Southern District of Florida

MIAMI – Markenzy Lapointe was sworn in today as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.

Nominated by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Lapointe now leads an office of nearly 500 attorneys and support professionals responsible for investigating and prosecuting federal crimes in South Florida and for litigating civil matters in which the U.S. has an interest.

“I am deeply honored to serve my country and community as U.S.  Attorney for the Southern District of Florida,” said Lapointe. “The proud history of this office stems from decades of commitment to justice, fairness, integrity, and community service. I will follow these principles and strive to uphold the standard of excellence on which this office is built.”

Prior to his appointment, Lapointe was a partner in the Miami office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where he handled commercial, high exposure product liability, professional malpractice, and criminal investigation matters. He also co-chaired the law firm’s Advancement of Diverse Attorneys Committee, promoting the retention and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds. 

Lapointe began his legal career with the Florida Supreme Court, where he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Harry Lee Anstead from 1999 to 2001. He went on to serve as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2002 to 2006, handling federal criminal matters that ranged from narcotics and firearms crimes to bank and mortgage fraud. Lapointe worked as a litigation associate, and later partner, for the Miami office of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP from 2006 to 2017. After that, he joined Pillsbury as a partner.

Throughout his career, Lapointe has maintained a notable pro bono practice. He received the Legal Aid/Put Something Back Pro Bono Award in Child Advocacy and the Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyer Award for Pro Bono in Family Law.

Lapointe received his law degree from Florida State University College of Law and a degree in finance from Florida State University College of Business. He also attended Miami Dade College.

Lapointe is a U.S. Marine Gulf War veteran and the first Haitian-born American lawyer to serve the country as U.S. Attorney. He emigrated from Haiti to the U.S. as a teenager, lived in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, and graduated from Edison High School. 

He replaces Juan Antonio Gonzalez, a career federal prosecutor who had led the office since March 2021.

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MIAMI - Markenzy Lapointe prete sèman jodiya kom Pwokirè Jeneral Distri Sid Laflorid devan Chèf Jij Distri Dèzetazini Cecilia M. Altonaga.

Nonmen pa Prezidan Joseph Biden epi konfimè pa Sena Lèzetazini, Lapointe an tèt yon biwo ki gen prèske 500 Avoka ak tout profesyonèl dapwi yo ki responsab envestige ak pouswiv tout zak kriminèl federal nan Laflorid di Sid, ak litij koze sivil kote entère Lèzetazini an je.

"Se avèk anpil onè ke ma va sèvi peyi m ak kominote a antan ke Pwokirè Jeneral  Distri Sid Laflorid la." Msye Lapointe di.  "Istwa fyète biwo sa a pran nesans nan deseni de angajman ak la jistis, san patipri, entegrite, ak sèvis kominòtè.  Mwen angaje m a swiv tout prensip sa yo ak fè tout efò pou respekte tout nòm ekselans ki se fondasyon biwo sa a.

Anvan yo te nonmen l, Lapointee te patnè nan kabinè Pillssbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, kote li te jere litij komèsyal, ak responsabilite sivil pwodwi defektye a gwo risk, neglijans pwofesyonèl, ak koze envestigasyon kriminèl.  Li te ko-prezidan tou, nan Komite  pou Avansman Divèsite Avoka, pou pwomouvwa retansyon ak avansman avoka divès orijin.

Lapointe te komanse karyè legal li nan Tribinal Siprèm Laflorid kote li te sèvi antan ke Asistan Legal Onorab Harry Lee Anstead de 1999 a 2001.  Aprè sa li pase a Adjidan Komisè Gouvènman nan Distri Sid Laflorid de 2002 a 2006, kote li tap jere tout koze zak kriminèl depi sou zak ki gen rapò ak dwòg, zamafe rive jiska fwòd bankè ak fwòd ipotèk.  Lapointe travay tou kom assosye litij, epi li vinn fè patnè nan Kabinè Boise Schiller Flexner nan Miami a de 2006 a 2007.  Aprè sa li rantre nan Pillsbury antan ke asosye

Atravè karyè li, Lapointe te kenbe yon pratik asistans legal gratis solid.  Li resevwa Pri de Legal Aid/Put Something Back Pro bono pou defans timoun ak Pri Avoka pi Efisyan nan Daily Business Review pou travay pro bono nan Dwa Koze Familyal.

Lapointe resevwa diplòm avoka liya de Fakilte Dwa Florida State University ak dipòm nan finans de Lekòl Komès Florida State University.  Li te etidye nan Miami Dade College tou.

Lapointe se yon Veteran Gè Golf la Marin ak premye Avoka Ameriken ki fèt an Ayiti ka pral sèvi peyi a antan ke Pwokirè Jeneral.  Li emigre de Ayiti vinn Lèzetazini lè li te yon jèn adolesan, li te abite nan vwazinaj Liberty City epi li gradye de Edison High School.

Li ranplase Juan Antonio Gonzalez, yon pwokirè de karyè ki tap dirije biwo a depi mas 2021.

MIAMI – A Florida doctor was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for engaging in a massive multi-year scheme to bill health care benefit programs for fraudulent tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Sober Homes Initiative.

According to court documents, Michael J. Ligotti, D.O., 48, of Delray Beach, served as Medical Director or Authorizing Physician for over 50 sober homes, substance abuse treatment facilities, and clinical testing laboratories in the Palm Beach County area, often signing standing orders for expensive, medically unnecessary urine drug tests for patients at various addiction treatment facilities. These facilities routinely sent patients’ urine specimens to clinical testing laboratories, which then billed health care benefit programs for unnecessary urine drug tests, often thousands of dollars for a single test. In exchange for Ligotti’s authorization of these urine drug tests, the treatment centers required their patients to regularly visit Ligotti’s clinic, Whole Health LLC, for additional treatment and testing, or allowed Ligotti’s staff to come to their facilities to conduct tests and treatment there. This allowed Ligotti to profit by billing patients’ private health insurance plans for duplicative, medically unnecessary, and expensive urine drug tests, blood tests, and other addiction treatments. As a result of this conduct, which took place from 2011 to 2020, health care benefit programs were billed over $746 million and paid approximately $127 million for fraudulent urine drug tests and addiction treatments. Ligotti pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud in the Southern District of Florida in October 2022 and was ordered today to surrender his medical license.  

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mike Waters of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Miami Division Palm Beach Resident Agency, with assistance from DEA West Palm Beach Diversion Group; IRS Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office; Amtrak Office of Inspector General; United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA); Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative and Forensic Services; and Palm Beach County Office of the State Attorney investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase, Chief, Transnational, Trafficking & Cyber Crimes Unit for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Litigation Counsel James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Ligia M. Markman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The National Rapid Response Strike Force, Los Angeles Strike Force, and Miami Strike Force of the Criminal Division, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida and Central District of California lead the Department of Justice’s Sober Homes Initiative, which was initiated in September 2020 to prosecute defendants who exploit vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. Since its inception, the Sober Homes Initiative has resulted in charges and guilty pleas or convictions involving 28 criminal defendants in two judicial districts in connection with over $1 billion in alleged false billings for fraudulent tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. 

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.

A Florida doctor was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for engaging in a massive multi-year scheme to bill health care benefit programs for fraudulent tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Sober Homes Initiative.

“For nearly a decade, Michael Ligotti exploited vulnerable patients seeking addiction treatment, a reprehensible abuse of trust by a physician,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This defendant will now serve many years in federal prison for using his medical license to authorize fraudulent tests and treatments for addicted patients at treatment centers and sober homes throughout South Florida. This marks the largest addiction fraud treatment case ever charged by the Department of Justice, demonstrating our continuing commitment to tackling health care fraud throughout the country.”

According to court documents, Michael J. Ligotti, D.O., 48, of Delray Beach, served as Medical Director or Authorizing Physician for over 50 sober homes, substance abuse treatment facilities, and clinical testing laboratories in the Palm Beach County area, often signing standing orders for expensive, medically unnecessary urine drug tests for patients at various addiction treatment facilities. These facilities routinely sent patients’ urine specimens to clinical testing laboratories, which then billed health care benefit programs for unnecessary urine drug tests, often thousands of dollars for a single test. In exchange for Ligotti’s authorization of these urine drug tests, the treatment centers required their patients to regularly visit Ligotti’s clinic, Whole Health LLC, for additional treatment and testing, or allowed Ligotti’s staff to come to their facilities to conduct tests and treatment there. This allowed Ligotti to profit by billing patients’ private health insurance plans for duplicative, medically unnecessary, and expensive urine drug tests, blood tests, and other addiction treatments. As a result of this conduct, which took place from 2011 to 2020, health care benefit programs were billed over $746 million and paid approximately $127 million for fraudulent urine drug tests and addiction treatments. Ligotti pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud in the Southern District of Florida in October 2022 and was ordered today to surrender his medical license.  

“The victims are real, and the losses are immense,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Instead of ensuring the proper treatment of the vulnerable patients under his care in over 50 sober homes, Michael J. Ligotti gamed the system for millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains. The investigators who unraveled this scam are to be commended for their diligence and commitment. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue those individuals who use our health care system to prey on the vulnerable and steal from the taxpayers.”

“The results in this case reinforce our commitment and determination to pursue those who would defraud Amtrak’s health care programs and target vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Waters of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Field Office. “Our agents will continue to work closely with the task force and partner agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and protect Amtrak’s resources, its employees, and their dependents.”

The FBI Miami Division Palm Beach Resident Agency, with assistance from DEA West Palm Beach Diversion Group; IRS Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office; Amtrak Office of Inspector General; Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration; Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative and Forensic Services; and Palm Beach County Office of the State Attorney investigated the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Ligia M. Markman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase, Chief, Transnational, Trafficking & Cyber Crimes Unit for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

The National Rapid Response Strike Force, Los Angeles Strike Force, and Miami Strike Force of the Criminal Division, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida and Central District of California lead the Department of Justice’s Sober Homes Initiative, which was initiated in September 2020 to prosecute defendants who exploit vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. Since its inception, the Sober Homes Initiative has resulted in charges and guilty pleas or convictions involving 28 criminal defendants in two judicial districts in connection with over $1 billion in alleged false billings for fraudulent tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. 

The former Bolivian Minister of Government was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to launder bribes he received in exchange for corruptly helping a U.S. company win a lucrative contract from the Bolivian government.

Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, of Bolivia, pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Murillo 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 in 2019 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. Murillo received approximately $130,000 in cash bribe payments at a family member’s home in Miami. 

Murillo’s co-conspirators – Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, Luis Berkman, Bryan Berkman, and Philip Lichtenfeld – previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the same scheme and were each sentenced in June 2022.

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 Special Agent in Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

HSI’s Miami Field Office (Fort Lauderdale Unit) investigated the case. 

Trial Attorney Jil 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 prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken handled 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.

MIAMI – Derek James Acree, 47, of Palm Beach County, Fla., was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $1.6 million in forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. These loans are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.  

Acree obtained approximately $1.6 million by submitting fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications for companies he owned either in whole or in part. These companies included National Financial Holdings Inc., NFH Florida LLC, DBA Finova Financial LLC, and National Financial Holding Technology LLC. The loans misrepresented the number of employees, payroll expenses, and gross revenues.

After obtaining the fraudulent loan proceeds, Acree transferred some of it to others and a portion was used as a down payment for the purchase of his home, as well as used to purchase jewelry, travel, and make repairs on his boat/home.

Acree had entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October 2022. In addition to prison, he was ordered to pay $1.26 million in restitution and $1.6 million in asset forfeiture.     

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. 

FBI West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin W. Waugh prosecuted it and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Pastor handled asset forfeiture.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

MIAMI – Craig Goldstein, 60, of Boca Raton, Fla., former owner of a Lauderdale Lakes towing company, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after having pled guilty previously to three counts of tax evasion for underreporting income and failing to pay federal tax on money he received through a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) kickback scheme and other cash-based fraud. 

According to the pleadings, Goldstein was an owner of West Way Towing, a Lauderdale Lakes company that towed and stored disabled vehicles, including ones involved in accidents. Goldstein referred accident victims to certain attorneys and chiropractors who would then illegally charge insurance companies for unneeded services under Florida’s PIP program. Goldstein charged a fee for each patient referral, which he collected in cash and failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Goldstein also failed to report cash he received from vehicle storage lien fees and from vehicle auctions, the sales prices of which were manipulated to falsely reflect that he made no profit. Goldstein admitted owing the U.S. government over $130,000 in income tax.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

IRS-CI, Miami Field Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey N. Kaplan and Paul Schwartz 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

MIAMI – Gang member Derrick Slade (aka “D” or “Solja”), 28, has been sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for murders committed during a series of home invasion robberies in Broward County.

According to evidence presented at trial, Slade joined a criminal enterprise in November 2015 that committed armed home invasions and robberies, assaults, and murders. He was convicted of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy that included the commission of murder. 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, November 4, 2015, he 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. 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 on 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. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, 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 it. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF 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.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 20-CR-60107.

MIAMI – Jason Scott Carter, a 45-year-old former Coral Springs, Fla., police officer, must serve five years of probation and pay restitution following a federal conviction for fraudulently applying to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a COVID-19 relief advance grant and low-interest loan.

According to court records, Carter submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application and loan agreement on behalf of Jason S. Carter Inc., a South Florida business he allegedly owned and operated. That application falsely certified that during the 12 months prior to January 31, 2020, the business had gross revenues of $100,000. In reality, the business had only minimal gross revenues. He also falsely certified in his SBA application that he would use the funds for business expenses to alleviate pandemic-related economic injury. Instead, Carter spent more than $21,000 of the SBA loan obtaining high-end repairs on his 1969 Ford Mustang.

Carter pled guilty to one count of wire fraud on October 12, 2022. In addition to his probation, he must serve six months home confinement, pay a $5,000 fine, and pay restitution in the amount of $30,000.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar, Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge David Walker, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa, Fla., Field Office, made the announcement.

HHS-OIG Miami, Tampa Field Office, and FBI Tampa investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna is handling asset forfeiture.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized and provided funding to SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the pandemic. This allowed them to meet financial obligations and fund operating expenses. EIDL applications were submitted directly via the SBA’s website where the applications were processed and loans funded for qualifying applicants.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

-Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 22-CR-80094.

 

MIAMI –Carlos Alexis Torres, aka Cesar Soto Lopez, 43, of Honduras, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 46 months in prison for unlawfully entering the United States after previously being removed.  

Torres, who is not a natural-born or naturalized citizen, or a national of the United States, was first removed from the U.S. and sent back to Honduras in October 2007. He had been convicted of assault in the second degree in Minnesota—an aggravated felony. 

Sometime thereafter, Torres unlawfully re-entered the United States. In 2009, he was convicted of identity theft in Sioux County, Iowa. In August 2010, he again was removed from the United States and sent back to Honduras. 

Torres once again unlawfully re-entered the U.S. and in August 2022 he was arrested for driving without a license in St. Lucie County, Fla. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director Garrett Ripa made the announcement.

ICE-ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-CR-14051.

MIAMI – Shawn Anthony Jackson Outler, a 23-year-old former Florida Atlantic University student, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 24 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material of a 14-year-old girl.

According to court records, Outler used social media applications to form relationships with nine minor females ranging in ages from 13 to 17. After befriending the minors, he enticed them to create sexually explicit videos and directed them to engage in sexually explicit activity via video conferencing. With some of these minor females, Outler succeeded in establishing dominant/submissive relationships during which time he verbally belittled and humiliated them and had some engage in self-harm such as burning, carving, and cutting. He had some of the females perform degrading acts and threatened to post them online should the minor female fail to comply with his requests for production of sexually explicit acts.

Outler was arrested without incident by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on March 3, 2022.

In addition to Outler’s prison sentence, he will have 25 years of supervised release, pay restitution, and register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam, FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami and Florida Atlantic University Police Department investigated the case. Assistance U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuted it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-CR-14018.

MIAMI — Valesky Barosy, 27, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has been convicted for fraudulent submission of COVID-19 relief loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Barosy submitted dozens of fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of himself and his accomplices that sought more than $4.2 million and successfully obtained more than $2 million. In each loan application, Barosy falsified the applicant’s prior year expenses, net profit or payroll, and submitted fraudulent Internal Revenue Service tax forms. Barosy’s fraudulent loan applications, and their accompanying fabricated tax documents, were found on his computer along with text messages soliciting information from prospective clients.

For each loan application, Barosy’s accomplices paid him a 20 to 30 percent kickback that he used to purchase a Lamborghini Huracán EVO, Rolex and Hublot watches, and designer clothing from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel. Barosy posted photos on his Instagram account of the Lamborghini and watches, detailing his success as an entrepreneur. But his greatest success, according to one text message, was his ability to “max out ppp.  I do them very good,” he boasted.

Barosy was convicted by a jury on five counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for February 23, 2023.  He is facing at least two years and up to 132 years in prison, as well as restitution and forfeiture of the loan proceeds. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

USSS, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Bailyn and Joseph Egozi are prosecuting it.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through PPP. In April 2020 Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on the loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. 

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.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-60345.  

MIAMI – Oscar Williams Jr., 30, of Opa-Locka, Fla., has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for extorting four girls into producing child sexual abuse material. He previously had been convicted on four counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of extortion.

Between November 2019 and September 2020, Williams extorted four minor girls into creating sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and sending it to him over a social media application. Williams threatened to post the material on social media and pornography websites if they did not continue to send him said material. He demanded upward of 50 photos a day from some of the victims.

Williams was apprehended after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant on his home after following the social media application Williams used to commit the crimes. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.

FBI, Miami Field Office, 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. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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-20087.

MIAMI – A South Florida federal grand jury has charged Martin County resident Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, with tampering with vials of liquid fentanyl at an outpatient surgery center where she worked as a licensed registered nurse. 

Medical providers use a liquid form of fentanyl -- fentanyl citrate -- to keep patients from moving during surgery and relieve their pain. According to the indictment, while working as a nurse at a Martin County outpatient surgery center, Dunton removed liquid fentanyl from vials, refilled them with saline, and returned the adulterated vials to their location for use during surgeries.

If convicted, Dunton faces up to 10 years in prison.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Justin Fielder, Special Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Miami Field Office, announced the charges.

FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office investigated this matter, with assistance from United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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-14073-Cannon.

MIAMI – Delvin Thomas, 44, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has pled guilty to one count of extortion after using his chairman position to receive a kickback from a real-estate transaction. Thomas will be sentenced March 3, 2023, before Judge Kenneth Marra.

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.”  

Thomas faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of $250,000.  

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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

MIAMI – South Florida federal prosecutors have charged Big Pine Key resident Wendy C. Kilheffer, 77, with violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by shooting and killing a key deer in November. 

Congress enacted the ESA to conserve threatened and endangered species, as well as the ecosystems upon which they depend. “Endangered species” means any species, or part thereof, which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Florida Key deer (Odocoileus viginianus clavium) is included within the list of designated endangered species set forth in federal regulations.  

The defendant faces a possible term of imprisonment of up to one year if convicted and would also be subject to a fine of up to $100,000 and a period of supervised release of up to one year. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Resident Agent in Charge David Pharo, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), Office of Law Enforcement, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FWS and officers of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated this case with support from the National Fish & Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., and the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case. 

An information is an accusation and a defendant is 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.

MIAMI – A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted the former National Treasurer of Venezuela and her husband for their roles in a billion-dollar currency exchange, bribery, and money laundering scheme. 

Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen, 49, and her spouse, Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa, 43, both Venezuelan citizens, were extradited from Madrid, Spain, earlier this year.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Diaz and Velasquez accepted over $100 million in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 54, a Venezuelan billionaire businessman who owned Globovision news network. Gorrin paid bribes to Diaz, including through her husband Velasquez, in order to obtain access to purchase bonds from the Venezuela National Treasury at a favorable exchange rate, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. The conspiracy involved bulk cash hidden in cardboard boxes, offshore shell companies, Swiss bank accounts, and international wire transfers sent by Gorrin.  

“Unfortunately, people in positions of power and public trust sometimes break that trust and use their power for selfish gain,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We will remain vigilant in our fight against corruption and prosecute guilty parties to the fullest extent.”

That sentiment is shared by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

“Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen and Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa laundered bribes Diaz received as the Venezuelan National Treasurer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Diaz abused her position as a public official to line her pockets with more than a hundred million dollars, which she and her co-conspirators spent on private jets and yachts and laundered through the U.S. financial system. Whether at home or abroad, the Criminal Division and its partners are committed to vigorously fighting bribery and holding corrupt officials accountable.”

“This verdict sends a clear message to foreign kleptocrats like Diaz and Velasquez Figueroa, who are guilty of theft of billions of dollars using their positions of trust for their own personal gain” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office. “HSI Miami’s El Dorado Task Force South will work tirelessly to pursue those individuals and organizations who are involved in this illicit practice and bring them to justice.”

Gorrin was charged by indictment in August 2018 and remains charged in the superseding indictment as a co-conspirator in the same money laundering scheme. He is currently a fugitive residing in Venezuela.

Diaz and Velasquez were each found guilty of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Velasquez also was convicted of a second count of money laundering. Diaz and Velasquez are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2023, and face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The department appreciates the significant cooperation provided by authorities in Spain and Switzerland.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Lunkenheimer and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Paul Hayden and Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section 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.

 

A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted the former National Treasurer of Venezuela and her husband on Dec. 13 for their roles in a billion-dollar currency exchange, bribery, and money laundering scheme.

Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen, 49, and her spouse, Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa, 43, both Venezuelan citizens, were extradited from Madrid, Spain, earlier this year.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Diaz and Velasquez accepted over $100 million in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 54, a Venezuelan billionaire businessman who owned Globovision news network. Gorrin paid bribes to Diaz, including through her husband Velasquez, in order to obtain access to purchase bonds from the Venezuela National Treasury at a favorable exchange rate, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of profit. The conspiracy involved bulk cash hidden in cardboard boxes, offshore shell companies, Swiss bank accounts, and international wire transfers sent by Gorrin to purchase multiple private jets, yachts, and to fund a high-end fashion line started by Diaz and Velasquez in Southern Florida.  

“Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen and Adrian Jose Velasquez Figueroa laundered bribes Diaz received as the Venezuelan National Treasurer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Diaz abused her position as a public official to line her pockets with more than a hundred million dollars, which she and her co-conspirators spent on private jets and yachts and laundered through the U.S. financial system. Whether at home or abroad, the Criminal Division and its partners are committed to vigorously fighting bribery and holding corrupt officials accountable.”

“Unfortunately, people in positions of power and public trust sometimes break that trust and use their power for selfish gain,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We will remain vigilant in our fight against corruption and prosecute guilty parties to the fullest extent.”

“This verdict sends a clear message to foreign kleptocrats like Diaz and Velasquez Figueroa, who are guilty of theft of billions of dollars using their positions of trust for their own personal gain” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office. “HSI Miami’s El Dorado Task Force South will work tirelessly to pursue those individuals and organizations who are involved in this illicit practice and bring them to justice.”

Gorrin was charged by indictment in August 2018 and remains charged in the superseding indictment as a co-conspirator in the same money laundering scheme. He is currently a fugitive residing in Venezuela.

Diaz and Velasquez were each found guilty of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Velasquez was also convicted of a second count of money laundering. Diaz and Velasquez are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2023, and face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The department appreciates the significant cooperation provided by authorities in Spain and Switzerland.

Trial Attorneys Paul Hayden and Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Lunkenheimer and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

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.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIAMI – Sean Pierre Jackson, 33, of Palm Beach County, Fla., was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg for fraudulently obtaining more than $800,000 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans. These loans are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

On August 11, 2022, Jackson pled guilty to wire fraud. He was the principal and registered agent of Clutch Strategies LLC, SP Jackson Family Foundation Inc, and Black Republican Caucus of Florida Foundation Inc—all purported businesses located in Boca Raton, Fla.

Between March 30, 2020, through approximately May 10, 2021, Jackson submitted PPP and EIDL loan applications on behalf of himself—as sole proprietor—and his aforementioned companies. In total, the loan applications sought more than $839,000 in PPP and EIDL loan funds.

Jackson falsely stated his prior-year income and expenses in the PPP and EIDL loan applications. In support of the applications, he submitted false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service forms, which documented income and expenses from his business and sole proprietorship. 

Jackson submitted one such fraudulent PPP loan application on June 28, 2020, on behalf of Black Republican Caucus of Florida. A short time later a Black Republican Caucus of Florida bank account, controlled by Jackson, received a $150,325 PPP loan that was intended to pay a lease, mortgage interest, utilities, and payroll checks. Instead, the loan was used to pay for transactions at high-end retail stores, furniture stores, restaurants, car rentals, luxury hotels, airline tickets, and bank withdrawals.  

Approximately 11 of the fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications were processed but some of the received funds were recovered by banks and lenders shortly after disbursement.

In addition to the prison sentence, Jackson also was ordered to pay $661,986 in restitution.

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, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI, West Palm Beach Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah J. Schall and James A. Weinkle prosecuted it. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-CR-80082.

MIAMI – Daniel Scott Crow, a 38-year-old cruise ship employee from Stuart, Fla., has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for enticing an underage girl he met on the ship into performing sexual acts with him and with producing child pornography by recording their sexual interactions. 

According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Crow met the victim while he was working aboard a cruise ship. The victim, a 16-year-old girl at the time, was vacationing with her family aboard the ship. After the cruise, Crow remained in contact with the victim and used a messaging application to solicit lewd photographs from her. Crow also met the victim—who was still under 18—at a hotel, where he engaged in sexual activity with her and recorded it. Crow stored the conversations and videos involving the victim on his cell phone.

Crow was apprehended after an ex-girlfriend of his made a complaint to the Port St. Lucie Police Department regarding the relationship between Crow and the victim. The ex-girlfriend discovered the relationship by checking Crow’s social media.   

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

HSI, Fort Pierce Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

If you have information regarding child sexual exploitation, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-CR-14035.

MIAMI – A family curse, fortune telling, and swindling a victim out of more than $3 million lands orchestrators in prison.

Michael Paul Guzman, 42, was sentenced to 38 months in prison and Samantha Stevens, 51, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles for orchestrating a fortune telling fraud scheme and money laundering.

According to court documents, Stevens was portraying herself as a psychic/fortune teller in 2012 when she met a victim in Miami. Stevens gained the victim’s trust and convinced her that a curse had been placed on her and her family. Stevens claimed she needed to perform rituals on large sums of money in order to lift the curse. Failure to do so—the victim was led to believe—would result in harm to her and her family. 

Stevens and Guzman spent the victim’s money on vehicles, property, and casino gambling. The relationship between Stevens and the victim lasted several years. During this time, the victim was persuaded to give up more than $3 million. The scheme came to an end in 2016 when Stevens cut off communication with the victim after she no longer could pay for the rituals. Once Stevens severed the relationship, the victim contacted federal law enforcement.

In addition to the prison sentence, the defendants must pay $3.198 million in restitution to the victim.  

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

IRS-CI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty prosecuted it and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone 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.

MIAMI – Nine Florida residents were arrested this morning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after being charged by a federal grand jury in Miami with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The fraud scheme allegedly involved tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent health care billing by 30 South Florida physical therapy clinics.

According to allegations in three related indictments and statements by the government in federal court this afternoon, the defendants—Arisleidys Fernandez Delmas, 32; her mother Leidys Delmas Garcia, 51; her husband Pedro Hugo Prieto Garcia, 32; Daimara Borroto Garcia, 32; Elias Caises Maurino, 52; Yohana Iriza (a/k/a Yohana Lozada), 51; her ex-husband Gabriel Lozada, 50; their son Anthony Lozada, 23; and Julio Acosta Perez, 40—conspired to submit approximately $37 million in fraudulent health care claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield.  

From approximately 2018 to present, the defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to beneficiaries of health insurance plans managed by Blue Cross. They offered these kickbacks to employees of JetBlue Airways, AT&T Inc., and TJX Companies Inc. to induce the beneficiaries to serve as patients at various South Florida physical therapy clinics. The defendants who owned the clinics then submitted fraudulent health insurance claims to Blue Cross for health care benefits that were medically unnecessary and not even provided.

These defendants also allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to their co-defendants in return for referring additional Blue Cross beneficiaries to the physical therapy clinics so more fraudulent health care claims could be submitted. These defendants also allegedly paid licensed massage therapists—who also were arrested this morning—to act as “nominee owners” and operators of the physical therapy clinics. This allowed the leaders of the scheme to avoid various medical clinic licensing requirements and attempt to evade criminal prosecution.

The indictments charge each defendant with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison per count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering 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, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges.

FBI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and Will Rosenzweig 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 numbers 22-cr-20560, 22-cr-20561, and 22-cr-20562.

MIAMI – A boat crew offering tourists the opportunity to swim with sharks took a pause between dives to steal a commercial fishing gear set. Now the captain and mate each face up to five years in prison.

Convicted by a jury in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the theft of commercial fishing gear in federal waters, defendants John R. Moore Jr., 56, of West Palm Beach and Tanner J. Mansell, 29, of Jupiter, Fla., ran their business from Jupiter Inlet, Fla.

In August 2020 Moore and Mansell, both licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry passengers for hire on uninspected vessels, operated a vessel with six tourists to swim with sharks in the federal waters off Jupiter Inlet. On this date they were carrying a police chief and his family, visiting tourists from the Midwest, and two other tourists. After their first dive of the day and enroute to a second dive spot, the crew saw a large orange buoy which was the marker for a commercial fishing gear set. That buoy was clearly marked with the vessel name as required by federal law. Video taken by the tourists clearly showed the markings.

Despite Moore’s history as a former commercial fisherman, he and Mansell told their passengers that this was an illegal, abandoned “ghost set” and duped the passengers into assisting in retrieving a lengthy section of the line. They released any catch on the hooks and stowed more than three miles of monofilament line, weights, gagnions, and the marker buoy on the deck of their boat. The passengers took videos and still photos which established that this activity extended for more than three hours and resulted in the loss of at least 19 sharks to the fishermen and vessel owner.

After engaging in the illegal conduct for approximately an hour and a half, Moore called state enforcement officers and gave an inaccurate statement of what was seen and found at the buoy site. He claimed he’d found an illegal shark fishing long-line and that he observed entangled lemon sharks, leading to his efforts to cut them free. He never mentioned that the line was attached to a properly marked buoy. The state officer advised Moore to cease his activities pending an investigation.

On the way to place the tourists ashore, Mansell hopped aboard a second outbound dive boat to act as a crewman. He took the fishing line with him and continued the illegal interference and theft of the commercial gear.

A Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer (FWC) observed Moore entering the Inlet and stopped the boat. On a video clip of that encounter, Moore explained that the line was a shark long-line set and asserted it was an illegal fishing operation. Photos and videos shot by the passengers over the lengthy period of criminal conduct showed the marked orange buoy repeatedly. However, when the FWC officer took his own photos of the line and gear on Moore’s vessel, the buoy which would have established the obvious legality of the shark fishing effort was gone. The officer also noted that all the gear retrieved by Moore and Mansell appeared brand new, with fresh bait on the hooks, and no rust as would be evident with abandoned fishing gear. Moore was advised to leave the gear on the dock as the officer would collect it later as evidence.

Despite directions from the FWC officer, Moore did not wait at the dock or secure the evidence. Instead, he scavenged the line for the hooks, attachments, and weights and allowed others on the dock to take the rest of the hardware connected to the main line. Moore and Mansell were present when the line was loaded into a cart and the cut-up line placed in a dumpster. The activity on the pier was captured by surveillance cameras.

Evidence at trial established that the gear alone cost the vessel owner approximately $1,300 and the value of the lost sharks amounted to several thousand dollars, which represented a significant portion of the income that would be paid to the fishermen.

In addition to potential prison time, Moore and Mansell may be fined up to $250,000. Additionally, they may be ordered to pay restitution to their victims.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Manny Antonaras, Assistant Director of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by NOAA-OLE, Southeast Division, with assistance from FWC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case.

If you have any information regarding this investigation, or other wildlife crimes, you may contact the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at (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,  

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 – 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.

 

 

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 – 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. 

 

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.  

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.  

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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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,  

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.

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.

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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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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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.

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.

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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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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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.

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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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.”  

 

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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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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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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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.