Southern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Miami Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Home Invasion and ShootingRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Frankie David Vargas II of Miami has been sentenced to 27 years in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles for a two-day crime spree that involved carjacking, robbery, and a firearm.
According to court records, on August 17, 2021, Vargas drove a stolen car to a gym parking lot where he broke into nine cars and stole money, jewelry, and a handgun. Around 3:30 a.m. the next day he robbed a gas station attendant at gunpoint and stole cash from the register and the attendant’s phone.
Vargas ditched the car on the street a few hours later and walked to an apartment complex where he broke into one of the apartments through the downstairs window. He robbed the woman who was living there at gunpoint and shot her teenage son when he tried to help his mother. The bullet penetrated the shoulder and hit his lungs. Vargas then stole the keys to the son’s car, crashed it into another car, and sped off. Law enforcement tracked Vargas through the phone he had stolen from the gas station attendant and found him at another residence where he was arrested.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case with assistance from the City of Miami Police Department, the North Miami Police Department, and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn 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.
Dark Web Drug Dealer Sentenced to 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Anton Peck, 29, of Boca Raton, Fla., has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to 16 years in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Peck previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.
According to court records, between May 2021 and May 2022, Peck distributed narcotics from various dark web markets using the vendor profile “Syntropy.” After the transactions were carried out using cryptocurrency, Peck and co-conspirators Kevin Fusco and Vincent Banner mailed parcels containing fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine to cities around the country using the United States Postal Service.
Law enforcement agents were able to recover kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin from business and storage locations in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and New York City. Peck, the leader of the operation, obtained bulk amounts of narcotics, advertised them using the Syntropy vendor profile, orchestrated distribution, and collected customer payments. He possessed a list of more than 6,000 customers living in every part of the U.S.
On November 4, 2022, Fusco, 34, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to 11 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. Banner, 31, of Boynton Beach, Fla., is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2023, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), acting Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw announced the sentence.
DEA, Miami Field Division; FBI, Miami Field Office; USPS-OIG; USPIS, Miami Division; and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Funk and Lara Gatz 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 numbers 22-CR-80100-DMM, 22-CR-80056-RLR, and 22-CR-80113-RLR.
West Palm Beach Man and Others Indicted for Laundering Gambling and Prostitution Proceeds and Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
MIAMI— A federal magistrate judge has unsealed an 18-count superseding indictment charging West Palm Beach, Fla., resident Dion De Cesare, 52, and five others with operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiracy to use cellular telephones to carry out gambling and prostitution activities, conspiracy and substantive money laundering, and evading taxes.
The superseding indictment alleges that from around April 2008 and continuing to around November 2022, De Cesare and his front company, HERE LLC, used two commercial establishments, Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT, both of which provided an array of prostitution services to customers.
In addition, from May 2015 through September 2021, De Cesare allegedly conspired with others, including his co-defendants Josh Peasley, 62, of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Kelly Lizza, 41, of West Palm Beach, to operate a sports gambling business through dldsportsbook.com, a website out of Costa Rica where wagers on sporting events take place.
The superseding indictment also alleges that from 2011 to 2017, De Cesare owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach where between 2011 and 2013, and 2015 to 2016, he and his business partner failed to pay personal and payroll taxes which resulted in a substantial amount of tax debt due.
De Cesare allegedly conspired with Peasley, Lizza, and co-defendants Aundrey Aarons, 41, and Mark Paolantonio, 62, both of West Palm Beach, to launder his gambling proceeds by having gamblers who owed him money pay through third party entities and individuals. Nine West Palm Beach properties and one vehicle are subject to criminal forfeiture according to the superseding indictment.
De Cesare faces up to 50 years in prison for gambling, prostitution and money laundering. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, West Palm Beach Office; IRS-CI, Miami Field Office; and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto and Trial Attorney Francesca Bartolomey from the Tax Division at the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Laserna and William Zloch are handling asset forfeiture.
You may find related court documents and information 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.
Atlanta Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Offenses During Super Bowl LIV in MiamiRead the Press Release
MIAMI – An Atlanta sex trafficker has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for forcing a young woman and a girl into selling themselves for sex.
Anthony Bernard Carter was convicted in July by a federal jury in Miami of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; transporting a person to engage in sexual activity; sex trafficking of a minor; and transporting a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Evidence showed during trial that Carter trafficked the Adult Victim and Minor Victim for commercial sex in Atlanta before driving them in January 2020 to Miami, which was hosting Super Bowl LIV, to continue engaging in commercial sex. While in Miami, Carter advertised the victims for commercial sex in online advertisements and both engaged in commercial sex at his direction.
Carter came to the attention of law enforcement after taking the Minor Victim to a hotel to meet with a client who was actually an undercover officer from the Miami Beach Police Department. When law enforcement attempted to apprehend Carter upon his return to the hotel, he fled from law enforcement, nearly striking multiple pedestrians with the vehicle he was driving before abandoning it. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Carter in Atlanta.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Miami Beach Police Department Chief Richard Clements announced the sentence.
FBI, Miami Field Office, and Miami Beach Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lacee Elizabeth Monk and Jessica Kahn Obenauf 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
Visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org to learn more about the National Resource Hotline. Visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking to learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking.
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 no. 21-cr-20052.
Firearm Possession Results in Prison Time for South Florida Man with a Violent PastRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Markeith West, 28, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the court record, on May 30, 2021, a Fort Lauderdale Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by West and detained him on outstanding warrants. Before the vehicle was towed, an inventory search was conducted revealing a black 9mm Masada pistol loaded with ten rounds of ammunition in the vehicle’s center console. The firearm was processed for DNA evidence which linked West to it.
Prior to May 2021, West had been convicted of several felony offenses including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, strongarm robbery, felony battery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. West was placed under arrest and later released on bond.
In June 2022, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) learned that West had an Instagram account where he posted photographs and streamed live videos of himself in possession of firearms and ammunition magazines. Agents began monitoring the account and were able to determine the location depicted in the images. On June 28, 2022, a search warrant was executed on that location and agents found an American Tactical, Omni Hybrid, multi-caliber rifle and a Glock model G45, 9x19 (9mm) caliber pistol equipped with a loaded thirty-round magazine.
In August 2022, West pled guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, ATF, Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
ATF, Fort Lauderdale Field Office, investigated the case with assistance from Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita White 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.
Miami Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Payroll Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today Miami resident Ari P. Weingrad, 51, pled guilty to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The proceeding was held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis.
According to court documents, 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 from his employees but failed to pay approximately $850,000 in employment taxes owed to the IRS. 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 faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A sentencing date will be set by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney 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, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez and Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division are 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 22-CR-20342.
South Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Offenses Against Minor GirlsRead the Press Release
MIAMI — A 26-year-old Broward County man was sentenced today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to traffic minor girls for commercial sex.
On August 11, 2022, following a four-day trial, a federal jury found Kerby Brown Jr., aka “Slime,” guilty of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, attempted sex trafficking of a minor, and sex trafficking of a minor.
Brown conspired to traffic at least five minor girls for commercial sex between November 2018 and May 2019. Starting in November 2018, he worked to recruit three minor girls for commercial sex work at a hotel party. Brown successfully posted a commercial sex advertisement online for at least one of those minors—Minor Victim 1—who was 14 years old. At the time, Minor Victim 1 was a runaway.
Between January and February 2019, Brown trafficked 15-year-old Minor Victim 2 for commercial sex. Like Minor Victim 1, she was a runaway when Brown recruited her. He lured Minor Victim 2 under the guise of offering her a free place to stay. However, Brown later caused her to sell herself for commercial sex in order to contribute to costs. He drove Minor Victim 2 from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, Fla., where she engaged in commercial sex acts with strangers at his discretion. He then drove Minor Victim 2 back to Fort Lauderdale where she continued to engage in commercial sex acts.
Minor Victim 2 testified at trial that she forfeited the majority of proceeds from these commercial sex acts directly to Brown, who coordinated each encounter by using explicit photos of Minor Victim 2 to advertise to interested parties. During trial there was a voice recording where Brown had discussed Minor Victim 2 with an 18-year-old female co-conspirator.
Brown was arrested in May 2019 during a sex trafficking operation after he delivered his female co-conspirator for a commercial sex act with an undercover officer. In the car that Brown was driving, law enforcement found a 17-year-old girl. The only possessions the minor had with her were a cellular telephone and a purse containing condoms.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron LaFortune, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Miami Field Office; Hollywood Police Department Chief Chris O’Brien; and Fort Lauderdale Police Department Chief Patrick Lynn announced the sentence.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with the Hollywood Police Department, and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica K. Castro and Manolo Reboso.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood assembles 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.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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.
Miami Man Indicted for Laundering Millions in Health Care Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge has unsealed an indictment charging Miami resident Julio Arsenio Rodriguez, 61, with running a money laundering operation involving millions of Medicare and Medicaid health care fraud proceeds.
These proceeds stemmed from multiple clinics located throughout South Florida that allegedly provided durable medical equipment (DME) to eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Instead, the DME was never requested, needed, or supplied. These clinics received millions from Medicare and Medicaid and Rodriguez used his companies to launder those proceeds.
The indictment charges Rodriguez with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 14 counts of money laundering.
The conspiracy to commit money laundering and the act of money laundering are punishable by a penalty of 10-20 years in prison for each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar, Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the charges.
HHS-OIG, Miami Region, FBI, Miami Field Office, and the Florida Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Canzio is prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find related court documents and information 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.
Armed Highlands County Carjackers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon has sentenced Artavis Spivey, 21, of Winter Haven, Fla., and Daniel Zamot, 18, of Avon Park, Fla., to prison for armed carjacking. Spivey received 175 months in prison and Zamot received 70 months. Spivey received enhancements to his sentence for reckless endangerment during flight and obstruction of justice.
Spivey and Zamot both previously pled guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the court record, on February 17, 2022, at approximately 12:37 p.m., law enforcement received a 911 call advising that an armed carjacking had just taken place at Highlands Advanced Rheumatology and Arthritis Center in Avon Park. Law enforcement interviewed the victim of the carjacking, “J.S.” According to her statement, she was sitting inside her 2018 Lincoln MKC in the Highlands Rheumatology parking lot when a man, later determined to be Spivey, armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, approached her and demanded the keys to her vehicle. J.S. complied and gave Spivey her keys, after which he demanded her cellphone, which she also gave him. Spivey then told J.S. to exit and walk to the back of the vehicle and threatened to shoot her.
J.S. described Spivey as a black male with a slender build wearing sweatpants, a red or orange hooded jacket, and a facemask with holes for his eyes and mouth. J.S. stated that a second man, later determined to be Zamot, described as a heavier set black male, was standing at the rear of her vehicle when she was robbed. Zamot also was wearing sweatpants, a red or orange hooded jacket, and a facemask with holes for his eyes and mouth. Spivey and Zamot fled the scene in J.S.’s vehicle.
Law enforcement was able to track J.S.’s vehicle and learned that it was in Lee County, Fla. At approximately 3 p.m., law enforcement located the Lincoln and attempted to conduct a traffic stop in north Fort Myers, Fla. A vehicle pursuit ensued, during which Spivey and Zamot drove through several yards and almost crashed into another vehicle. They ultimately crashed into a patch of bushes. Spivey exited the vehicle from the front driver’s side and Zamot exited the vehicle from the passenger’s side. Both Spivey and Zamot fled on foot and were apprehended a short time later. Spivey was wearing a red hooded jacket when he was arrested.
While searching the vehicle, law enforcement recovered, among other things, two ski masks from behind the front passenger’s seat and a loaded black H&K 9mm semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine between the driver’s seat and center console. The firearm had been reported stolen out of Polk County, Fla. A loaded Cobra, .380 caliber semi-automatic firearm was found in the bushes where Zamot exited the vehicle. This particular firearm was reported stolen out of Osceola County, Fla.
Spivey had been released from prison on separate felony convictions on January 30, 2022, just 18 days before he and Zamot committed the armed carjacking.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office; Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman; and Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno made the announcement.
FBI, Fort Pierce Field Office, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
You may find related court documents and information 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-14026.
South Florida Political Campaign Consultant Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
MIAMI—Omar Smith, 42, of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., who has worked on South Florida political campaigns, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release for lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the information to which he pled guilty, in June 2020, Smith applied for a $212,500 forgivable, federally guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of A Star For I Inc., a Florida company he owned. To justify the requested loan amount, Smith claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that his company employed 30 people and spent an average of $85,000 each month on payroll. In fact, A Star For I Inc had zero employees and no payroll expenses. A bank in Utah approved A Star For I Inc.’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $212,500 to the company’s bank account in Florida.
Once the money hit the bank account in July 2020, Smith spent the next few months creating a paper trail to make it appear as if A Star For I Inc. had employees and was spending the PPP money on legitimate, approved expenses. Smith issued checks from the company bank account made out to others who did little or no work for A Star For I Inc.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M, Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Field Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan prosecuted it.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.
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. It does this 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 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 here.
You may find related court documents and information 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-60229.
South Florida Firearms Smuggler Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Firearms trafficker Jorge Chica-Giler, 28, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez to 262 months in prison for smuggling firearms from the United States to Ecuador.
Chica-Giler conspired to deal in, and smuggle, firearms out of the United States by directing co-conspirators to purchase firearms on his behalf, hide the firearms inside compressed air tanks, and send the firearms to a co-conspirator in Ecuador. Chica-Giler admitted to making eight shipments totaling at least 35 firearms, including several assault-rifles.
Co-defendants Rolando Alexei Pupo-Abrahantes and Nicolas Ayala assisted Chica-Giler in the conspiracy to smuggle firearms to Ecuador.
On the morning of the trial, Chica-Giler pled guilty directly to the court without a plea agreement. He admitted to his role in the conspiracy and to dealing firearms without a license, smuggling firearms from the United States, delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office; and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, Fort Pierce, and ATF, Fort Pierce, investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Justin Hoover 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-14035.
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Cambodian Officials and Six Co-conspirators Indicted for Taking Part in Primate Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Members of an international primate smuggling ring have been charged with multiple felonies for their role in bringing wild long-tailed macaques into the United States.
The eight-count indictment charges two officials of the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the owner/founder of a major primate supply organization and its general manager; and four of its employees with smuggling and conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act. The defendants facing these felony charges are:
- Omaliss Keo, 58, of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Director General of the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- Masphal Kry, 46, of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Deputy Director of the Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity for the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- James Man Sang Lau, 64, of Hong Kong, Founder/Owner Vanny Resources Holdings, Ltd., and Vanny Bio Research (Cambodia) Corporation Ltd.
- Dickson Lau, 29, of Hong Kong, General Manager Vanny Resources Holdings Ltd.
- Sunny Chan, a resident of Hong Kong, Deputy General Manager (Operations) at Vanny Group
- Raphael Cheung Man, 71, of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Public Relations and Export Manager for Vanny Bio Research (Cambodia) Corporation Ltd.
- Sarah Yeung, a Hong Kong resident and Finance Officer of Vanny Group
- Hing Ip Chung, 61, of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, General Manager of Vanny Bio Research (Cambodia) Corporation Ltd.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 5 years in prison on the charge of conspiracy in count 1 and up to 20 years imprisonment on each of the smuggling charges in counts 2 through 8. There also are potential fines with respect to each count of up to $250,000 or twice the financial gain to the defendants.
Kry was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, which resulted in the unsealing of the indictment.
According to allegations of the indictment, long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), sometimes known as crab-eating macaques, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and require special permits in order to be imported into the U.S. Such documents enable the Convention parties to monitor the effects of the volume and type of trade to ensure trade is legal and not detrimental to the survival of listed species. The long-tailed macaque has been regulated under CITES since 1977. The provisions of CITES are implemented in the U.S. through the Endangered Species Act (ESA). CITES permits are individually numbered and include detailed information about the shipment, including a source code, which advises whether the animal was bred in captivity or taken from the wild.
The indictment further alleges that James Lau and Dickson Lau, operating from Hong Kong, owned and managed a series of related corporations that conspired with black market collectors and corrupt officials in Cambodia to acquire wild-caught macaques and launder them through the Cambodian entities for export to the U.S. and elsewhere, falsely labelled as captive bred.
In order to make up for a shortage of suitable monkeys at the putative breeding facilities in Cambodia, the co-conspirators enlisted the assistance of the CITES authority in Cambodia and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to deliver wild-caught macaques taken from national parks and protected areas in Cambodia. These macaques were taken to breeding facilities and provided false CITES export permits. A collection quota of 3,000 “unofficial” monkeys was allowed for which MAFF officials received cash payments.
The conspiracy charge of the indictment lists 31 representative “overt acts” undertaken by one or more of the co-conspirators in their efforts to carry out their criminal enterprise. These include meetings, financial transactions, shipments of hundreds of macaques—wild caught mixed in with captive bred—to locations in Florida and Texas under false documents. Wild long-tailed macaques also were said to have been delivered by defendant Kry and other employees of MAFF to a facility in Pursat, Cambodia.
Between December 2017 and September 2022, Kry is alleged to have taken part in conversations regarding the pricing for wild macaques to be captured and delivered to monkey breeding facilities operated by the co-conspirators. Kry, who participated personally in delivering these “unofficial” macaques to the facilities, including Vanny Bio Research (Cambodia) Corporation Ltd., also was provided payments for the illegal monkeys from the co-conspirators.
“The macaque is already recognized as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “The practice of illegally taking them from their habitat to end up in a lab is something we need to stop. Greed should never come before responsible conservation. Cases like this put us in a position where we can make a difference.”
Tracking and bringing those responsible for illegal import to justice is the first step in making that difference.
“Masphal KRY, a government official for the Cambodian Forestry Administration, will face justice in America as he was arrested today for his role in an alleged conspiracy to unlawfully import contrary to United States law and is purported to be involved in the importation of non-human primates, specifically long-tail macaques from Southeast Asia into the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, N.J., Field Office. “HSI will continue to investigate customs violations impacting the United States and will partner with its federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Internal Revenue Service by leveraging all of our authorities to stop people and organizations from violating our laws—regardless of where they reside in the world.”
Investigations like these take a collaborative effort over a significant time period to yield results.
“Wild populations of long-tailed macaques, as well as the health and well-being of the American public, are put at risk when these animals are removed from their natural habitat and illegally sold in the United States and elsewhere," said Edward Grace, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director, Office of Law Enforcement. "The Service spearheaded this complex, multi-year investigation that exposes the large-scale illegal laundering of wild long-tailed macaques for use in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. We led multiple U.S. federal agencies to provide a one-government approach to end the wholesale poaching of long tailed macaques from the wild and shut down this criminal organization."
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward J. Grace, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Atlanta, and Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Newark, N.J., Field Office, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement; HSI, Newark, N.J., Field Office; HSI, Miami Field Office; and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Emily Stone are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, or other wildlife crimes, you may contact 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,
Lantana, Fla., Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Sean Christopher Finnell, 51, of Lantana, Fla., has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing thousands of images of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM).
A CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed that Finnell had emailed himself CSEM in an effort to send the material from one of his devices to another.
In August 2020, Lantana Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, executed a search warrant at his one-bedroom residence, where he lived alone. During the investigation, law enforcement found more than 11,000 images of CSEM. Evidence showed that Finnell found CSEM online, saved the images by screenshotting them, and sent the images to new electronic devices he later acquired.
He was convicted by jury on March 30, 2022.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, HSI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, West Palm Beach, and Lantana Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Schiller and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement.
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.
Armed Fort Pierce Drug Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Kwuan Montrell Baker, 32, of Fort Pierce, Fla., has been sentenced to 90 months in prison for armed drug trafficking by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
Baker previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the court record, on April 6, 2021, deputies from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a Chevy Silverado in Fort Pierce, in which Baker was a passenger. Shortly after Baker was removed from the vehicle, law enforcement seized a loaded Smith & Wesson, Model 22A, .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol from his waistband. A search of Baker further revealed several plastic sandwich bags and multiple capsules that contained two grams of fentanyl and $1,314 in U.S. currency. Baker ultimately admitted he had intended to distribute the seized fentanyl and that he possessed the loaded firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken J. Mascara made the announcement.
ATF, Miami Field Division, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Porter and Luisa Berti.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It can be deadly even in small doses. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. More than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida also has seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2020, more than 6,150 people died in Florida from overdoses involving fentanyl and illicit alterations of fentanyl.
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.
Dominican Drug Lord Pleads Guilty to Importing Tons of Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –Dominican drug lord Cesar Emilio Peralta-Adamez, also known as “El Abusador,” plead guilty to drug trafficking charges, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
On November 28, 2018, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against Peralta, charging him with conspiracy to import heroin and cocaine into the customs territory of the United States (Counts One and Two) and with distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine for purposes of unlawful importation into the United States (Count Three). Subsequently, Peralta was arrested in Colombia and extradited to Puerto Rico.
On November 4, 2022, Peralta plead guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to Count Two of the Indictment which charged that:
From in or about and between 2007 through June 2017, both dates being approximate and inclusive, from the countries of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, the Netherlands Antilles, Cesar Emilio Peralta, the defendant herein, did intentionally and knowingly combine, conspire, and agree with other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to import into the customs territory of the United States, from places outside thereof, five (5) kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. All in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960, and 963.
As part of the proceedings, Peralta also entered a plea of guilty for Count One of an Indictment stemming from the Southern District of Florida (SDFL) which was transferred to the District of Puerto Rico for sentencing purposes. In SDFL, Peralta was charged with Distribution of Cocaine for purpose of unlawful importation.
Peralta was the leader of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) based in the Dominican Republic. This TCO transported multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to Puerto Rico and the continental United States.
“This conviction demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to maximize our multi-agency efforts to bring to justice those who disregard our laws and smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico and the continental United States.”
The defendant agreed to forfeit four properties and one business in the Dominican Republic that were controlled by Peralta:
1. Flow Gallery Lounge in Santo Domingo;
2. La Koura Club in Santo Domingo;
3. Aqua Club, in Santo Domingo;
4. Al Panino, in Santo Domingo; and
5. Peralta Investment, SA.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Attorney General designated Peralta as an OCDETF Consolidated Priority Organizational Target (CPOT) in 2017. The Attorney General’s (AG) Interagency CPOT list is comprised of leaders who exercise “command and control” of the elements of the most prolific drug trafficking/money laundering organizations that have the greatest impact on the United States’ illicit drug supply. The CPOT list represents the “most wanted” of the cartel leadership and ensures that the full capabilities of the U.S. government are focused, in a coordinated and clear manner, on a group of agreed-upon high-level targets.
Since 2017, the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) has been investigated by agents assigned to the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The CCSF is a multi-agency OCDETF strike force comprised of federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the collaboration from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, FURA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, and the IRS.
Peralta’s DTO was also investigated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. On August 20, 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Peralta and his Drug Trafficking Organization as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Max J. Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jawayria Z. Auchter.
Peralta faces a possible sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2023 at 2:00 pm before Judge Pedro A. Delgado Hernández.
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South Florida Man Charged with COVID-19 Relief Fraud Allegedly Spends Loan Money on Exotic Sport CarsRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Andre Lorquet, 38, of Miami made his first appearance today in federal magistrate court and was charged with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief loans and grants under the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Relief Program, and the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant.
According to allegations in the indictment, Lorquet submitted fraudulent applications seeking more than $4.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. In the applications, Lorquet falsified his revenue and payroll and submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms. In addition, Lorquet is alleged to have submitted documents pretending to be, and in the name of, a certified tax preparer.
According to the charges, Lorquet received approximately $4.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the fraudulent scheme and is alleged to have used the proceeds to purchase—among other things—a Tesla Plaid, a Tesla Model S, a Lamborghini Urus, and a Porsche Panamera GTS.
The indictment charges Lorquet with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael E. Buckley, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is prosecuting it and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
An Indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Charity Operator Charged with Diverting Millions of Dollars of Charitable Funds and Evading Federal Income TaxRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Douglas Sailors, 71, formerly of Parkland, Fla., and now living in Owensboro, Ky., was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as subscribing to a false tax return.
As set forth in the indictment, from approximately 2009 through 2018, Sailors formed and operated charities for his personal benefit. He hand-picked nominees to serve as board of directors and officers of the charities to conceal his participation in the fraud scheme. Sailors also had a nominee apply for tax exempt status from the IRS and secure a nonprofit designation. To confuse donors, he chose names that sounded similar to legitimate charities—such as Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund; Disabled Veterans Services; United States Firefighters Association, among others.
To further the scheme, Sailors directed the officers and directors of the charities to pay unreasonable fees to management companies owned by nominees yet controlled by Sailors. These management fees were the proceeds of the fraud scheme, which Sailors appropriated for himself to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Sailors used lawyers and accountants to create opinion letters that falsely stated that the fees paid to him were reasonable. He diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from a charity that was intended to financially support nurses in the Dominican Republic. Management fees were deposited in a defined benefit pension plan where Sailors unlawfully withdrew those funds for his personal benefit and failed to report the income on his personal income tax returns.
Sailors faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 29 years and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount of the gross gain or gross loss.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Robert Dewitt, acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS-CI and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan are prosecuting it.
An Indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Three Miami Men Found Guilty of Pawn Shop Robbery Spree and MurderRead the Press Release
MIAMI—Three Miami men have been found guilty by a Fort Lauderdale jury on all counts of a 21-count indictment—including robbery and murder.
Jonathan Cruz (“Cruz”), 36, Eric Ortiz Melendez (“Ortiz Melendez”), 28, and Jorge Aponte Figueroa (“Aponte Figueroa”), 25, were charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies and the actual carrying out of committing Hobbs Act robberies of nine pawn shops in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. The men brandished and discharged firearms in furtherance of those robberies and murdered a pawn shop customer in Little Havana. Additionally, Cruz was found guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to trial evidence, beginning in October 2016, Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa, along with their five previously convicted co-conspirators, agreed to commit armed robberies of pawn shops throughout South Florida in order to obtain jewelry to illicitly sell. Cruz organized and directed the teams of robbers after scouting the desired locations. Cruz provided the guns and tools needed for the robberies.
The men would travel from Cruz’s home, rob the stores, then return to Cruz’s place. Cruz would then sell the stolen jewelry to an unknown person and give each defendant his cut of the profits. Trial evidence also showed that during robberies in Pembroke Park, West Park, and Miami, the robberies resulted in multiple shootings—one of which resulted in the murder of an elderly pawn shop customer in Little Havana.
The robbery spree began to unravel once three of the defendants were caught during a high-speed chase by the Hialeah Police Department after an armed robbery in that city. According to evidence, the remaining members of the group were planning their next heist in Miami Gardens by the time Cruz was arrested.
Sentencing for all three has been set for February 9, 2023. A]ponte Figueroa also was convicted after trial in March of 2022 of carjacking and murder. The sentencing in that matter has been set for January 4, 2023.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office; the Miami-Dade Police Department; the City of Miami Police Department; the Hialeah Police Department; the City of Hollywood Police Department; the City of Miami Gardens Police Department; the City of Palm Springs Police Department; and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Jodi Anton.
Anyone with information related to possible gun crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 17-cr-20487.
Middle Schoolers Participate in Mock Trial During Recent Field Trip to U.S. Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida recently hosted middle school students from Jane S. Roberts K-8 Center in Miami for a legal field trip.
The students, who were part of the school’s Student Government Association, saw inmate testimonial videos and participated in a mock trial in a federal courtroom. The videos showed impassioned pleas from inmates urging viewers to make better choices.
“I wasted my life … I wasted it,” said one former gang member, currently incarcerated and serving 25 years to life for murder.
Pre-COVID-19, inmates spoke to students in person. However, the messages—even over video—were powerful. Approximately 92 percent of those prosecuted in federal court either plead guilty or are convicted.
“I think this is eye opening,” said Jaclyn Marrero, an intensive reading teacher at Jane S. Roberts K-8 Center. “It gives our students a feel for what life truly is about. It teaches them morals, values, and integrity. It’s important to understand how the real world operates versus what they see on television.”
Sometimes it comes down to a single choice that can have a lasting impact.
“Bad decisions can have negative consequences that affect your life for years,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “Every day you must decide whether to be a good person or a bad person. As you get older, we encourage you all to make smart choices.”
The students then rode up to the eleventh floor and borrowed a courtroom for the mock trial. This is the sixth year that USAO-SDFL has hosted this activity.
“We used to take students up to an empty federal courtroom to see how imposing they are, but then we thought it was a perfect location for a life lesson,” said Smith. “Students could play all the roles in a trial and learn more about the criminal justice system.”
The young men and women jumped at the chance to be prosecutors and defense attorneys, with six on each side. One swore in witnesses as the clerk and 16 students made up the jury. The case involved a death due to hazing. Litigators studied the case, stood at the microphone, and did their best to sway the jury. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Thompson presided as judge.
In the end, the prosecutors were too much for the defense team. The defendant was found guilty on all counts.
“We hope to teach the students to be good people to their families, friends, communities, and country,” said Smith. “If we reached only one student today, then it was time well spent.”
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Florida Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Luke Joselin, 36, of Coral Springs, Fla., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for seeking nearly $2 million in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to the evidence presented during a three-day trial in August 2022, Joselin and his co-conspirators, Judlex Jean Louis and Renaldo Harrison, flooded online loan processors with multiple fraudulent PPP loan applications. They used increasingly brazen tactics and sought more and more money as the scheme progressed.
Joselin first applied for and received a PPP loan of about $27,000 for his nonexistent sole proprietorship. He used a fake social security number and fake tax documents. He then coached Harrison and Jean Louis on how to do the same. Joselin and Jean Louis then applied for several more similarly sized PPP loans in the names of people whose identities they had stolen.
After obtaining these smaller-dollar PPP loans, Joselin, Harrison, and Jean Louis began submitting PPP loan applications worth around $180,000 for companies they controlled. These larger-dollar applications were typically for companies that had no real operations and also were supported by fake tax forms, including one form that Joselin, Harrison, and Jean Louis recycled in multiple applications, changing only the company name.
Following trial, a federal jury convicted Joselin of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, a federal judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida also ordered Joselin to serve three years of supervised release and pay $812,857 in restitution and $396,477 in asset forfeiture.
Jean Louis and Harrison were charged separately and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their roles in the scheme.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office; and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Miami Office, made the announcement.
USSS and IRS-CI investigated the case, with assistance from the Coral Springs Police Department: Economic Crimes Unit; the Broward County State Attorney’s Office; and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiran N. Bhat and Michael B. Homer prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Raemy Charest-Turken handled asset forfeiture.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: here.
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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Fort Lauderdale Man Sentenced to Prison for String of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Robert Willis Jr., 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been sentenced to 145 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Rodney Smith for his participation in a string of bank robberies.
According to court records, between March 23-26, 2022, Willis entered three banks and demanded money while warning tellers he had a gun. On March 26, 2022, he entered TD Bank located at 1371 West Palmetto Boulevard in Boca Raton, Fla. He approached and passed a note to the teller which read, “I have a gun. Do not give me dye money. Do not give me mark money. Do not push any buttons or you will die. Empty your drawers now.”
The victim teller gave Willis more than $6,000 in U.S. currency, including a bait bill pack that contained a GPS tracking device. As he left the bank’s parking lot, a bank manager was able to photograph the getaway vehicle’s license plate. Willis’s Mitsubishi Outlander soon was spotted by Broward County Sheriff’s deputies. Willis fled the marked police cars, crashing into multiple vehicles and eventually flipping his own car onto its side near the corner of US 441 and Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac, Fla. Most of the cash, including the bait bill pack, was recovered near the crash site.
Willis, who’d had multiple prior convictions for armed/strongarm robbery, also had been convicted of attempted murder.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Office, investigated this case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Boca Raton Police Services Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita White prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Two Leaders and an Associate of Little Havana Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Decades in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Following a nine-week trial ending in guilty verdicts, two leaders and an associate of a violent drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood have been sentenced to prison terms.
Ulysses Cabrera, a/k/a “Uley,” a/k/a “Big Cuz,” 32, was sentenced to 372 months’ imprisonment. Bernardo Quinonez, a/k/a “Macho,” 34, was sentenced to 382 months’ imprisonment. Victor Smith, a/k/a “OGP,” 26, was sentenced to 330 months’ imprisonment.
From 2013 to 2018, Cabrera and B. Quinonez, both of Miami, led a continuing criminal enterprise that distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the streets of Little Havana. Cabrera supplied the cocaine and managed the operation. B. Quinonez was a co-manager who supervised the people turning the cocaine into crack inside local homes. Smith oversaw the street-level drug sales. When rival drug dealers threatened the territory that they controlled or questioned their authority, Cabrera and B. Quinonez directed Smith and other armed members of the ring to intimidate, maim, and, in some instances, kill people. Innocent bystanders were sometimes shot and injured. Cabrera and B. Quinonez laundered the dirty drug money in various ways, including buying Opa-Locka real estate.
Law enforcement seizures in this case included approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, several grams of crack cocaine, more than 26 pounds of marijuana, four assault rifles, 10 pistols, 10 extended magazines, 10 semi-automatic firearms, a short barrel rifle, a revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The jury convicted Cabrera of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, four counts of money laundering crimes, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury convicted B. Quinonez of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of drive-by shooting, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of money laundering, seven counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of maintaining an establishment to distribute controlled substances. It convicted Smith of one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as one count of armed robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami; Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez, III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Manuel A. Morales, Chief of Police, City of Miami Police Department (MPD); and Gadyaces S. Serralta, U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case and prosecution were carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
This investigation, Operation Havana Ghost, is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
ATF Miami, MDPD (including the MDPD Street Terror Offender Program (STOP)), MPD, FBI Miami, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen D’Angelo and Rilwan Adeduntan are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff 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 18-cr-20946.
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Simulation Training Shows Community Stakeholders What it’s Like for Former Inmates to Reintegrate into SocietyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Many criminal justice professionals have tried this exercise and struggled. It’s not easy, but a recent Re-Entry Simulation training held at Riverside House in Miami gave community stakeholders a look at what it’s like for former inmates trying to make it in society.
Sponsored by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, this simulation used real-life situations to test the patience and resolve of staff from Riverside House (a halfway house), churches, and other non-profit organizations. Each attendee was faced with common hurdles to re-entry such as trying to re-enter the work force, complying with supervision obligations, finding affordable housing, and just getting their lives in order.
Stations such as quick loan, pawn shop, social services, counseling, drug testing, church, career center, and others lined the walls of the conference room and participants had to visit them for either tasks or assistance. The simulation was broken into four 20-minute segments, which equaled four weeks in the life of a returning citizen. All tasks had to be completed each week or the participant wound up in jail.
The difficulty of the simulation came as a surprise to participants.
“The first couple of weeks are very tough,” said Candido Tejado, Riverside House facility director. “It gets better as it progresses but it’s frustrating in the beginning. We were laughing before it started because you know, it’s a simulation, but we ended up getting upset. There was a lot of misinformation and catch-22s. How can you move forward?
Simulation Moderator and Chief of the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office J.D. Smith gave encouragement to the participants as the weeks played out.
“This is the reality,” he said. “You’re learning first-hand. Welcome to the club. I learned that too. You can do this. Don’t give up on yourself.”
If this is the reality, with the barriers and frustration when trying to re-enter society, it’s no wonder some reoffend. That is why trainings like this are great for community members to experience. Perhaps it will lead to more empathy and the feeling of walking in someone else’s shoes.
“I think the participants learn the barriers and hurdles that our folks face when transitioning back into society,” said Smith. “Society requires you to pay your debt, but when you get out of prison, society makes you pay again. When they get out of prison, society sets up barriers when we should be knocking down those barriers. This is eye opening.”
Riverside House Chief Operating Officer David McSherry did this simulation one time before, but on this day he manned a Career Center table.
“People like me come to work, go home, and live a normal life,” he said. “But Riverside residents cannot come and go as they please. It’s important to see these situations from both sides. We all have the same passion to serve our reintegration population and it’s important to show empathy to those doing that.”
South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Committed to Combatting Election CrimesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez announced today that his Office will be working closely with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington and FBI Miami to investigate and prosecute violations of federal election laws in connection with the upcoming November 8th general election.
Federal election laws prohibit the following:
- threating violence against election officials or staff,
- intimidating or bribing voters,
- buying and selling votes,
- impersonating voters,
- altering vote tallies,
- stuffing ballot boxes, and
- marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District is committed to prosecuting such violations.
For example, following an investigation by FBI Miami, the Office recently charged a South Florida man with threatening election workers during the August primary election. According to the charges, while at the polling station, the defendant made a statement about killing them one by one or blowing the place up. Later, he pointed his finger and thumb in a gun-like fashion towards election workers. If convicted, the defendant in case number 22-60205-CR-Ruiz faces up to five years in federal prison.
The South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office, working closely with the FBI Miami, will respond to voting rights and election fraud concerns while the polls are open for the upcoming election. To report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses in the Southern District of Florida, contact FBI Miami at 754-703-2000.
Please note, however, that anyone in imminent or potentially imminent danger, should immediately call 911 before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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South Florida Jilted Lover Who Sought Murderer Through Mail Sentenced to 84 MonthsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A 43-year-old Pembroke Pines, Florida man who used the United States postal service to solicit, plan, and pay for the murder of his former girlfriend’s new love interest was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 84 months in federal prison.
Earlier this year, Ryan Hadeed pled guilty to a charge of using the mail to commit murder-for-hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1958.
In September 2021, Hadeed mailed a letter to an intended hitman requesting murder services: “I need someone eliminated. I've been told you can arrange that. $10,000 All in cash and upfront. Person located in Tampa.” In that letter, and two later ones, Hadeed instructed the hitman to signal acceptance of the offer by posting marked sheets of paper on a store-front window, among other things.
On November 10, 2021, the intended hitman received a final mailing from Hadeed that included a description and pictures of the man that Hadeed wanted killed, the victim’s home address and likely travel schedule, as well as a deadline for the murder. Also inside the envelope was $10,000 cash.
Hadeed left the country on a one-way ticket the same day the hitman received the cash and pictures. During a secondary customs inspection of Hadeed when he returned to the U.S. from his international trip, additional evidence of the crime was uncovered. Law enforcement officers, who had learned of the crime, arrested Hadeed. Federal prosecutors filed a case against him in December 2021.
The intended victim, who remains alive, is romantically involved with Hadeed’s former girlfriend.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael E. Buckley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Miami Field Office; Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Region; and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Miami Region, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.
HSI Miami, USPIS Miami, and FDLE investigated the case, with assistance from Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph A. Cooley and Deric Zacca are 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-60009.
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North Bay Village City Commissioner Who Pretended to be Law Firm’s Paralegal to See Lover at ICE Detention Center Convicted of Federal CrimeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Julianna Clare Strout, 36, has been convicted of lying to get into a federal immigration detention center in Miami to see her romantic partner. Strout has served as a North Bay Village City Commissioner since November 2018. Her term expires this November.
Strout pled guilty to a federal information charging her with attempting to enter, and entering, a federal facility using fraud and false pretenses.
In October 2021, Krome Service Processing Center (Krome) temporarily suspended social visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal visits, however, were permitted.
Three times in October 2021, Strout entered Krome by lying to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials about her reason for visiting. Strout told officials that she worked as a paralegal for a particular law firm and that she needed to visit a detainee to have legal documents signed. In addition, Strout presented officials with a letter on the law firm’s letterhead.
In fact, the law firm never authorized Strout to use its letterhead or visit Krome on its behalf. Strout had never worked for the law firm. Instead, she was romantically involved with the detainee.
On one occasion, after initially being denied entry, Strout presented to officers at Krome her North Bay Village Commissioner badge, explained that she was a public official, and asked to enter Krome on that basis.
Immediately following the guilty plea, Strout was sentenced to one-year probation and 50 hours of community service.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Garrett J. Ripa, Field Office Director, ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Miami Field Office, and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
ICE, ERO Miami and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Daya Nathan 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 22-cr-20428-Williams.
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Former Charter School Board President Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Embezzlement and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Federal District Court Judge Rodney Smith has sentenced Jimika Williams to 40 months in prison for embezzling federal funds.
A jury convicted Williams (also known as Jimika Mason) in March of two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and 18 counts of wire fraud.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Williams was the president of Advancement of Education in Scholars Corporation (AESC), a Florida non-profit that operated Paramount Charter School (PCS) located in Broward County. PCS received federal funding through Title 1, which is only paid to a school if more than 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced cost lunches. PCS also received state funding, paid through the School Board of Broward County.
The trial evidence also established that Williams was the president of another Florida corporation, Florida Scholars Educational Services Corporation (FSESC). Between 2015 and June 2017, Williams unlawfully made payments to herself from AESC’s business account totaling nearly $390,000. This money’s intended use was to operate PCS. Instead, the funds were transferred/deposited into an FSESC account and used for Williams’ personal purchases, which included vehicle payments, a private school, rent, and other personal expenses.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Reginald J. France, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Southeastern Regional Office, announced the sentence.
FBI Miami and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Southeastern Regional Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia Wood and Eric Morales prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-60135.
Trinidad & Tobago Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Using Social Media to Solicit Sexual Exploitation Material from Teen GirlRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Lake Worth, Fla., man who pretended to be a teenage boy to get a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina to send him nude videos of herself was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release on charges of production of child sexual exploitation material.
Beginning in 2020, Olinto Lynch, a.k.a. “Olintonaruto,” communicated with at least two 13-year-old girls on a social media application. Lynch told the girls he was a teenager and used sexually charged conversations to request things from them. He promised gifts and preyed upon their troubled lives. His relationship with one of the girls lasted more than a year and he even drove to South Carolina to meet her. The second relationship lasted several weeks and he convinced the girl to produce images and inappropriate videos. This stopped when the second child’s mother uncovered the conversations and reported Lynch’s social media profile to the FBI.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Lynch’s social media account as well as his Lake Worth residence. There it was discovered that he was from Trinidad & Tobago and had been residing illegally in the United States since March 2020. Agents found sexual exploitation videos of the second girl on his phone, to which he confessed.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI West Palm Beach investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
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 20-cr-80087.
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Don’t be Silent on Environmental Violations. Make your Voices Heard.Read the Press Release
In South Florida, we are blessed to live in an amazing environment full of natural beauty and the weather to enjoy it year-round. This combination makes South Florida one of the premiere areas of our country within which to live, work, and raise our families. Ensuring our parks, natural resources, and surroundings are preserved for future generations requires our continued attention. We must act as a community to protect our aquatic assets, agricultural lands, and public spaces to maintain the quality of life that has drawn so many to our communities. That is why each one of us should look out for environmental violations and report them promptly. Notifying our law enforcement partners and my Office helps us protect our communities from harmful violations of federal health and safety laws. It also ensures everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and has equal access to a healthy environment.
Who to contact:
- If the violation impacts air quality, climate change, chemicals, health, water, land, waste, and cleanup, report the violation to the Environmental Protection Agency at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
- Workplace conditions such as chemicals or noxious fumes? Contact Occupational Safety and Health Administration at (800) 321-6742.
- Harm to wildlife by pesticides? Dial (800) 344-9453 for U.S. Fish & Wildlife.
- Illegal harming/harassing wildlife? Call U.S. Fish & Wildlife at (305) 526-2620.
- Wetland destruction? Contact U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at (800) 832-7828.
- If the violation concerns medications and other products for human consumption, contact Food & Drug Administration at (888) 463-6332.
- Contact the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802 to report an oil or chemical spill.
Residents encouraged to also contact the USAO at (305) 961-9001 or by email at [email protected] when contacting local, state, or federal agency hotlines or websites to report concerns.
As Floridians, we know what makes this area special. Let’s do what we can to keep it that way. Let your voices be heard.
Wholesale Supply Corporation Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – LLC Wholesale Supply LLC (Wholesale Supply) has pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy.
The corporation, based out of Tempe, Ariz., utilized companies in several states to launder money derived from the illegal sale of diverted pharmaceuticals. These are drugs produced by the original pharmaceutical developer that make their way into the underground market. They often are high-priced drugs used to treat conditions such as mental illness, HIV, and cancer.
Per the plea agreement, Wholesale Supply agreed to a forfeiture money judgement of $98 million. The specifics of the sentence will be announced at the Jan. 4, 2023, sentencing.
“As this prosecution and conviction shows, being a corporation, having a complex money laundering scheme, or even a law license, does not make one immune from this Office’s quest for justice,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
In addition, two of the men involved with the corporation must pay nearly $1 million. And, one of the two men also must relinquish his law license and be barred from ever applying to practice law again. They also have agreed to never again be corporate officers or shareholders above five percent in any company regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“U.S. consumers are put at risk when prescription drugs are diverted from the FDA-regulated supply chain and then returned clandestinely to the supply chain for distribution to the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who put the public health at risk.”
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder, FDA, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and FDA-OCI Miami investigated this case involving LLC Wholesale Supply LLC with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona and Western District of Washington. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Walter Norkin and Frank Tamen prosecuted the case. Nicole Grosnoff handled asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Miami Federal Prison Nurse Charged with Smuggling Drug-Laced Documents to InmatesRead the Press Release
MIAMI -- Ruben Montanez-Mirabal, 32, has made his first appearance in federal court to face charges that he accepted bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including illegal drugs, into the Federal Detention Center in Miami (FDC-Miami) and delivering it to inmates. Montanez-Mirabal is a licensed registered nurse who has worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons at FDC-Miami since February 2020.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, from November 2021 to August 2002, Montanez-Mirabal smuggled drug-laced legal documents and other prohibited items to inmates at FDC-Miami in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes and other things of value. It is alleged that the documents that Montanez-Mirabal delivered to inmates were sheets of paper that had been soaked in liquids containing illegal drugs, then dried. The inmates who received the laced paper from Montanez-Mirabal then resold it to other inmates at FDC-Miami, says the complaint.
It is alleged that in addition to money, Montanez-Mirabal accepted other bribes, such as the free use of a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.
The criminal complaint charges Montanez-Mirabal with bribery, providing contraband in prison, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. His bond hearing is set for October 21 at 10:00 a.m. in federal duty magistrate court in Miami. If convicted, Montanez-Mirabal faces up to 45 years in prison.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez, FBI Miami Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, and Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General, Miami Field Office Special Agent in Charge James Boyersmith made the announcement.
FBI Miami and DOJ-OIG Miami are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is innocent 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-mj-03762.
Former Government of Bolivia Minister Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Proceeds of Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The former Minister of the Government of Bolivia pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to launder bribes he received in exchange for corruptly helping a U.S. company win a $5.6 million contract from the Bolivian government.
According to court documents, Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, of Bolivia, received at least $532,000 in bribe payments from a Florida-based company in exchange for helping that company secure an approximately $5.6 million contract to provide tear gas and other non-lethal equipment to the Bolivian Ministry of Defense. Murillo and his co-conspirators laundered the proceeds of the bribery scheme through the U.S. financial system, including bank accounts in Miami, Florida, where Murillo received approximately $130,000 in cash bribe payments.
Murillo’s co-conspirators – Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal (Mendez), Luis Berkman, Bryan Berkman, and Philip Lichtenfeld – previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2021, to their roles in this scheme. Mendez and Luis Berkman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and Bryan Berkman and Lichtenfeld pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). On June 9, 2022, Mendez was sentenced to 42 months in prison, Luis Berkman was sentenced to 38 months, Bryan Berkman was sentenced to 28 months, and Lichtenfeld was sentenced to 26 months.
Murillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and will be sentenced on a date to be announced. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI’s Fort Lauderdale Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Jill Simon and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Former Government of Bolivia Minister Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Proceeds of Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
The former Minister of the Government of Bolivia pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to launder bribes he received in exchange for corruptly helping a U.S. company win a $5.6 million contract from the Bolivian government.
According to court documents, Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, of Bolivia, received at least $532,000 in bribe payments from a Florida-based company in exchange for helping that company secure an approximately $5.6 million contract to provide tear gas and other non-lethal equipment to the Bolivian Ministry of Defense. Murillo and his co-conspirators laundered the proceeds of the bribery scheme through the U.S. financial system, including bank accounts in Miami, Florida, where Murillo received approximately $130,000 in cash bribe payments.
Murillo’s co-conspirators – Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal (Mendez), Luis Berkman, Bryan Berkman, and Philip Lichtenfeld – previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2021, to their roles in this scheme. Mendez and Luis Berkman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and Bryan Berkman and Lichtenfeld pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). On June 9, 2022, Mendez was sentenced to 42 months in prison, Luis Berkman was sentenced to 38 months, Bryan Berkman was sentenced to 28 months, and Lichtenfeld was sentenced to 26 months.
Murillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michel E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI’s Fort Lauderdale Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jill Simon and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Chairman of Riviera Beach Housing Authority Charged with Extortion for Kickback PaymentsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Delvin Thomas, 44, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has been charged with one count of extortion after using his chairman position to receive a kickback from a real-estate transaction.
Around April 2019, Thomas was the chairman of the Riviera Beach Housing Authority, during which time the authority sought to purchase real-estate located in Riviera Beach for a low-income rental property. Thomas introduced a real estate broker to the person at Riviera Beach Housing Authority responsible for purchasing the property and Riviera Beach Housing Authority entered into a contract with the broker to purchase the property.
The broker was to receive a three percent commission from the property’s purchase. Once the contract to purchase the property was entered, Thomas told the broker that he, Thomas, was to receive 50 percent of the commission for its sale. At closing, the broker’s company was paid a commission of $18,930. In order to hide the unlawful payment of Thomas’ 50 percent share, Thomas contacted a straw party to act as a front for this illicit activity.
The straw party (or front) agreed to deposit two checks issued to the front’s business bank account and then issue checks from said account to Sire Development Group LLC, a company Thomas owned. Two checks in the amounts of $6,400 and $3,065 were issued to the front’s company account. This represented 50 percent of the commission received by the broker. The checks falsely stated in the memo section that the payments were for “company branding” and “marketing services.” The front then issued two checks to Thomas’ company, Sire Development Group LLC, in the amounts of $6,400 and $3,000—falsely stating in the check’s memo section that the payments were for “consulting services.”
The checks issued by the broker’s company and the straw party’s company each were drawn on accounts of a national bank and affected interstate commerce. Thomas faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of $250,000. His first appearance at the West Palm Beach Federal Courthouse is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan.
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.
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Florida Keys Resident Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying FAA RecordsRead the Press Release
MIAMI -- Cole Peacock, 30, was sentenced today to 37 months’ imprisonment after he forged signatures on official flight records.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated Peacock, a student pilot, after he flew an aircraft on his own -- with no instructor -- from Homestead to Orlando, Florida. The investigation revealed that Peacock had falsified his logbook several times by forging his flight instructor’s signature. Peacock also created counterfeit endorsements that purportedly allowed him to fly solo in Class B airspace when, in fact, he was not qualified or trained to do so. Nor had Peacock received any such endorsement from his flight instructor.
In addition, the investigation revealed that Peacock had stolen a 1981 Learjet 55 valued at about $175,000 by submitting a fraudulent and forged Bill of Sale to the FAA. This led the FAA to transfer ownership of the aircraft to Peacock. Peacock placed new registration numbers on the Learjet to conceal the fraud.
Earlier this year, Peacock pled guilty to two counts of Making False Statements and Entries, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Todd Damiani, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General, Southeast Region announcement the sentence imposed in Key West by Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King.
The case was investigated by the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc S. Anton.
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.
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Two Florida Medical Study Coordinators Sentenced in Connection with Scheme to Falsify Clinical Trial DataRead the Press Release
MIAMI - A federal judge sentenced two Florida women to prison in connection with their participation in a conspiracy to falsify clinical trial data.
Senior U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Analay Rico, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, to 40 months in prison and Daylen Diaz, 44, of Miami, to 24 months in prison. The court also ordered Rico and Diaz to pay approximately $2.1 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Rico worked as a lead study coordinator for a clinical research firm based in Miami called Tellus Clinical Research (Tellus). Diaz was a research assistant and assistant study coordinator at Tellus. As part of their plea agreements, Rico and Diaz admitted that they agreed with others to defraud clients paying for clinical trial work intended to evaluate treatments for various medical conditions, including opioid dependency, irritable bowel syndrome and diabetic nephropathy. Among other things, Rico and Diaz admitted they falsified data to make it appear as though subjects were participating in the trials when, in truth, they were not.
“It’s disgraceful when a criminal preys upon patients in a health care setting,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We will prosecute perpetrators who do to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Clinical trials are essential in determining the safety and effectiveness of drug treatments,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute anyone who intentionally falsifies this critical data for personal profit.”
“Reliable and accurate data from clinical trials is the cornerstone of FDA’s evaluation of a new drug,” said FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen. “Compromised clinical trial data could impact the agency’s decisions about the safety and effectiveness of the drug under review. We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those whose actions may subvert the FDA approval process and endanger the public health.”
Three co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Eduardo Navarro, 53, of Miami, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment; Duniel Tejeda, 36, of Clewiston, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment; and Nayade Varona, 51, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. Trial against three remaining defendants charged by indictment in connection with Tellus, Dr. Martin Valdes, 66, of Coral Gables, Florida, Fidalgis Font, 55, of Miami, and Julio Lopez, 55, of Hialeah, Florida, is currently set for Jan. 10, 2023.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner, Joshua D. Rothman and Wandaly Fernandez Garcia of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations and defendants are innocent unless and until found 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.
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South Florida Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Herve Fils Viaud, 31, was sentenced today by United States District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 78 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release for robbing TD Bank in Delray Beach, Florida.
On February 1, 2022, Viaud walked into a TD Bank wielding a machete. Viaud threatened to hurt several bank employees with the machete unless he was given money. Fearing for their lives, the employees gave Viaud approximately $1,234.
A bank customer called 911 and reported the getaway car used by Viaud to leave the bank. Subsequently, the Delray Beach Police Department, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami Gardens Police Department pursued Viaud. The three-county high-speed chase ended in a standoff in Miami Gardens. Viaud then was arrested and found in possession of ammunition, a federal crime for a convicted felon.
On August 10, 2022, Viaud pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon and one count of felon in possession of ammunition.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.
FBI, West Palm Beach, investigated this case with cooperation and assistance from Delray Beach Police Department; Broward County Sheriff’s Office Burglary Apprehension Team; Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department; and Miami Gardens Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Shannon O’Shea Darsch 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.
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Indian River County Drug Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Kendrick Williams, 43, of Vero Beach, Fla., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore to 70 months in prison for drug trafficking. Williams previously had pled guilty to two counts of distributing fentanyl.
According to the court record, on December 31, 2021; January 8, 2022; February 11, 2022; and April 18, 2022, Williams distributed fentanyl, a dangerous and highly lethal controlled substance to a law enforcement confidential source in Vero Beach. In total, Williams distributed more than 40 grams of fentanyl. On the April 18, 2022, transaction, Williams used a juvenile to deliver the drugs to his customer. All controlled buys were recorded with audio and video.
Law enforcement spoke with the juvenile who told them from which apartment Williams sold drugs. On April 27, 2022, law enforcement searched the Vero Beach apartment and found four handguns and multiple rounds of ammunition.
It was determined that Williams used this apartment on an ongoing basis to sell, store, and package large quantities of fentanyl. Williams has several prior felony convictions including two for the sale of cocaine.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers made the announcement.
HSI, Fort Pierce, and Indian River County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter.
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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Planner of Kidnapping and Home Invasion Robbery Convicted After TrialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida man recently was convicted in a Miami federal district court for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery as well as aiding and abetting the commission of said robbery.
Thomas Munne, 44, a marijuana dealer himself, had the idea to rob a rival marijuana dealer thought to be in possession of a large amount of money. Munne contacted a co-conspirator in California to carry out the robbery. He promised to pay for the co-conspirator’s rental car, hotel, and all other expenses while in Miami.
On the afternoon of August 4, 2020, the victim was driving his truck toward I-75 when he was pulled over by a gray sedan with flashing red and blue visor lights. Believing this was a legitimate traffic stop, he pulled over only to find two men in masks and imitation police clothing approaching his truck. One of the men was armed.
The co-conspirator, and another person he’d enlisted for the robbery, pulled the victim from his truck, handcuffed, and assaulted him. The co-conspirators then zip tied his legs and tossed him in the backseat of his own truck. The suspects then ditched the sedan in a remote location and drove to the victim’s house. Once there, the suspects entered the victim’s residence, forcefully restrained his mother, and stole a safe from the victim’s bedroom.
The suspects returned to the remote location where the sedan was stashed and threatened to kill the victim if he didn’t provide the safe combination. Fearing for his life, he gave up the information and the suspects removed more than $200,000 from his marijuana dealings and fled the scene in the gray sedan.
The next day, law enforcement discovered a GPS tracker that had been attached to the victim’s truck. Law enforcement traced the purchase of the tracker to a store in Miami that also sold imitation police clothing. Video surveillance from the store showed the co-conspirator arrive in a gray sedan and purchase the tracker. Law enforcement later determined that the sedan was rented at Miami airport.
Rental records for the vehicle reflected that it was rented for the week preceding the kidnapping/home invasion and was paid for by Munne. Additionally, location data from the GPS tracker showed that after its purchase, it was brought to a hotel in Miami Lakes. Reservation records from the hotel showed that the defendant had paid for a room for the same time period as the rental car.
Further investigation revealed that the defendant also told the co-conspirator what vehicle the victim drove and where he lived. As further proof of Munne’s involvement, law enforcement found that he paid more than $130,000 for a boat within weeks of the robbery and had mailed some of the robbery proceeds to his co-conspirator in California.
Munne’s primary co-conspirator was sentenced to 214 months for carjacking and brandishing a firearm to advance a crime of violence. Investigation into the second conspirator is ongoing. Munne will be sentenced Jan. 24, 2023.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, FBI, Miami Field Office, and Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department made the announcement.
FBI Miami and Miami-Dade Police Department investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Butland and Eduardo Gardea.
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-20182.
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Carter Healthcare Affiliates and Two Senior Managers to Pay $7.175 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for False Florida Home Health BillingsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Carter Healthcare LLC, an Oklahoma-based for-profit home health provider, its affiliates CHC Holdings and Carter-Florida (collectively Carter Healthcare), and their President Stanley Carter and Chief Operations Officer Bradley Carter have agreed to pay $7.175 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing the Medicare program for medically unnecessary therapy provided to patients in Florida. Bradley Carter will pay $175,000, Stanley Carter will pay $75,000, and Carter Healthcare will pay the remaining $6.925 million of the settlement.
Between 2014 and 2016, Carter Healthcare allegedly billed the Medicare Program knowingly and improperly for home healthcare to patients in Florida based on therapy provided without regard to medical necessity and overbilled for therapy by upcoding patients’ diagnoses.
“Medicare fraud costs our taxpayers billions annually,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “These overpayments drain the Medicare trust fund and unfairly raise the premiums our senior citizens must pay. We take this fraudulent activity very seriously and will continue to prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Payment under Medicare for home health care is permitted only for those who provide medically necessary services to eligible beneficiaries,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “As this settlement demonstrates, the Department is committed to ensuring that providers bill only for appropriate procedures and amounts.”
“This settlement is a stark reminder to home health providers that our agents are working tirelessly with the Department of Justice to pursue providers that inappropriately bill federal health care programs to boost profits, as alleged here,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), Miami Regional Office. “Our agency will not hesitate to investigate such allegations to protect federal health care programs and the patients served by these programs.”
Both Stanley Carter and Bradley Carter agreed to be excluded from participation in all Federal health care programs for a period of five years pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7(b)(7), the statutory authority to exclude from federal health programs individuals or entities who engaged in fraud or kickbacks.
Carter Healthcare also agreed to be bound by the terms of a corporate integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General that requires the company to implement compliance measures designed to avoid or promptly detect conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement.
The settlement includes the resolution of an action brought by Sharon Mahaffey and Mark Brimer, therapists formerly employed by Carter Healthcare, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions permit a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States for false claims and receive a portion of any recovery. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Mahaffey and Brimer v. Carter Healthcare, Stanley Carter and Brad Carter, CV 16-80459 MARRA (S.D. Fla.). Mahaffey and Brimer will together receive $1.3 million as their share of the settlement.
Contemporaneous with the settlement announced today, Carter Healthcare has agreed to pay an additional $22,948,004.54 to resolve another qui tam action captioned U.S. ex rel. Duffield et al. v. CHC Holdings, LLC et al., Case No. 17-CV-826-HE (W.D. Okla.), brought in the Western District of Oklahoma, which alleged that Carter Healthcare improperly paid remuneration to its home health medical directors in Oklahoma and Texas for the purpose of inducing referrals of Medicare and TRICARE home health patients between 2013 and 2020.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The United States’ investigation of this matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James A. Weinkle and John Spaccarotella, and Trial Attorney Gregory Mason of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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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Tax Fraud Lands Three Tax Preparers in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a federal district judge in Miami sentenced three tax preparers—Nixon Cyrius Cherfils, 47, Kerline Pierre, 43, and Jonas Augustin, 49, for conspiracy to file false tax returns. Cherfils, the leader of this conspiracy and owner of the tax preparation business, Cherfils Enterprises, was sentenced to a prison term of 48 months. Pierre was sentenced to 28 months in prison and Augustin was sentenced to 8 months in prison and 9 months of house arrest.
For several years, the defendants included false education credits on the vast majority of their unwitting customers’ tax returns, thereby increasing the tax refunds or reducing the tax liability of their customers in an effort to grow the business and their profits or compensation. Cherfils was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of nearly $3.5 million. Pierre and Augustin were ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $351,196 and 330,579, respectively.
Cherfils and Pierre also were convicted of wire fraud for applying for and fraudulently obtaining several loans under the CARES Act, the law passed by Congress to help small businesses weather the economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cherfils and Pierre submitted falsified tax returns and false information in support of their loan applications even though they had not filed tax returns during the relevant years. The Court ordered Cherfils and Pierre to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $380,232 and $319,952 respectively.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced the sentences.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee C. Jimenez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handled 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 21-cr-20302.
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Fentanyl Dealer’s Product Kills a Man — Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida fentanyl dealer whose product killed a man was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison for the distribution of a controlled substance.
On April 15, 2021, Donte McCray met with another man at a 7-11 convenience store in Lake Worth, Fla., with the intent of selling the man $100 worth of fentanyl. After the transaction, which was caught on the store’s surveillance camera, the victim returned to his residence at a local recovery and sober living facility. He injected himself with fentanyl later that evening.
The next day, officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from the aforementioned recovery and sober living facility in Lake Worth. Responding officers found the victim unresponsive, slumped over the edge of his bed with needle marks in his feet. A hypodermic syringe was found on a bedside table. The syringe was tested by the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office which confirmed the presence of fentanyl. Cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication.
McCray was discovered when Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office agents accessed the victim’s phone and recovered text messages and CashApp transactions between the victim and McCray. The text messages specifically discussed McCray selling fentanyl to the victim. Additionally, a review of the security camera at the convenience store showed McCray conducting a drug transaction with the victim.
On July 28, 2021, agents from the West Palm Beach Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division conducted an undercover operation at a gas station in Lantana, Fla., to buy 58 grams worth of fentanyl for $4,200. The transaction was both audio and video recorded.
On August 3, 2021, the purchased substance from McCray was tested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory and was determined to be fentanyl. Soon after, McCray was taken in custody.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
The DEA, Miami Field Division, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ralston 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 21-cr-80185.
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Okeechobee County Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Mitchell A. Ellis, 34, of Okeechobee County, Fla., was sentenced on October 12 by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 16 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He also was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
According to court records, on September 21, 2021, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Ellis led law enforcement on a high-speed chase on his motorcycle through the downtown area of Okeechobee. He exceeded 100 mph, failed to stop at several stop signs, and rode against oncoming traffic–all while armed with a loaded firearm. He ultimately crashed his motorcycle and was thrown from his seat while attempting to flee across an empty field. A loaded Rossi .38 caliber revolver was located on the sidewalk a few feet from where the motorcycle crashed. Ellis, a convicted felon, is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Okeechobee City Chief of Police Donald Hagan made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and the Okeechobee City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals. All U.S. Attorney’s Offices were directed to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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-14038.
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Fake Home Loans Land Perpetrators in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – After previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Ana Amador and Sunilda Casilla were sentenced in federal court to prison and ordered to pay restitution. Amador was sentenced to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution. Casilla was sentenced to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and also ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution.
According to facts admitted at the change of plea, Amador and Casilla submitted fraudulent loan applications in connection with sham real estate transactions. The two would look for vacant properties with a high market value. They used the personal identifying information of former clients to apply for the mortgages from private mortgage lenders. The lenders would fund the loans for the purported purchase of the properties, and Amador and Casilla would pocket the loan proceeds. There never was a genuine sale or property purchase.
Amador and Casilla were well versed in the mortgage industry and knew the details of the loan process, including the documents to be completed to obtain a loan. Amador worked as the president of a title company for a number of years. Casilla was a former attorney who worked with Amador doing real estate closings. They knew that “hard money lenders” would loan money for the purchase of properties as long as the property had sufficient value to serve as collateral to the loan. These lenders loaned money to high-risk clients unable to obtain a conventional mortgage for various reasons, to include poor credit risk, no verifiable income, or insufficient employment history. Amador and Casilla also knew that if they could convince the mortgage lenders to loan money for the purported purchase of a property, they could obtain the loan proceeds before anyone knew that a property wasn’t being purchased.
Amador and Casilla located high-end vacant residences that they would purportedly “buy” using someone else’s name, credit and identity to secure a hard money lender mortgage. Once the “sale” was complete, the mortgage proceeds would be wired from the hard money lender to a fictitious title company controlled by Amador and Casilla. The owner of the property did not know the real estate transaction occurred. The buyer of the property did not know they had purchased it. Instead, they made it seem as if a sale had been completed, thereby having the mortgage company wire the mortgage proceeds to their title companies, after which they would withdraw the money. Utilizing this scheme, they were responsible for an intended loss of more than $3.3 million and an actual loss to the victims of more than $1.6 million. They each were ordered to pay more than $1.6 in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General, announced the sentences.
Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Secret Service; and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Bardfeld prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60312.
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Durable Medical Equipment Company Owner Sentenced for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A U.S. federal district judge has sentenced 56-year-old Ariel Madero Paez to 55 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for submitting more than $2.2 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.
From November 2021 through May 2022, Madero owned Always Medical Supply (Always), located in Stuart, Fla. Always, a Florida corporation, purported to provide durable medical equipment (DME) to eligible Medicare beneficiaries. In a five-month period in 2022, Always submitted approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for DME that the corporation never provided and that Medicare beneficiaries never requested. As a result, Medicare paid more than $1.4 million to Always. After Madero’s arrest on May 6, 2022, at Miami International Airport, bank accounts for Always and Madero had a sum of more than $500,000 derived from or traceable to health care fraud.
In addition to sentencing Madero to prison and supervised release terms, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks ordered him to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of nearly $1.5 million and entered a forfeiture money judgment also in the amount of nearly $1.5 million. This is in addition to the forfeiture of the contents of Madero’s two bank accounts.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Omar Pérez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna 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-14029-Middlebrooks.
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Broward County Couple Charged in Alleged Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – David Joseph Varrone, 56, and wife Sherry Varrone of Weston, Fla., have been charged in federal court with conspiring to commit wire fraud through an elaborate credit “leasing” and investment Ponzi scheme linked to their company, The Credit Engineers Inc.
According to allegations in separately filed Informations, from 2018 through 2021, the Varrones offered individuals with good credit a short-term “Credit Leasing” investment program tied to a purported hedge fund that would yield a guaranteed return on investments plus fully repay the loans within 36 months or less. The Varrones and their co-conspirators helped victims apply for the high interest, short term loans and the victims “leased” the proceeds to The Credit Engineers and David Varrone. However, there was no hedge fund and victims’ funds never were invested. Instead, the proceeds were used to enrich the Varrones and to pay back earlier victims—i.e., a Ponzi scheme. In total, the scheme funneled over $6.4 million of misappropriated victims’ funds into the Varrones’ accounts. Additionally, David Varrone fraudulently applied for and received approximately $650,000 in C.A.R.E.S. Act, Economic Injury Disaster Relief Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans are intended to keep small businesses afloat and retain employees.
David Varrone was arraigned Tuesday and Sherry was arraigned today. If convicted, David Varrone faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and Sherry Varrone faces a maximum penalty 0f 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating, and statutory factors.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Russell C. Weigel III, Commissioner of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), made the announcement.
OFR investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An information is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is 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-60197 and 22-cr-60196.
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Former Prisoners Thankful for CARE Court and Lessons it Taught ThemRead the Press Release
About 25 percent of released prisoners in Florida end up reoffending. The transition from incarceration to the community is full of challenges and unanticipated impediments. That's where a Court-Assisted Re-Entry (CARE) Initiative can help—by teaching former prisoners different ways of thinking so they don't fall back into bad habits.
One such CARE Court program is found in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida. It is designed to help moderate to high-risk returning citizens navigate barriers like employment, housing, education, substance abuse, medical and mental health care, reuniting with family, and social networks.
"When I got out of prison, everything detoured when I came back to the free world," said a CARE Court graduate. "It was rough. It's easy to blame others for your mistakes. I'm very thankful for CARE Court."
CARE Court also teaches participants life skills and illustrates the power of choices.
"It taught me how to be honest," said a second CARE Court graduate. "It also taught me how to help people. When you take on a responsibility like this, it motivates you to stay on the path. My journey doesn't stop. It will continue beyond this."
At a recent graduation ceremony for successful CARE Court participants, mentors beamed with pride as graduates spoke about their journeys to those in attendance.
“We, the CARE Court team, are ridiculously proud of all you’ve accomplished and I hope that one day you will come back and share your experiences with future CARE Court participants,” said Judge Kathleen Williams of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Several of those in attendance were former graduates there to pay it forward and provide a guiding hand to those currently in the program. One thing they all shared was the realization that reintegration into society is really difficult.
"I got out of confinement 16 months ago," said another program graduate. "It was tough reintegrating. I figured I'd get a job pretty easily, but it wasn't easy at all."
Instead, he entered the Miami-Dade College culinary program.
"CARE Court steered me in the right direction," he said. "The culinary class was full, but CARE Court was able to make sure I was admitted. They helped me a lot, but it's tough. They hold you accountable. They stay on you."
It takes at least a year to complete the program, which uses Moral Reconation Therapy. This focuses on enhanced moral reasoning, better decision making, and more appropriate behavior.
Melissa Fife, a Senior United States Probation Officer with five years of CARE Court experience, has seen amazing growth and transformations made by participants.
"It's inspiring to see how much progress they can make," said Fife. "They learn to slow down and process their decision making. They explore their options and think of how their decisions affect other people. They gain much more than they realize. I've had people tell me they didn't think they needed help until they received it."
Sometimes all one needs is a little assistance.
“We should do everything we can to invest in the people who need it most,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “And that’s exactly what CARE Court is … an investment.”
CARE Court is a voluntary program. The history of a returning citizen is reviewed to see if he or she would be a viable candidate. That individual then observes a CARE Court session and meets with current participants. It takes a serious commitment to graduate CARE Court, but after listening to recent graduates speak, it seems well worth the effort.
“CARE Court is the best kept secret in the Southern District of Florida for returning citizens recently released from prison and on federal supervision," said J.D. Smith, Chief of law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida. "It helps empower those who have paid their debts to society with the skills and opportunities to change their lives for the better."
Judge Kathleen Williams of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida expresses how proud she is of the latest CARE Court graduates during a recent ceremony. CARE Court works to make the transition from incarceration to freedom an easier journey.
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South Florida Man Sentenced to Nine Years After Sharing Child Pornography on Social MediaRead the Press Release
MIAMI -- Kemal Yaslowitz, 50, of Lake Worth, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing and distributing child pornography.
Yaslowitz spent months on a social media messenger application sharing images and videos of children being sexually abused. During an online chat, Yaslowitz sought to exchange child pornography with a user whom Yaslowitz believed shared his interests. Yaslowitz sent the user multiple videos of children being sexually abused.
Law enforcement investigated and arrested Yaslowitz. They determined that Yaslowitz stored hundreds of images of child pornography on his electronic devices and had shared 189 videos of child sexual abuse material on social media.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami announced the sentence imposed in West Palm Beach by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg.
FBI Miami (West Palm Beach office) investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ralston prosecuted it.
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 no.: 22-cr-80062.
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Professional Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Abel Raphael, 65, of Key West, Florida has pled guilty in federal court to aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns.
Raphael was a professional tax return preparer and operated Abel Income Tax Service Inc., in Monroe County. In connection with his guilty plea, Raphael admitted that he obtained an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) to submit tax returns electronically to the IRS in the names of others. Raphael prepared the returns using false deduction and tax credit figures, then electronically filed them with the IRS.
Sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in Key West, Florida. Raphael faces up to three years in prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami, and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
IRS-CI Miami and FBI Miami Key West Resident Agency investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Thompson.
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.
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Member of Gang-Based Criminal Enterprise Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, Other Charges Related to Series of Home Invasion RobberiesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has convicted gang member Derrick Slade (aka “D” or “Solja”), 28, with racketeering conspiracy, armed robbery, conspiracy, murder, and other crimes following a rash of violence that plagued Broward County from 2015 to 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, in November 2015, Slade joined a criminal enterprise that committed armed home invasions, armed robberies, assaults, attempted murders, and murders. Slade was convicted of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy that included the commission of murder. According to evidence presented at trial on November 3, 2015, Slade shot and killed a man during the course of a home invasion robbery in Dania Beach, Fla. The next day, on November 4, 2015, Slade was involved in another home invasion robbery in Lauderhill, Fla., that resulted in the death of a second man. On November 25, 2015, Slade shot a third man and left him for dead during a home invasion robbery in Hollywood, Fla., which was captured on a security camera video. Slade also committed two other burglaries in Hollywood in November 2015. He and his fellow gang members advertised their success on social media to advance the gang’s prestige and reputation.
Slade was convicted of 10 counts, including RICO conspiracy, Hobbs Act conspiracy, conspiracy to use or carry a firearm during a crime of violence, causing the death of a person by using a firearm, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and three counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He now faces a statutory maximum of life imprisonment on five of those charges, plus an additional 30 years for the discharge of a firearm during the three robberies.
Sentencing for Slade is set for December 13, 2022, at 1:15 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale before the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Broward Sheriff’s Office, Hollywood Police Department, Lauderhill Police Department, Hallandale Beach Police Department, Davie Police Department, and Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan 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 http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no.: 20-60107-cr-Dimitrouleas(s).
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