered in the media room where Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith took them through presentations focused on the value of making smarter choices and having a plan for success.
“You should know every step you need to take to reach your goals,” said Smith. “Don’t be afraid to fail big. Think outside of the box and remember that a goal without a plan is just a wish.”
To drive home the point of making smarter choices Smith played prisoner testimonials which focused mostly on regret.
“I ruined my life,” said one prisoner. “I ruined it.”
Another testimonial showed a prisoner pleading for people to take his message seriously.
“I killed someone’s father,” he said. “This is my now moment but I took away that man’s now.”
The messages seemed to hit home with the students, especially when they were told where the Federal Detention Center was located.
“There are about 600 male inmates and 100 female inmates in the building next door,” said Smith. “You have a choice to be a good person or a bad person. Every day it starts all over again. Don’t let bad things determine your path in life.”
From there the students filled a federal judges empty courtroom where they played the roles of prosecutor, defense attorney, and bailiff, among others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gilfarb played the role of judge as students argued a case involving the wrongful death of a university student who died during flag football practice.
Both the prosecutors and defense team made great cases, but in the end the evidence was too strong. The defendant was found guilty of negligent homicide.
Students said they enjoyed seeing what it was like to be on trial while others said it was a life changing experience. Many said they’d like to do it again. That’s what Smith likes to hear as he loves interacting with young people, trying to put them on the right path.
“These activities can be fun—and many times are—but I’m always focused on trying to help these students be the best citizens they can be,” he said. “As a former Detroit Police Supervisor, I’ve seen how tempting it can be to get in with the wrong crowd. One mistake can alter a life for good. If I can help change one person’s outlook then it’s worth it.”
Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith talks to BridgePrep Academy of North Miami Beach students about the importance of making good decisions. Students also participated in a mock trial during this field trip.
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Miami Art Dealer Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Smuggling IvoryRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal judge in Miami has sentenced Eduardo Ulises Martinez (“Martinez”), a local art dealer, to 51 months in prison for illegally smuggling sculptures containing ivory, and for obstructing justice.
Ivory is a form of wildlife that comes from various mammals, including elephants, walruses, hippopotamuses, warthogs, narwals, and whales. Ivory must be declared to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and made available for inspection prior to its importation and exportation from the United States.
After a seven-day trial, a federal jury found Martinez guilty on 9 counts of smuggling items containing ivory in and out of the United States without declaring it or making the ivory available for inspection by the USFWS, and one count of obstruction of justice for soliciting false evidence, documents, and testimony from a witness during the ongoing investigation.
Martinez purchased numerous sculptures containing ivory from auction houses located in Spain, England, Canada, and Australia, later importing the sculptures into the United States for commercial purposes using various methods of concealment. On some occasions, Martinez dismantled the sculptures into their ivory, bronze, and marble components and later shipped the individual components in different boxes to evade detection from law enforcement. Martinez also shipped the components to various addresses that were not associated with his business or his home. On other occasions, Martinez used third parties located in Spain and England to collect or receive the sculptures from auctions houses in Europe, creating the appearance that the sculptures would stay within the European Union, and thereafter directed the third parties to ship the ivory-containing sculptures to the United States. On another occasion, Martinez concealed the entry of ivory into the United States by packing the ivory components in his luggage. In every instance, Martinez, or others at Martinez’s direction, would fraudulently and falsely declare the contents of the shipping paperwork as bronze and marble, porcelain, bronze, or other false descriptions of the contents to evade inspection and declaration requirements.
Once the sculptures arrived in the United States, Martinez would fix any imperfections in them prior to offering them for sale at a significant mark up. In several instances, Martinez had new ivory parts carved for the illegally imported sculptures before offering them for resale.
Martinez sold sculptures containing ivory to buyers in other countries and facilitated the transportation of those sculptures, knowing that they were intended to be exported from the United States. Throughout the trial, the jury heard evidence via emails, messages, and audio files demonstrating that Martinez knew his actions were illegal, but he continued to engage in those actions for personal financial gain.
After Martinez was stopped at the Miami International Airport on September 8, 2021, and was caught with ivory in his luggage, Martinez removed illegally imported ivory sculptures from his showroom and obstructed law enforcement’s investigation by approaching a witness on various occasions, asking the witness to provide false evidence and testimony.
It was undisputed at trial that Martinez had never made a declaration of wildlife, including ivory, to the USFWS. In addition to the 51-month sentence, the federal district court ordered Martinez to pay a $20,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, and entered a criminal forfeiture order of various sculptures containing ivory.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Southeast Region, and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the sentence.
USFWS and HSI Miami investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein and Lindsey Lazapoulos Friedman prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20137.
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Former Bureau of Prisons Nurse Pleads Guilty to Contraband Smuggling and Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Miami-Dade resident Ruben Montanez-Mirabal, 33, has pled guilty in federal district court to conspiring to commit bribery, conspiring to provide contraband in a federal prison, and providing contraband in a federal prison.
According to the two-count information and facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, from around November 2021 through late August 2022, Ruben Montanez-Mirabal, who was a registered nurse working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) at the Federal Detention Center – Miami (“FDC-Miami”) in downtown Miami, solicited and obtained illegal payments from FDC-Miami inmates in exchange for bringing in and delivering to them prohibited objects, including controlled substances that had been soaked into sheets of paper. In exchange for violating his official duties by providing these drug-soaked papers and other prohibited items, Montanez-Mirabal accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from these inmates and their associates. Along with these payments, Montanez-Mirabal also solicited and received other things of value from inmates, including the free use of a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.
Montanez-Mirabal would bring these prohibited items into FDC-Miami and then either deliver them directly to the inmates or hide them in places where the inmate paying him would be able to recover the contraband. Those inmates would then re-sell the pages to other inmates at a rate of $1,500 per page. As admitted at the change of plea, Montanez-Mirabal made a number of these deliveries for inmates, including one delivery where he was observed hiding thirty-seven drug-soaked pages underneath a shelving unit in a mop closet accessible to the inmate paying him. Investigators were able to recover these pages from the closet and laboratory testing revealed that the pages were laced with a synthetic cannabinoid-controlled substance and had the defendant’s fingerprints on them.
Montanez-Mirabal also admitted that during the charged conduct, he was aware that inmates were reselling the pages for $1,500 each, and that he delivered between 100 and 140 such pages to inmates inside FDC-Miami in exchange for the bribes he received.
United States District Judge Jose E. Martinez will sentence Montanez-Mirabal in Miami on May 16, at 11:30 a.m. Montanez-Mirabal faces up to 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge James Boyersmith, Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami and DOJ-OIG Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20051.
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Keys Lobster Company and its President Pled Guilty to Exporting Falsely Labeled ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Aifa Seafood, Inc., (Aifa), a Florida corporation, and its president, Jiu Fa Chen, 57, of Parkland, Fla., have pled guilty to exporting falsely labeled spiny lobster from Florida to China.
According to court documents, including a Joint Factual Statement submitted by the parties, from May through August 2019, Aifa purchased seafood products for export to China. To meet the high demand for spiny lobster, Aifa imported lobster from Haiti for reexport to China. Aifa reexported approximately 5,900 pounds of lobster and falsely labeled the product in shipping documents as “Live Florida Spiny Lobsters, Product of U.S.A.”
Aifa faces a sentence of up to five years’ probation and a fine of up to $500,000. Chen faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of $250,000, and a period of three years supervised release. Judge Moreno set the sentencing hearing for both defendants on May 23, at 9:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Manny Antonaras of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southeast Division, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Major Alberto Maza, Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, announced the convictions.
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, HSI Key Largo, and FWC Division of Law Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, or other wildlife crimes, you may contact the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline: (800) 853-1964 and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453. Locally, environmental crimes, including wildlife violations and environmental justice matters may be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 305-961-9001 or [email protected] .
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20479.
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Broward Resident Sentenced for Stealing Social Security Benefits of Deceased FatherRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Terri Lynn Hankerson, 59, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida has been sentenced to five months of imprisonment followed by five months of home confinement for stealing nearly $50,000 in Social Security benefits directed to her deceased father. Hankerson must also pay restitution.
Hankerson’s father received Social Security benefits by direct deposit into a retirement account. Hankerson was made a joint owner of this account about a year and a half before her father died in June 2016. Hankerson did not notify the Social Security Administration or the bank of her father’s death. Therefore, the Social Security Administration continued to make the monthly deposits, including cost of living adjustments, from July 2016 until it suspended the benefits in February 2020.
Following her father’s death, Hankerson, spent nearly $50,000 in Social Security benefits at concerts, a local strip club, Miami Heat games, Costco, hotels, bars, and other places.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted Hankerson of stealing Social Security benefits years after her father died.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Rodregas W. Owens of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG), Atlanta Field Division, announced the sentence imposed by Senior United States District Court Judge James I. Cohn.
SSA OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Thompson and then-Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi Raft prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-60227.
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Jury Convicts Fort Pierce Man of Carjacking at GunpointRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida federal jury has convicted Fort Pierce resident Xavier Daughtry, 25, of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Just before midnight on May 9, 2022, the victim parked her vehicle at a gas station on U.S. Hwy 1 in Fort Pierce. After going inside the store, the victim returned to find Daughtry attempting to enter her vehicle. The victim confronted Daughtry, who then raised a loaded .45 caliber pistol and pointed it at the victim’s face, telling her to back up. Daughtry then got inside the vehicle and left the area. Less than eight minutes later, Daughtry was apprehended by St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputies and Fort Pierce police officers. When apprehended, Daughtry was in the stolen vehicle and sitting on the pistol (which was loaded, with a round in the chamber, and the hammer cocked).
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The case was investigated by FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, with assistance from ATF Fort Pierce Field Office, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Pierce Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Michael Porter and Justin Hoover.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-14047.
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Former Florida Highway Patrol Captain Pleads Guilty to Accessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Christopher James Chappell, a 46-year-old former Captain with the Florida Highway Patrol, has pled guilty to accessing child sexual abuse material.
As part of his guilty plea, Chappell admitted to watching a video depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent minor child while he engaged in sexual acts with another individual. Chappell then sent a photo of his sexual encounter to a third individual in a group chat, which showed the child sexual abuse material playing in the background.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith will sentence Chappell on May 19, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office announced the conviction.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Elizabeth Monk is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-60148.
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Hollywood Man Convicted of Attempting to Purchase Commercial Sex with MinorsRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Ralph Kevin Tovar, 31, a Hollywood, Fla., resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to trial evidence, between January and May 2022, Tovar engaged in negotiations with undercover officers to purchase sex with purported minors who were being advertised for commercial sex. On May 6, 2022, Tovar met with an undercover officer and paid the agreed upon price to engage in sexual activity with both a 13-year-old and 15-year-old girl.
Following Tovar’s arrest, agents searched his cellphone and confirmed he had been attempting to purchase sex with minors since January 2022.
The Miami jury convicted Tovar, a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center employee, of two counts of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case with the assistance of the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arielle Klepach and Eduardo Gardea, Jr. prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20205.
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Bullying and Internet Safety a Top Priority for U.S. Attorney’s Office Community Outreach StaffRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Nearly one in four students ages 12-18 experiences bullying. It can eat away at a student’s self-esteem and make attending school a serious challenge. That’s why staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, regularly travel to area schools to shine a light on this behavior at an early age.
Most recently, more than 100 fifth and sixth graders gathered in the Academir Charter School East gymnasium in Doral, Fla., for a presentation about bullying, cyberbullying, and tips to stay safe on the internet.
According to research, one typically bullies because he or she likely was bullied themselves. And rather than stop the cycle of behavior, they choose to bully for fear of becoming a victim.
“When being bullied, don’t take the bait,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Darcey Lindsley. “Don’t get upset because that’s exactly what they want you to do. If someone says you’re ugly, respond with well I think you’re beautiful.”
And always report bullying. When it’s reported, there is a record of it.
“If you see something, get involved,” said Lindsley. “Be that person you want others to be toward you.”
In the past, bullying was usually face-to-face. Now it’s all over social media and many children become victims of it.
“Who knows what cyberbullying is?” asked Lindsley. Nearly every hand went up. “To be considered cyberbullying it needs to be minor against minor. After that it becomes harassment. Judges are taking this type of bullying very seriously. They aren’t necessarily slapping minors on the wrist anymore.”
Regarding internet safety, Lindsley stressed the need to always be skeptical about online chatting. That fellow 10-year-old on the chat quite easily could be a 40-year-old with bad intentions.
“You have to think,” said Lindsley. “Don’t slip up and don’t be so trusting. Don’t reveal too much as you never know who is on the other end of that instant message.”
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Darcey Lindsley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, rewards a student with a piece of candy for a correct answer during a recent presentation on bullying, cyberbullying, and internet safety.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Staff Emphasize Value of Word Choice to Local StudentsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Words have the power to uplift or destroy and that was the message staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, recently brought to 7th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami.
Power of Words focused on the importance of choosing one’s words carefully. The presentation went through real-life scenarios and the impact that using insulting and belittling language can have on people.
“It shows how hurtful words can sometimes lead to threats and assaultive behavior,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “The presentation identifies the common warning signs and how to proactively identify potentially harmful interactions between students.”
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney conducted the training which involved videos, real cases, and plenty of class participation.
“If you’re choosing bad words, you’re going to get bad results,” said McKinney. “Hurtful words often lead to aggressive behavior. It can lead to suicide and what else? Anyone know?”
The message is that one never knows how deeply hurtful words cut.
“And just because you apologize doesn’t mean the other person will be able to forgive and move on,” said McKinney.
Research shows that early childhood experience may play a part in verbal abuse. Someone who witnesses this behavior at an early age may replicate it later—becoming an abuser for fear of becoming a victim.
“You have to learn to be comfortable with you,” said Latisha Robinson, a civics teacher at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center. “Life will hit you. Life is hard. But that’s reality. You don’t know what the person next to you is going through and the words you choose can make all the difference.”
Kindness was emphasized throughout the training.
“Be kind to everybody and be mindful of what is going on around you,” said McKinney. “Be aware of how to speak to someone who may be having a bad day. This will help you avoid negative responses.”
The training was valuable to Robinson because it gave her students a different perspective.
“This exercise gives our students that third lens to show them that they do use those words,” she said. “The message is to switch up, change, and make a difference.”
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney goes over a Power of Words presentation with a group of 7th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami. The goal was to show students how hurtful words can escalate into violence and ways to identify potentially harmful student interactions.
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Keys Lobster Company Sentenced for Exporting Falsely Labelled ProductRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal judge in Key West, Florida has sentenced Elite Sky International, Inc. (Elite), a company that operates on Overseas Highway in Marathon, to a quarter million dollar fine and five years of probation for exporting falsely labelled spiny lobster and shark fins from Florida to China.
According to court documents, from November 2018 through October 2019, Elite purchased seafood products for export to China. To meet the high demand for spiny lobster, Elite imported lobster from Nicaragua and Belize for reexport to China. Elite reexported approximately 63,000 pounds of lobster and falsely labeled the product in shipping documents as “Live Florida Spiny Lobsters, Product of U.S.A.” In a similar violation, Elite acquired shark fins from a licensed local fisherman in Florida and exported approximately 5,666 pounds of shark fins, falsely labeling he product either as “Live Florida Spiny Lobsters, Product of U.S.A.” or “Frozen Fish.”
The court ordered Elite to pay a total of $250,000 and placed it on probation for five years. Additionally, the court ordered, as special conditions of probation, that the company establish a corporate compliance program and retain third-party independent auditors to oversee their future activities.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Manny Antonaras of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southeast Division, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Major Alberto Maza, Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, announced the sentence imposed by United States District Judge K. Michael Moore.
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, HSI Miami, and FWC Division of Law Enforcement investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald prosecuted the case.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, or other wildlife crimes, you may contact the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline: (800) 853-1964 and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453. Locally, environmental crimes, including wildlife violations and environmental justice matters may be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 305-961-9001 or [email protected] .
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-10011.
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Jury Finds Armed Home Invaders Guilty of Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – After a two-week trial, a South Florida federal jury found Kejuan Brandon Campbell, Antonio Charles James Jr., and Dionte Alexander-Wilcox guilty on one count of conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of kidnapping, three counts of bank robbery, and three counts of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
The evidence at trial revealed that on October 11, 2020, Campbell, James, and Alexander-Wilcox conspired to commit a home invasion against a husband and wife – both of whom were over 60 -- because the couple’s estranged nephew had stolen $20,000 from Campbell earlier that day. Wearing masks and gloves, and carrying firearms, the three defendants forced their way into the couple’s home, assaulted the husband, and forced both victims to lie on the floor by pointing guns at them.
The defendants ransacked the couples’ home and took their phones and a wallet. Using the wife’s telephone, the defendants tried using CashApp to transfer $20,000 themselves, but the transactions were declined. Campbell then forced the wife to travel with him to multiple stores to try to cash $20,000 in checks. The other two defendants kept the husband at home, holding him at gunpoint.
After the stores declined to process the checks, the defendants stayed overnight at the victims’ home and planned to get the money from the couple’s bank the next morning. During their stay, the defendants cooked, drank alcohol, and smoked marijuana. They kept a gun pointed at the couple inside and did not allow them to speak to one another. At one point, with gun in hand, Alexander-Wilcox forced the wife into a bedroom and raped her.
The next morning, Campbell forced the wife to withdraw $20,000 from ATMs. After returning the wife home, the defendants filled a couple of suitcases with the victims’ jewelry, as well as items on which the defendants might have left their DNA. The defendants threatened to kill the victims if they called the police, locked the victims in a bathroom, took their house key, and left with the cash.
U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn will sentence the defendants in Fort Lauderdale federal court on April 27, 2023, -- Campbell at 9:30 a.m., James at 10:00 a.m., and Alexander-Wilcox at 10:30 am. They each face between 15 years and life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and interim Chief of Police Jose Vargas of the Miramar Police Department, announced the guilty verdict.
FBI Miami and Miramar Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Davie Police Department, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and Lauderhill Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Ajay Alexander and Brooke Latta are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling the asset forfeiture aspect of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60011.
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Palm Beach Art Dealer Pleads Guilty to Laundering Money from Art Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Palm Beach art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz pled guilty today to laundering money derived from his scheme to sell counterfeit artwork.
Bouaziz is the owner of art galleries in South Florida, including Danieli Fine Art (at 226A Worth Avenue) and Galerie Danieli (at 230 Worth Avenue), in Palm Beach County. According to the agreed-upon factual proffer in support of Bouaziz’s guilty plea, Bouaziz knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in a transaction through a financial institution affecting interstate commerce of over $10,000 in money derived from the unlawful sale of counterfeit art in violation of the wire fraud statute.
Specifically, on or about October 25, 2021, Bouaziz sold counterfeit artwork to a customer, to include pieces purportedly by artist Andy Warhol (“Warhol”) out of his Palm Beach art galleries. Bouaziz had told the customer that the works that he was selling, for between $75,000 and $240,000, were authentic, original Warhol pieces, and that some of the pieces were signed by the artist. Relying upon these false and fraudulent representations, the customer purchased artwork from Bouaziz. The customer gave Bouaziz a $200,000 down payment for the artwork. The money was deposited into Bouaziz’s account and then the comingled funds were wired to other accounts, to include an account controlled by Bouaziz.
Bouaziz’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 30, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, in Fort Pierce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami, West Palm Beach Resident Agency and IRS-CI Miami investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Schall is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter A. Laserna and Daren Grove are handling the asset forfeiture aspect of this case.
If you believe you have been a victim of art fraud, please contact the FBI’s Art Crime Team at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-80099.
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Three Miami Men Sentenced to Life for Pawn Shop Robberies and MurdersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Senior United States District Judge James I. Cohn has sentenced Jonathan Cruz, 36, Eric Ortiz Melendez, 28, and Jorge Aponte Figueroa, 25, to life in federal prison for their participation in violent robberies and murders.
The sentences follow two federal trials. The first was a Miami trial where in March 2022, a jury found Aponte Figueroa guilty of carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The second trial happened in Fort Lauderdale, where in November 2022, a jury found Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa guilty of committing armed robbery of nine pawn shops in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties (and conspiring to do so), as well as killing a customer during a robbery in Little Havana. That jury also found Cruz guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the trial evidence, beginning in October of 2016, Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa, along with five previously convicted co-conspirators, agreed to commit armed robberies of pawn shops throughout South Florida. They would steal jewelry and resell it. Cruz would scout the pawn shops, then organize and direct the robberies.
After obtaining guns and tools from Cruz, the coconspirators would drive to the stores, commit the robberies, and return to Cruz’s home with the jewelry. Cruz would sell the stolen jewelry and give coconspirators their cut.
Shots were fired during robberies in Pembroke Park, West Park, and Miami, one of which resulted in the murder of an elderly customer at a Little Havana pawn shop.
The spree began to unravel after one pawn shop robbery in Hialeah, when officers with Hialeah Police Department arrested three of the robbers at the end of a high-speed chase.
Additionally, in May 2017, Aponte Figueroa and two co-conspirators carjacked at gunpoint an Uber driver while he slept in his minivan. After driving the victim throughout Miami-Dade County, Aponte Figueroa pointed a gun at him, stole his wallet, and shot the victim seven times, including close range shots to the head. The victim died.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Benham of the FBI Miami Field Office announced the life sentences.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, City of Hollywood Police Department, City of Miami Gardens Police Department, City of Palm Springs Police Department, and Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Jodi Anton prosecuted this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling the asset forfeiture aspect of the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 17-cr-20487.
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Life After Prison Fraught with Pitfalls for Returning CitizensRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida recently held a Re-Entry Simulation at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce to give community stakeholders a better idea of what former prisoners face when attempting to reintegrate into society.
Each participant was given a folder to review, which gave them an idea of what they’d face after being released from prison. They had to navigate a set-up that included paying utilities, housing, banking, and supervision obligations, among others.
“This will be unlike any training you’ve experienced,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “I went through it twice and it was punishment both times. You’re going to get various types of customer service. Not everyone is going to be helpful.”
Approximately 60 participants filled the auditorium. Training was broken down into four 20-minute sessions with each one representing one week in the life of a returning citizen. By the end of the first session, more than 40 participants were in “jail” for failing to complete certain tasks such as finding a job or a place to live.
“Oh, I see,” said one participant who previously had spent time in prison. “This is intentionally confusing.”
The training is designed to test patience and give attendees an idea of what it’s like to begin anew. It can be frustrating and real life is no different.
Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger, Fort Pierce Office, was an attendee and her assigned situation was particularly hard to navigate.
“I played the role of a young mother previously convicted of trafficking narcotics,” she said. “I had a part-time job and several times I tested positive on my urinalysis. It was frustrating, chaotic, and hopeless at times. I was returned to jail three times before I got it right.”
More than 2 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than eight out of every 10 youth offenders are arrested again within five years and 70 percent of all prisoners released in 2012 were arrested within five years.
“We make returning citizens jump over so many hurdles when they leave prison,” said Smith, “and then we wonder why they reoffend.”
Lack of employment can be a big trigger when it comes to reoffending. However, the easier it is for returning citizens to reintegrate, the more likely they are to become productive. When there’s a dead-end at every turn, it can feel like a “normal” life just isn’t worth it.
Society doesn’t do returning citizens any favors. Many are released from prison without a form of identification, which puts them behind the eight ball. Smith has railed against this for years.
“We preach about these lessons but getting folks to listen is the hard part,” he said. “Every time we hold one of these events people say they are going to change things but it doesn’t happen. Be the change you’d like to see. Make a difference.”
Lack of an ID is just one issue that hinders progress. According to Smith, returning citizens should be equipped with a list of service providers in the community to help them find health care, temporary housing, and other re-entry services.
“By not doing that, we’re doing ourselves a disservice because returning citizens are in our communities,” said Smith. “We should want them to do well. Imagine if a returning citizen in your community reoffends and causes harm to one of your family members. This really happens. We need to remove barriers to success … not put more in place.”
Barbara Galloway, a re-entry program facilitator with a Fort Pierce law office, understands the challenges facing returning citizens. She participated in the event at the counseling station and saw the frustrations participants had when things didn’t go right.
“Those with no experience with this were very upset when negative things—like being five minutes late for an appointment—happened,” she said. “I’d like to see more upper management go through this training … people who can influence change. Many don’t realize how difficult it is to work the system.”
One thing that can help is for organizations to partner with other community service providers to form a larger voice.
“Have meetings with like-minded people in city government, state government, and the judicial branch,” said Smith. “Work as a team to make it happen.”
Until then, Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section staff will continue to bring this training to various areas within the footprint of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This was the first re-entry training held in Fort Pierce.
“It was important to bring this to Fort Pierce so our stakeholders could experience a month in the life of a returning citizen,” said Lineberger. “It exposed the need for more planning and resource coordination before returning citizens are released. It really got the community talking about how best to reform re-entry in a positive way.”
Hate-fueled Robbery and Kidnapping Spree Ends in Federal Convictions for Miami ManRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 21-year-old Miami man who carjacked, kidnapped, and robbed five victims has pled guilty in South Florida federal court to 17 counts of violence. Stevenson Charles faces up to life in prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Charles admitted that from October 23 to November 6, 2022, he targeted gay men on Grindr, a social networking application for gay and bisexual people. In October 2022, Charles invited a man he met online to Charles’s Miami home for sex. After the man arrived, Charles pulled a gun on him. Charles then had the victim drive to two automated teller machines, withdraw over $1,000, and give it to him.
The following month, Charles invited a man he met on Grindr to a Miami location for sex. When the man arrived, Charles pulled a gun on him and demanded his cellular telephone. Charles scrolled through the pictures on the victim’s phone, some of which showed the victim with other men. Charles hit the victim with a gun several times, saying that he would kill everyone like the victim. Then, Charles forced the man to drive him to retail pharmacy stores, where Charles purchased items with the victim’s credit card.
Also, in November 2022, Charles met a different man on Grindr and arranged to meet him in Dania Beach for sex. Once there, Charles pulled a gun on the man and told him that he hated gay people and believed they should be punished. Charles forced the victim to drive to a home in Aventura, where the victim had been living with a couple. When they arrived, Charles pointed a gun at the couple and demanded money from them. Charles then forced the group into the victim’s car and instructed them to drive to automated teller machines, withdraw over $1,500, and give it to him.
Charles had the group drive back to the Aventura home, where he stole the couple’s phones. Charles left with the man he had met on Grindr, instructing the victim to drive to their initial meeting spot in Dania Beach. When they neared a secluded area by some railroad tracks, Charles shot the man several times, including once in the head. Despite the injuries, the victim was able to call 911 and survived. Law enforcement officers located Charles in Georgia and arrested him.
U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck will sentence Charles on April 24, in Miami. Charles faces up to life in prison and may be subject to a hate crime enhancement under the federal sentencing guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of FBI Miami announced the conviction.
This was a joint investigation between the FBI Miami Field Office, the City of Miami Police Department, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Aventura Police Department, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena Smukler and Dayron Silverio of the Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20596.
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Koreksyon: Kat Individi La Florid Arete nan yon Konplo pou Touye Prezidan Ayisyen a, Jiri Tabli a Emèt Akizasyon Ofisyèl kont 11Read the Press Release
KOREKSYON: Kominike de laprès orijinal ap korije pou reflete ke twa sitwayen ameriken ak yon rezidan pèmanan legal te arete jodiya. Akize Intriago se yon sitwayen ameriken (Venezyelyen/Ameriken), pa yon rezidan pèmanan legal.
MIAMI - Maten a, Fòsdelòd Federal Lèzetazini arete yon sitwayen ameriken ansanm ak de rezidan pèmanan ki abite LaFlorid ansanm ak yon sitwayen ameriken ki abite Tampa, konfòm ak plent kriminèl yo pou patisipasyon yo nan evènman asasina Prezidan Jovenel Moise d'Ayiti ki te fèt le 7 jiyè 2021. Aprè arestsyon yo, yon Jiri Tabli LaFlorid emèt yon nouvo akizasyon ki akize kat endividi sa yo, ansanm ak sèt lòt ki te deja arete ak akize Ozetazini pou swadizan wòl yo nan konplo a.
Men Kat endividi yo arete jodiya nan LaFlorid: Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50 lane, sitwayen Kolonbyen rezidan Miami epi rezidan pèmanan Lèzetazini; Antonio Inttriago, 59 lane sitwayen Venezyelyen rezidan Miami epi rezidan pèmanan Lèzetazini; Walter Veintemilla, 54 lane de Weston; ak Frederick Bergmann, 64 lane de Tampa.
Yap fè konparisyon inisyal yo jodiya a 2:00 de laprè midi nan Miami devan Jij Majistra Lauren Louis.
Ak tout arestasyon sa yo ki fèt jodiya, 11 moun pral fè fas a akizasyon sa yo nan Distri Sid LaFlorid ki gen rapò ak asasina a. Twazyèm nouvo akizasyon ofisyèl la akize Ortiz, Intriago ak Veintemilla ansanm ak James Solages de 37 lane, Joseph Vincent de 57 lane, ansanm ak German Alejandro Rivera Garcia de 44 lane, ke yo transfere ba otorite Lèzetazini mwa pase; Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios de 43 lane ke yo te arete an janvye 2022; Rodolphe Jaar, de 49 lane ke yo te arete an janvye 2022; ak Joseph Joel John, de 51 lane ke yo te arete an Me 2022. Akize sa yo ------Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Palacios, Jaar, ak John-----akize de konplo pou founi sipò ak resous esansyèl nan yon konplo pou kidnape oswa touye andeyò Lèzetazini, ki abouti nan lanmò; founi sipò ak resous esansyèl nan yon konplo pou kidnape oswa touye andeyò Lèzetazini ki abouti nan lanmò; ak konplo pou touye oswa kidnape yon moun andeyò Lèzetazini.
Nouvo akizasyon ofisyèl la akize tou Christian Emmanuel Sanon de 64 lane, ansanm ak Bergmann de: konplo pou komèt enfraksyon kont ekspòtasyon; soumèt ak bay fo enfòmasyon sou ekspòtasyon; ak kontrebann jilè parabal sòti Lèzetazini pou Haiti. Kankou Solages, Vincent ak Rivera, yo transfere Sanon de detansyon Ayisyèn pase a detansyon Lèzetazini mwa pase.
Daprè dokiman jiridik yo, depi apeprè fevriye 2021 a jiyè 2021, LaFlorid di Sid te sèvi antan ke lokasyon santral pou planifikasyon ak finansman konplo pou dechouke Moïse de pouvwa a ak ranplase l pa yo moun ki ta itil tout bi politik ak enterè finansye konplotè yo.
Ortiz ak Intriago an Tèt Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy ak Counter Terrorist Unit Security (ki fè ansanm CTU), Veintemilla an Tèt de Worldwide Capital Lending Group (Worldwide). CTU ak Worldwide se yon konpayi etabli nan LaFlorid di Sid. Bergmann, ki te abite Tampa te gen lyen ak Sanon, yon sitwayen ak doub nasyonalite Ayisyen-Ameriken ki te gen aspirasyon politik an Ayitti, daprè akizasyon ofisyèl yo.
Jan yo pretann la, an avril 2021, Ortiz, Intriago, John, Solages ak Sanon reyini nan le Sid LaFlorid epi mete yo dakò sou yon plan: Ortiz ak Intriago ---atravè CTU--- tap sipòte dechoukay Prezidan Ayisyen Moïse epi ranplase li ak Sanon. An echanj, yon fwa Sanon ta vinn Prezidan, li tap akòde kontra avantaje ba CTU pou pwojè enfrastrikti an Ayiti, mizandisponibilite fòs sekirite, ak mizandisponibilite ekipman tip militè ba gouvènman Ayisyen dirije pa Sanon, daprè sa yo pretann.
Yo pretann ke vè lafen avril 2021, Veintemilla ak konpayi liya Worldwide, konsanti pou ede finanse koudeta a, kote yo te pwolonje liy kredi CTU a, a $175,000 ak voye lajan ba konplotè yo an Ayiti pou minisyon. Veintemilla te prevwa yon gwo benefis finansye atravè Worldwide si yo ta ranplase Prezidan Moïse, menm jan ak Ortiz ak Intriago te prevwa jwenn atravè CTU.
Planifikasyon ak depans adisyonèl kontinye ap dewoule nan le Sid Laflorid de avril a jwen 2021, daprè akizasyon ofisyèl yo. Pa egzanp, Ortiz ak Intriago, antan ke Tèt CTU, reklite yon gwoup dapeprè 20 Kolonbyen ak fòmasyon militè (enkli Rivera ak Palacios) pou bay Sanon Sekirite. Bergmann te vinn tounnen yon sipòtè ak envestisè ki ede finanse lòjman Kolonbyen yo an Ayiti, epi li travay ansanm ak Sanon ak Intriago pou ekspedye 20 jilè parabal CTU soti nan le Sid LaFlorid ale an Ayiti ak falsifikasyon egizans dokimantasyon pou ekspòtasyon.
An jwen 2021, plan a vinn chanje lè Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla ak zòt aparaman vinn reyalize ke Sanon pat gen ni kalifikasyon konstitisyonèl yo ni sipò popilè ansyen Jij Tribinal Siprèm Haiti a. Yo chavire sipò yo de Sanon pou Jij Lakou Siprèm la. Nouvo kandida sa a siyen yon kontra ak CTU epi Worldwide pou sèvi enterè finansye konpayi yo yon fwa li ta vinn Prezidan.
Yo pretann tou, ke an jwen 2021, konplo a pase de yon plan pou retire Moïse pa lafòs de pouvwa a, a asasine li. Espesyalman, konplo a komanse konsantre sou asasina aprè yon efò rate pou yo te kenbe Prezidan Moïse lè l tounnen de youn nan vwayaj li yo ak fouke l nan yon avyon voye l nan yon lòt kote andeyò peyi a.
Daprè akizasyon ofisyèl yo de LaFlorid di Sid, Ortiz ak Intriago jere ak dirije tout lòt manm konplo a- enkli Solages, yon Reprezantan CTU an Ayiti (ki te kowòdine ak Vincent epi Sanon) ansanm ak Kolonbyen ki te patisipe nan asasina a (atravè Riviera ak/oswa yon lòt lidè Kolonbyen an Ayiti ke yo te touye pandan li tap eseye chape de lye asasina a).
Yo pretann ke John, yon ansyen Senatè Ayisyen, ak Jaar ede sekirize zam yo ak founi lòt sipò.
Le 6 jiyè 2021, tout konplotè yo reyini nan yon kay tou pre rezidans Prezidan Moïse kote distribisyon zam afe ak ekipman te fèt, ak kote yo anonse ke misyon an se touye Prezidan Moīse, daprè sa yo swadizan di. Le 7 jiyè 2021, plizyè endividi rive deyò rezidans Prezidan Moïse la, kote kèk ladann yo te gen jilè parabal mak CTU sou yo. Yo rantre nan kay Prezidan a epi yo touye l.
Si yo ta deklare Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Garcia, Palacios, Jaar ak John koupab yap kontanple yon santans a vi nan prizon. Bergmann ak Sanon ap kontanple 20 lane si yo ta deklare yo koupab. Yon Jij Tribinal Distri Federal va detèmine ki santans yap resevwa aprè li finn konsidere Direktiv Sou Santans Lézetazini ak lòt faktè de lalwa.
Se Pwokirè Distri Sid LaFlorid la, Markenzy Lapointe, Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman Jeneral Matthew G. Olsen de Seksyon Sekirite Depatman Lajistis la, Ajan Espesyal Responsab Entèrimè Maged Behman de Biwo Lokal FBI nan Miami, Ajan Espesyal Responsab ak Direktè Egzekitif Asosye Adjwen Envestigasyon Sekirite Nasyonal Anthony Salisbury ki fè anons la.
FBI ak HSI envestige dosye sa yo, ak bon jan asistans founi pa Depatman dEta, Biwo Alkòl, Taba, Zam afe ak Eksplozif, Biwo Endistri ak Sekirite, ak Sèvis Envestigasyon Kriminèl Depatman la Defans.
Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman Andrea Goldbarg ak Monica Castro de Distri Sid LaFlorid, Avoka Litij Frank Russo ak Jessica Fender de Seksyon Anti-Teworis Sekirite Nasyonal, ak Emma Ellenrieder de Seksyon Kont-entelijans ak Kontwòl Ekspò Sekirite Nasyonal kap jere dosye sa a. Adjwen Komisè Gouvènman Joshua Paster ap jere tout koze konfiskasyon byen yo. Biwo Afè Entènasyonal Depatman Lajistis te bay bon jan asistans.
Yon akizasyon ofisyèl se tou jis yon swadizan, tout akize prezime inosan jiskaske yo pwouve yo antò o dela de yon dout rezonab nan yon tribinal.
W ap jwenn tout lòt dokiman jidisyè ak enfòmasyon sou sit web Tribinal Distri pou Distri Sid LaFlorid sou www.flsd.uscourts.gov oswa sou http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.org.
Four Florida Men Arrested in Plot to Kill Haitian President, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 11Read the Press Release
MIAMI – This morning, U.S. federal law enforcement arrested a U.S. citizen and two legal permanent residents living in South Florida and one U.S. citizen living in Tampa pursuant to criminal complaints on charges relating to their participation in the events leading to the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti. Following the arrests, a South Florida grand jury returned a third superseding indictment charging these four individuals, along with seven others previously arrested and charged in the U.S., for their alleged roles in the plot.
The four men arrested in Florida today are: Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Antonio Intriago 59, a Venezuelan national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Walter Veintemilla, 54, of Weston; and Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa.
They are scheduled for initial federal court appearances today in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis.
With today’s arrests, 11 people now face charges in the Southern District of Florida in connection with the assassination. The third superseding indictment charges Ortiz, Intriago, and Veintemilla as well as James Solages, 37, Joseph Vincent, 57, and German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, who were transferred into U.S. custody last month; Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 43, arrested January 2022; Rodolphe Jaar, 49, arrested January 2022; and Joseph Joel John, 51, arrested May 2022. These defendants—Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Palacios, Jaar, and John—are charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; and conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States.
The superseding indictment additionally charges Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 64, and Bergmann with: conspiracy to commit export violations; submitting false and misleading export information; and smuggling ballistic vests from the United States to Haiti. As with Solages, Vincent, and Rivera, Sanon was transferred from Haitian custody into U.S. custody last month.
According to court documents, from at least February 2021 to July 2021, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust President Moïse from power and replace him with someone who would serve the coconspirators’ political goals and financial interests.
Ortiz and Intriago are principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security (collectively, CTU), and Veintemilla is a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group (Worldwide). CTU and Worldwide are South Florida companies. Bergmann, who lived in Tampa, had ties to Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen who held political aspirations in Haiti, say the charging documents.
As alleged, in April 2021, Ortiz, Intriago, John, Solages and Sanon met in South Florida and agreed to a plan: Ortiz and Intriago – through CTU – would support ousting Haitian President Moïse and replacing him with Sanon. In exchange, once Sanon became President, he would award lucrative contracts to CTU for infrastructure projects in Haiti, the provision of security forces, and the provision of military type equipment to a Sanon-led Haitian government, according to the allegations.
It is alleged that in late April 2021, Veintemilla and his company Worldwide, agreed to help finance the coup d’etat, extending a $175,000 line of credit to CTU and sending money to co-conspirators in Haiti to purchase ammunition. Veintemilla expected to reap significant financial benefits through Worldwide should President Moise be replaced as president, as did Ortiz and Intriago through CTU.
Further planning and spending continued in South Florida from April to June 2021, according to the charging documents. For example, Ortiz and Intriago, as principals of CTU, retained a group of about 20 Colombian nationals with military training (including Rivera and Palacios) to provide security to Sanon. Bergmann became a supporter and investor who helped fund the Colombians’ lodging in Haiti and worked with Sanon and Intriago to ship 20 CTU-branded ballistic vests from South Florida to Haiti by falsifying the required export documentation.
By June 2021, the plan evolved as Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla and others apparently realized that Sanon had neither the constitutional qualifications nor the popular support of the Haitian people to become President. They shifted their support from Sanon to a former Haitian Supreme Court judge. This new candidate contracted with CTU and Worldwide to serve the companies’ financial interests upon becoming President.
It is also alleged that by June 2021, the plot progressed from forcibly removing Moïse from power to assassinating him. In particular, the conspiracy began to focus on assassination after an unsuccessful effort to seize President Moïse on a return trip to Haiti and spirit him away by airplane to a location outside the country.
According to the charging documents, from South Florida, Ortiz and Intriago managed and directed other members of the conspiracy – including Solages, a CTU representative in Haiti (who coordinated with Vincent and Sanon) and the Colombian nationals who participated in the assassination (through Rivera and/or another Colombian leader in Haiti who was killed while attempting to leave the scene of the assassination).
It is alleged that John, a former Haitian Senator, and Jaar both helped secure weapons and provided other support.
On July 6, 2021, co-conspirators met at a house near President Moïse’s residence, where firearms and equipment were distributed, and it was announced that the mission was to kill President Moïse, according to the allegations. On July 7, 2021, several individuals arrived outside President Moïse’s residence, some of whom were wearing CTU-branded ballistic vests. They entered the President’s home and killed him.
If convicted, Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Garcia, Palacios, Jaar, and John face up to life in prison. Bergmann and Sanon face up to 20 years, if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations Anthony Salisbury.
FBI and HSI investigated these cases, with valuable assistance provided by Department of State, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Goldbarg and Monica Castro of the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Frank Russo and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Four Florida Men Arrested in Plot to Kill Haitian President, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 11Read the Press Release
This morning, U.S. federal law enforcement arrested two U.S. citizens and a legal permanent resident living in South Florida and one U.S. citizen living in Tampa pursuant to criminal complaints on charges relating to their participation in the events leading to the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti. Following the arrests, a South Florida grand jury returned a third superseding indictment charging these four individuals, along with seven others previously arrested and charged in the United States for their alleged roles in the plot.
The four men arrested in Florida today are: Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Antonio Intriago 59, a Venezuelan-American of Miami; Walter Veintemilla, 54, of Weston; and Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa.
They made their initial federal court appearances today at 2:00 p.m. in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis.
“Today, individuals who we allege participated in the planning, financing, and orchestration of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse will face justice in an American courtroom,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The court documents unsealed today outline an alleged plan by the defendants, some of whom were operating within the United States, to remove President Moise from office by either killing or kidnapping him in order to replace him with a candidate who would serve their political goals and financial interests. The Justice Department will not tolerate individuals plotting violent attacks from U.S. soil that undermine the rule of law abroad.”
“Today’s arrests show the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue the individuals involved in the brazen plot to kidnap or kill the former Haitian president,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “As demonstrated by this case, the men and women of the FBI will work tirelessly across borders and oceans to uphold the rule of law. The FBI will not tolerate these acts of violence perpetrated abroad against our international partners.”
“Today marks the culmination of a nearly two-year investigation into the assassination of President Moïse. Homeland Security Investigations special agents leveraged their authority to further investigative efforts with whole-of-government partners to bring justice to the Moïse family and people of Haiti,” said Deputy Secretary John K. Tien of the Department of Homeland Security. “The Department of Homeland Security is deeply committed to combating transnational organized crime. To those engaged in illicit activities, let today stand as a reminder that we remain relentless and vigilant in holding you accountable and dismantling your unlawful operations.”
With today’s arrests, 11 people now face charges in the Southern District of Florida in connection with the assassination. The third superseding indictment charges Ortiz, Intriago, and Veintemilla as well as James Solages, 37, Joseph Vincent, 57, and German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, who were transferred into U.S. custody last month; Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 43, arrested January 2022; Rodolphe Jaar, 49, arrested January 2022; and Joseph Joel John, 51, arrested May 2022. These defendants – Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Palacios, Jaar and John – are charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; and conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States.
The superseding indictment additionally charges Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 64, and Bergmann with conspiracy to commit export violations; submitting false and misleading export information; and smuggling ballistic vests from the United States to Haiti. As with Solages, Vincent and Rivera, Sanon was transferred from Haitian custody into U.S. custody last month.
“A central tenet of every democracy in the world is that those who want to change their government, must do so peacefully — through ballots, not bullets. These defendants thought they could secure immunity for their crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will now deliver justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“Haiti is no stranger to hardship and suffering. While most human beings would consider events that destroy hundreds of thousands of lives, homes, schools and infrastructure tragedies, there are others who consider them opportunities to gain money and power,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “When greed and ambition lead to violations of U.S. law, we will prosecute.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) leveraged its expertise in investigating transnational crime to identify the international network of co-conspirators who allegedly sought to overthrow the Haitian government through violence,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “HSI continues to work with domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate transnational criminal organizations that pose a significant threat to global security.”
According to court documents, from at least February 2021 to July 2021, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust President Moïse from power and replace him with someone who would serve the coconspirators’ political goals and financial interests.
Ortiz and Intriago are principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security (collectively, CTU), and Veintemilla is a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group (Worldwide). CTU and Worldwide are South Florida companies. According to charging documents, Bergmann, who lived in Tampa, had ties to Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen who held political aspirations in Haiti.
As alleged, in April 2021, Ortiz, Intriago, John, Solages and Sanon met in South Florida and agreed to a plan: Ortiz and Intriago – through CTU – would support ousting Haitian President Moïse and replacing him with Sanon. In exchange, once Sanon became President, he would award lucrative contracts to CTU for infrastructure projects in Haiti, the provision of security forces, and the provision of military type equipment to a Sanon-led Haitian government, according to the allegations.
It is alleged that in late April 2021, Veintemilla and his company Worldwide, agreed to help finance the coup d’etat, extending a $175,000 line of credit to CTU and sending money to co-conspirators in Haiti to purchase ammunition. Veintemilla expected to reap significant financial benefits through Worldwide should President Moïse be replaced as president, as did Ortiz and Intriago through CTU.
Further planning and spending continued in South Florida from April to June 2021, according to the charging documents. For example, Ortiz and Intriago, as principals of CTU, retained a group of about 20 Colombian nationals with military training (including Rivera and Palacios) to provide security to Sanon. Bergmann became a supporter and investor who helped fund the Colombians’ lodging in Haiti and worked with Sanon and Intriago to ship 20 CTU-branded ballistic vests from South Florida to Haiti by falsifying the required export documentation.
By June 2021, the plan evolved as Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla and others apparently realized that Sanon had neither the constitutional qualifications nor the popular support of the Haitian people to become President. They shifted their support from Sanon to a former Haitian Supreme Court judge. This new candidate contracted with CTU and Worldwide to serve the companies’ financial interests upon becoming President.
It is also alleged that by June 2021, the plot progressed from forcibly removing Moïse from power to assassinating him. In particular, the conspiracy began to focus on assassination after an unsuccessful effort to seize President Moïse on a return trip to Haiti and spirit him away by airplane to a location outside the country.
According to the charging documents, from South Florida, Ortiz and Intriago managed and directed other members of the conspiracy – including Solages, a CTU representative in Haiti (who coordinated with Vincent and Sanon) and the Colombian nationals who participated in the assassination (through Rivera and/or another Colombian leader in Haiti who was killed while attempting to leave the scene of the assassination).
It is alleged that John, a former Haitian Senator, and Jaar both helped secure weapons and provided other support.
On July 6, 2021, co-conspirators met at a house near President Moïse’s residence, where firearms and equipment were distributed, and it was announced that the mission was to kill President Moïse, according to the allegations. On July 7, 2021, several individuals arrived outside President Moïse’s residence, some of whom were wearing CTU-branded ballistic vests. They entered the President’s home and killed him.
If convicted, Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Garcia, Palacios, Jaar and John face up to life in prison. Bergmann and Sanon face up to 20 years if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of HSI Miami made the announcement.
The FBI and HSI investigated these cases, with valuable assistance provided by the Department of State; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement; and the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Goldbarg and Monica Castro for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Frank Russo and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Corrected: Four Florida Men Arrested in Plot to Kill Haitian President, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 11Read the Press Release
CORRECTION: The original press release is corrected to reflect that three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent were arrested today. Defendant Intriago is a U.S. citizen (Venezuelan American), not a legal permanent resident.
MIAMI – This morning, U.S. federal law enforcement arrested two U.S. citizens and a legal permanent resident living in South Florida and one U.S. citizen living in Tampa pursuant to criminal complaints on charges relating to their participation in the events leading to the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti. Following the arrests, a South Florida grand jury returned a third superseding indictment charging these four individuals, along with seven others previously arrested and charged in the U.S., for their alleged roles in the plot.
The four men arrested in Florida today are: Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Antonio Intriago 59, a Venezuelan American, Walter Veintemilla, 54, an Ecuadorian American of Weston; and Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa.
They are scheduled for initial federal court appearances today in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis.
With today’s arrests, 11 people now face charges in the Southern District of Florida in connection with the assassination. The third superseding indictment charges Ortiz, Intriago, and Veintemilla as well as James Solages, 37, Joseph Vincent, 57, and German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, who were transferred into U.S. custody last month; Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 43, arrested January 2022; Rodolphe Jaar, 49, arrested January 2022; and Joseph Joel John, 51, arrested May 2022. These defendants—Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Palacios, Jaar, and John—are charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; and conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States.
The superseding indictment additionally charges Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 64, and Bergmann with: conspiracy to commit export violations; submitting false and misleading export information; and smuggling ballistic vests from the United States to Haiti. As with Solages, Vincent, and Rivera, Sanon was transferred from Haitian custody into U.S. custody last month.
According to court documents, from at least February 2021 to July 2021, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust President Moïse from power and replace him with someone who would serve the coconspirators’ political goals and financial interests.
Ortiz and Intriago are principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security (collectively, CTU), and Veintemilla is a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group (Worldwide). CTU and Worldwide are South Florida companies. Bergmann, who lived in Tampa, had ties to Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen who held political aspirations in Haiti, say the charging documents.
As alleged, in April 2021, Ortiz, Intriago, John, Solages and Sanon met in South Florida and agreed to a plan: Ortiz and Intriago – through CTU – would support ousting Haitian President Moïse and replacing him with Sanon. In exchange, once Sanon became President, he would award lucrative contracts to CTU for infrastructure projects in Haiti, the provision of security forces, and the provision of military type equipment to a Sanon-led Haitian government, according to the allegations.
It is alleged that in late April 2021, Veintemilla and his company Worldwide, agreed to help finance the coup d’etat, extending a $175,000 line of credit to CTU and sending money to co-conspirators in Haiti to purchase ammunition. Veintemilla expected to reap significant financial benefits through Worldwide should President Moise be replaced as president, as did Ortiz and Intriago through CTU.
Further planning and spending continued in South Florida from April to June 2021, according to the charging documents. For example, Ortiz and Intriago, as principals of CTU, retained a group of about 20 Colombian nationals with military training (including Rivera and Palacios) to provide security to Sanon. Bergmann became a supporter and investor who helped fund the Colombians’ lodging in Haiti and worked with Sanon and Intriago to ship 20 CTU-branded ballistic vests from South Florida to Haiti by falsifying the required export documentation.
By June 2021, the plan evolved as Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla and others apparently realized that Sanon had neither the constitutional qualifications nor the popular support of the Haitian people to become President. They shifted their support from Sanon to a former Haitian Supreme Court judge. This new candidate contracted with CTU and Worldwide to serve the companies’ financial interests upon becoming President.
It is also alleged that by June 2021, the plot progressed from forcibly removing Moïse from power to assassinating him. In particular, the conspiracy began to focus on assassination after an unsuccessful effort to seize President Moïse on a return trip to Haiti and spirit him away by airplane to a location outside the country.
According to the charging documents, from South Florida, Ortiz and Intriago managed and directed other members of the conspiracy – including Solages, a CTU representative in Haiti (who coordinated with Vincent and Sanon) and the Colombian nationals who participated in the assassination (through Rivera and/or another Colombian leader in Haiti who was killed while attempting to leave the scene of the assassination).
It is alleged that John, a former Haitian Senator, and Jaar both helped secure weapons and provided other support.
On July 6, 2021, co-conspirators met at a house near President Moïse’s residence, where firearms and equipment were distributed, and it was announced that the mission was to kill President Moïse, according to the allegations. On July 7, 2021, several individuals arrived outside President Moïse’s residence, some of whom were wearing CTU-branded ballistic vests. They entered the President’s home and killed him.
If convicted, Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Garcia, Palacios, Jaar, and John face up to life in prison. Bergmann and Sanon face up to 20 years, if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations Anthony Salisbury.
FBI and HSI investigated these cases, with valuable assistance provided by Department of State, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Goldbarg and Monica Castro of the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Frank Russo and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Staff use Readings to get Children Excited about LiteracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Reading is crucial to a child’s educational development and future success. This is why staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida hold weekly readings for pre-kindergarten children in at-risk South Florida schools.
“Good morning, everyone,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney to a group of pre-kindergarten students at Robert Ingram Elementary School in Opa-locka. “Are you all excited? We have to begin a new book to keep building your vocabularies.”
The children got quiet, sat down, and listened with great attention as McKinney read books predominately about animals. In between books he would stand the children up and play a quick game with them before grabbing the next one from his bag.
“He has such an impact on these kids,” said Adriana Ruiz, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Robert Ingram Elementary School. “He sparks a curiosity about books. After he leaves, we have playtime and the children choose a book even though they can’t read it yet—they pretend. There is a big difference between having to read and wanting to read. Mark motivates them.”
That is the reason for this program, to build a solid educational base by giving children a love for reading.
“We’ve been doing these readings for at least six years,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “We started this because research indicates that if children don’t read at grade level by the end of the fourth grade, they start to fall behind their peers academically. This can result in many of them eventually dropping out.”
Research suggests that poor readers are, in fact, four times as likely to drop out of school. Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section staff organize these readings at schools in areas considered to be book deserts. These communities lack access to certain resources, books among them.
“Some of the most vulnerable pre-kindergarten kids don’t have access to a library so we bring books with us to help build up their home libraries and develop that love of reading,” said McKinney. “If they get that at an early age, it will help their odds of success in the future.”
Anyone interested in donating children’s books may do so by emailing U.S. Attorney’s Office staff at [email protected] or by calling (305) 961-9134.
Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Nicholas James Sorgenfrey, 38, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., who previously had been convicted of a sex offense, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material on his cell phone and cloud storage account.
According to the affidavit, Sorgenfrey uploaded child sexual abuse material to his cell phone service provider’s cloud storage system. A review of this content revealed material of prepubescent minors. After a search of his residence, Sorgenfrey admitted to using social media apps to obtain sexually explicit images and videos. A search of his phone revealed several videos depicting sexually explicit conduct of children, including preteen children.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon who sits in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
FBI and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC’s initiative and information regarding internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Procuring U.S. Citizenship Illegally During Execution of Multi-Million Dollar Covid-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Following a trial in Fort Lauderdale federal court, a jury has found Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 32, guilty of illegally obtaining his U.S. citizenship by lying about fraud that he committed while his citizenship application was pending.
According to evidence presented at trial, prior to April 2020, Philossaint – a Haitian national – had applied to become a U.S. citizen. While his U.S. citizenship application was pending, Philossaint engaged in a sophisticated Covid-19 fraud scheme. Specifically, from April 2020 through May 2021, Philossaint submitted fraudulent applications on behalf of 11 businesses seeking a total of about $3 million from Covid-19 relief programs. On December 15, 2020, while Philossaint’s wire fraud scheme was ongoing, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer interviewed Philossaint in connection with his citizenship application. During the sworn interview, Philossaint falsely stated that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested and that he had never made misrepresentations to receive a public benefit in the United States. Philossaint was naturalized as a U.S. citizen based on these false representations.
An indictment charged Philossaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money in connection with the Covid-19 relief application and with procuring naturalization contrary to law. Philossaint pled guilty to the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges and proceeded to trial on the immigration charge. The jury found him guilty on the immigration charge.
Philossaint is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29 at 9:00 a.m. in Ft. Lauderdale before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. In addition to any prison sentence that the judge imposes, Philossaint is subject to mandatory denaturalization after sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the conviction.
SBA OIG, USSS, FBI, IRS CI, and HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-80144.
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