Southern District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
South Florida Liquor Store Owner Goes to Federal Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Lake Worth, Florida man who did not report his liquor store’s cash sales to the IRS was sentenced to 18 months in prison yesterday in federal district court in West Palm Beach for tax evasion.
Ajay Kumar, 60, was the sole officer and registered agent of Kruthi, Inc, a company registered in Florida, and doing business as “Tri County Discount Liquor.” Kumar reported credit card receipts to his accountant and on Kruthi’s federal income tax returns. However, Kumar did not report his cash receipts. As a result, Kruthi’s returns for tax years 2015 through 2018 underreported the liquor store’s gross receipts by approximately $1,718,945. For those same tax years, Kumar failed to pay approximately $481,304.68 in federal income taxes.
Kumar previously pled guilty to one count of tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Kumar to 18 months in prison. Judge Middlebrooks also ordered Kumar to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $7,500 fine and $481,304.68 in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.
“Those who underreport taxable earnings violate the integrity of our federal system of taxation,” said U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “To do so is a crime and our Office will aggressively prosecute business owners who evade their federal tax obligations.”
“Defrauding the government with a scheme to knowingly underreport taxable income is a crime. The people of the United States are the ultimate victims in these schemes – those taxpayers who truthfully file tax returns and pay their fair share of tax each year,” said Acting SAC Line. “Let this serve as a message to both small and large businesses alike, that individuals who deliberately underreport or omit income from their tax returns will be held accountable for their actions.”
IRS-CI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U. S. Attorney Marc Osborne 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 no. 21-cr-80091.
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Past President of Broward County Democratic Black Caucus Guilty of Defrauding Covid-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before the Honorable Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, 28-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident Damara Holness pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with 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.
As part of her guilty plea, Holness admitted that in June 2020, she applied for a $300,000 forgivable, federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc., a Florida company that she owned. To justify the requested loan amount, Holness claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that her company employed 18 people and spent an average of $120,000 each month on payroll. In fact, Holness Consulting had zero employees and no payroll expenses. A bank endorsed by the Small Business Administration to fund PPP loans approved Holness Consulting’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $300,000 to the company’s bank account in Florida.
Once the money hit the bank account in July 2020, Holness spent the next few months creating a paper trail to make it appear as if Holness Consulting had employees and was spending the PPP money on legitimate, approved expenses, it is alleged. Holness issued checks from the company bank account made out to others who agreed, for a fee, to help with the fraud. At Holness’ direction, the people receiving the checks would endorse and return them to Holness. Then, Holness would cash the checks at the company’s bank, give a few hundred dollars to the check endorsers, and keep the rest of the cash for herself – about $1,000 per check.
At or around the time of the alleged fraud, Damara Holness served as President of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus.
The information to which Holness pled guilty charged her with conspiring to commit wire fraud. The sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
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 Paycheck Protection Program (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 by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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-60229.
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Adult Man Pretending to be Teenager Sentenced to 25 Years for Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Palm Beach Gardens, Florida adult who enticed minor girls into sending him sexually explicit pictures of themselves by, among other things, pretending to be a teenager during on-line chats was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison and supervised release for life.
Beginning in 2008, Dwight Castaldi, 45, communicated with at least six minor-aged girls, as young as 13, on a social networking websites. Castaldi told the girls he was a teenager and sent the victims pictures of an unknown young man, falsely claiming they were pictures of him. During chats, Castaldi told the minors that they were in exclusive relationships with him and convinced the minors to take sexually explicit pictures of themselves and send the images to him. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Castaldi’s Palm Beach County home in 2018. They found several electronic devices containing hundreds of videos and photographs of child exploitation material and evidence of Castaldi communicating with others about the illegal material.
Castaldi previously pled guilty to production, distribution, and possession of child pornography, and online enticement of minors. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, FBI Miami, announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated the case, together with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and Huntington Beach California Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.
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.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-80087.
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36-Time Felon Sentenced to Prison After Assaulting Woman with Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Ft. Pierce, Florida has sentenced 40-year-old Gregory T. Fuller to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
In the early morning hours of April 10, 2019, in Ft. Pierce, Fuller began arguing with a female acquaintance. Fuller then went to a nearby residence, retrieved a firearm, and returned to the scene. While continuing to argue with the woman, Fuller pointed the firearm at her, threatened her, and hit her in the face. Fuller then returned to the residence and hid the firearm. Law enforcement later recovered it: a shotgun with no serial number that had its stock and barrel sawed off. At the time that he possessed the sawed-off shotgun, Fuller had previously been convicted of 36 felonies, including convictions for robberies, burglaries, batteries, escape, and other crimes.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Christopher Robinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the sentence.
ATF Miami investigated this case, with assistance from the Fort Pierce Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover is prosecuting the case.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14001.
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Two Individuals Convicted of Defrauding Medicaid at a Doral Clinic Providing Psychosocial Rehabilitation ServicesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Two South Florida residents have pleaded guilty to running a mental health care fraud scheme that over-billed Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the change of plea hearing in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lorena Osella, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and Juan Luis Matos, 59, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay health care kickbacks. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, will sentence both defendants on January 10, 2022.
As part of their guilty pleas, Osella and Matos admitted that they paid kickbacks of $400 in cash per month to Medicaid beneficiaries in exchange for the beneficiaries receiving psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services at Lighthouse Community Center LLC, in Doral, Florida. In addition, Osella admitted that she fraudulently billed Medicaid for at least $350,206 in psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services that were not provided as claimed. Psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services are a type of mental health group counseling designed to help people with depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders cope with their conditions and improve their ability to conduct daily life activities. Medicaid allowed these services to be administered via telemedicine beginning in April 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Osella and Matos also admitted to illegally receiving Florida unemployment benefits during the time they committed the health care fraud.
HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Abraham is prosecuting the case. AUSA 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, under case number 21-cr-20299.
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Port St. Lucie Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 21-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, Florida, Christopher Fabrisio Jimenez, has pled guilty in federal district court in Ft. Pierce to producing and distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, in January of 2020, a fourteen-year old girl reported to police investigators that she believed she had been sexually assaulted. Through the course of their investigation, law enforcement discovered that Jimenez had picked-up the fourteen-year-old in a vehicle, driven her around, and had given her alcoholic beverages until she passed out. Jimenez then recorded a sexually explicit video of the girl and posted it on a social media application. The day after the incident, Jimenez’s phone was deactivated and shortly after that, he left the State of Florida. The FBI later arrested him in New Jersey.
Jimenez pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography and faces up to 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is currently set for sentencing on March 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami investigated the case, together with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luisa Berti and Daniel Funk 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 20-cr-14019.
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Martin County Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 47-year-old man has pled guilty in federal district court in Fort Pierce to production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, Gernard Clark first came to the attention of law enforcement after a minor reported to a school resource officer that Clark had sexually battered her. Law enforcement investigated and discovered on the SD card of Clark’s cellular telephone more than 500 sexually explicit images and more than 40 sexually explicit videos of the minor female taken when she was between 14 and 15 years old. Clark was previously convicted of Lewd and Lascivious Indecent Act with a Child Under 16 Years of Age in the 19th Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida, Martin County and, as a result, was required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg will sentence Clark on January 20, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Clark faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years and a total maximum sentence of 130 years, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine per count.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami, in particular, FBI Miami’s Child Exploitation Task Force, investigated this case, with the assistance of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Bergstrom is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14015.
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Jury Declares Miami Man Guilty of Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida — An armed robber who spent a week in October 2019 holding up convenience stores in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties was found guilty last week by a federal jury on 10 counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
During the nine-day jury trial in Miami federal court, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Latta and Ajay Alexander proved that Jonathan Wayne Daniels, 39, from Miami, committed the robberies.
The evidence included testimony from victimized store employees, multiple positive identifications of Daniels, and video surveillance footage, among other things. In addition, the AUSAs presented evidence that during law enforcement’s investigation of the robberies, officers learned that the suspected robber was staying at a motel in Miami. When officers arrived at the suspect’s motel room door and announced themselves, Daniels — who was inside the room — jumped out a window, leapt over a fence, and began sprinting towards a nearby expressway. Officers caught Daniels mid-sprint and arrested him.
U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham, who sits in Miami, will sentence Daniels on January 14, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Daniels faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count of conviction.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge FBI Miami, announced the guilty verdict.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Miami Dade Police Department, Miami Gardens Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Miramar Police Department, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and Pembroke Pines Police Department.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20708.
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Home Invasion Robberies, Murders, Other Violent Crimes Lead to Federal Charges Against Alleged Members of Gang-Based Criminal EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – In a 15-count superseding indictment, a South Florida grand jury charged alleged members of a gang called “Onsight” with racketeering, armed robbery, conspiracy, murder, and other crimes following a rash of violence that plagued Broward County from 2015 to 2021.
Eric Hunter (aka “E” or “Onsight Eno”), 28, and Derrick Slade (aka “D” or “Solja”), 27, were arraigned today in federal magistrate court in Ft. Lauderdale. Gregory Stickney (aka “Gucci Greg”), 31, was arraigned on October 18.
According to the superseding indictment, from 2015 through October 2021, the Onsight gang operated as a criminal enterprise, with an identity, a hierarchy, and a multi-layered purpose. The gang’s name (Onsight) reflected its identity: an enterprise with members who would kill and commit other extreme acts of violence without hesitation, says the charging document. It is alleged that Hunter was a leader of the enterprise, at the top of the hierarchy, and that he planned, organized, and supervised the gang’s criminal ventures. Slade, Stickney and others executed those criminal ventures, which included armed home invasions, armed robberies, assaults, attempted murders, and murders, says the superseding indictment. The purpose of the criminal enterprise was to, among other things, make money through drug-dealing, robberies, and other crimes; advance the gang’s prestige and reputation among rivals both on the street and social media; and maintain control over their territory, it is alleged.
Hunter, Slade, and Stickney are each charged with 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, various counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and various counts of using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Each defendant faces a statutory maximum of life imprisonment or death.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Broward Sheriff’s Office, Hollywood Police Department, Lauderhill Police Department, Hallandale Beach Police Department, Davie Police Department, and Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey N. Kaplan and Paul F. Schwartz are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution was part of Operation Blood Pressure, which 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 principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
A superseding indictment is only an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-60107.
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COVID-19 Task Force Nets Florida Duct Cleaning Company; Settles False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Sextant Marine Consulting LLC (Sextant), a Florida-based duct cleaning company, has agreed to pay $30,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2020. Sextant also repaid the duplicative PPP funds in full to its lender, relieving the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) of liability to the lender for the federal guaranty of approximately $170,000 on the improper loan.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Throughout 2020, PPP loan applicants were required to certify that they would not receive more than one PPP loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020. This settlement resolves allegations that Sextant applied for and received a second, duplicative PPP loan in 2020.
“When the Paycheck Protection Program was implemented over one year ago, our Office committed to protecting South Floridians from those trying to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Our work is not done. We will continue to hold accountable those who wrongfully obtain funds intended to help struggling small businesses survive the current health and economic crisis.”
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses so that they could retain employees and keep their doors open,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will ensure that those who improperly obtain federally guaranteed PPP loans are held accountable.”
“The Paycheck Protection Program is intended to provide a lifeline to the nation’s small businesses and its employees” said Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG). “OIG will aggressively investigate allegations of wrongdoing in SBA’s pandemic response programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice for its dedication to achieving this settlement.”
“The settlement in this matter demonstrates the excellent results achieved through the combined efforts of SBA and the Department of Justice to uncover and forcefully respond to Paycheck Protection Program fraud,” said General Counsel Peggy Delinois Hamilton of the SBA Office of the General Counsel. “SBA is strongly committed to identifying and aggressively pursuing instances of fraud perpetrated by those taking advantage of SBA COVID-19 assistance programs.”
Wednesday’s civil settlement includes the resolution of a claim brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by J. Bryan Quesenberry. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mr. Quesenberry will receive $4,500. The matter remains under seal as to allegations against entities other than Sextant.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jared S. Wiesner of the Civil Division.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also 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.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Bond Denied for Chinese Businessman Charged in South Florida Federal Court with Visa FraudRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 57-year-old Chinese businessman who is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with entering the United States using fraudulently-obtained visas will remain behind bars pending trial in Miami.
Jianxiang Shi was arrested this week at a convention in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was promoting a cryptocurrency venture. He made his first federal court appearance yesterday before a magistrate judge in Las Vegas. During the appearance, the federal magistrate judge ordered Shi detained pending his trial in Miami, finding that Shi presents a risk of flight if released. Future court proceedings will occur in the Southern District of Florida.
According to the superseding indictment unsealed yesterday, Shi lied in order to obtain two non-immigrant visas, which he then used to enter the United States, at Miami International Airport, in 2016. Shi represented in both applications that he had never used another name when, in fact, he had an alternate identity and travel documents under the name “Long Niu,” it is alleged. Shi used travel documents with the Long Niu identity to enter the United States in February 2017, and has been living in California and Nevada as “Morgan Shi” since leaving China, prosecutors alleged during yesterday’s court hearing.
The superseding indictment charges Shi with two counts of fraud and misuse of United States nonimmigrant visas. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jessica Moore, Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement.
DSS investigated this matter with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Operations Division (DEA-SOD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
A superseding indictment is only an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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-20421.
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Honduran National Charged with Transnational Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering Extradited to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Fredy Donaldo Marmol Vallejo (Marmol), 40, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after being extradited from Honduras, his country of origin. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charges Marmol with conspiring to traffic narcotics internationally, distributing narcotics internationally with the intent to import it into the United States, and laundering the proceeds of the narcotics trafficking.
Specifically, the indictment returned on May 4, charges Marmol and co-defendant Michael Adolf Dixon Rivers, 53, also a Honduran national, with participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed cocaine in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico, with the goal of getting the drug into the United States. The indictment further charges Marmol with laundering the proceeds of this drug trafficking activity.
Marmol will make his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris M. McAliley, who sits in Miami.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of FBI Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
On August 18, Honduran authorities arrested Marmol based upon a provisional arrest request by the United States. The Honduran Supreme Court ordered him extradited on September 24, based upon an extradition request by the United States. U.S. Attorney Gonzalez extends his gratitude to the government of Honduras for its assistance, as well as the Agencia Técnica de Investigación Criminal (ATIC). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Marmol’s arrest and extradition. FBI’s International Operations Division transported Marmol from Honduras to the United States.
FBI Miami and DEA Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Hernandez and Walter Norkin are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
This prosecution 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 principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20277.
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Study Coordinator Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Falsify Clinical Drug Trial DataRead the Press Release
A Colorado man pleaded guilty today in connection with his participation in a scheme to falsify clinical drug trial data.
Duniel Tejeda, 35, of Canon City, Colorado, and formerly of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. According to court documents, Tejeda worked at Tellus Clinical Research, a medical clinic based in Miami. Tejeda served as a project manager and study coordinator for clinical drug trials. As part of his plea agreement, Tejeda admitted that he agreed with others to falsify data in medical records in connection with clinical trials intended to evaluate various medical conditions, including opioid dependency, irritable bowel syndrome and diabetic nephropathy. Among other things, Tejeda falsified data to make it appear as though subjects were participating in the trials when, in truth, they were not.
“The defendant’s conduct put profits before public health,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work with its partners at the Food and Drug Administration to investigate and prosecute anyone who engages in this conduct.”
“The public relies on the accuracy and honesty of clinical trial data,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “Falsifying clinical data not only violates the public’s trust, it also endangers the safety of consumers. Those who unlawfully profit by compromising the public’s health in this way commit serious crimes and will be prosecuted.”
“FDA’s evaluation of a new drug begins with an analysis of reliable and accurate data from clinical trials,” said Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations. “Compromised clinical trial data could impact the agency’s decisions about the safety and effectiveness of the drug under review. We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those whose actions may subvert the FDA approval process and endanger the public health.”
Tejeda faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. The court scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 20, 2022. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner and Joshua D. Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has provided critical assistance.
South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 29-year-old man has pled guilty in federal district court in Miami to attempting to materially support terrorism, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339A.
According to court documents, Samuel Baptiste attempted to provide material support to a terrorist act through the use of an explosive device by providing information on November 6, 2016 pertaining to the construction of explosive devices by posting internet links and portions of a manual containing specific instructions on the construction of explosives, to persons whom he believed were acting on behalf of ISIS.
At sentencing, Baptiste faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 5, 2021 at 1:30pm in front of the Honorable Jose E. Martinez, in Miami, Florida.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc S. Anton and Michael Thakur.
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-20613.
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South Florida Residents Convicted of Attempting to Illegally Export Controlled Items to LibyaRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal jury convicted a pair of Florida residents yesterday for their roles in an illegal exports scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peter Sotis, 57, of Delray Beach, and Emilie Voissem, 45, of Sunrise, participated in a scheme to cause the illegal export of rebreather diving equipment to Libya in August 2016.
Rebreathers enable a diver to operate undetected for long periods of time underwater by producing little to no bubbles and by efficiently re-circulating the diver’s own breath after replacing its carbon dioxide with oxygen. Because of these enhanced capabilities, rebreathers have a dual use, with both civilian and military applications, and are specifically included on the Commerce Control List, which is the list of dual use items that are export controlled and licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (DOC-BIS). Such restricted items require a DOC-BIS license if the rebreathers are to be exported to any countries with national security concerns, such as Libya.
The defendants were warned that it was illegal to export the items to Libya without a DOC-BIS license and they willfully attempted to export those items after receiving an instruction from a Department of Commerce special agent that such items were detained and not to be exported while a license determination was pending. The exhibits and testimony at trial showed that the defendants lied to and misled Ramas LLC, a shipping company in Virginia, about what the DOC-BIS agent had told them and about whether the rebreathers had a military use. Testimony at trial also showed that Sotis threatened a government witness not to cooperate with the federal investigation.
Sotis and Voissem were both convicted of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), attempted violation of the IEEPA and smuggling. Voissem was found not guilty of making false statements to a federal agency.
They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2022 and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for attempting to violate the IEEPA, a maximum of 5 years and a $250,000 fine for the IEEPA conspiracy, and a maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine for smuggling. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Special Agent in Charge Ariel Joshua Leinwand of the DOC-BIS, Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
DOC-BIS Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Miami and FBI Miami assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Thakur and Andy Camacho of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Nathan Swinton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control 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, under case no. 19-cr-20693.
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South Florida Residents Convicted of Attempting to Illegally Export Controlled Items to LibyaRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a pair of Florida residents yesterday for their roles in an illegal exports scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peter Sotis, 57, of Delray Beach, and Emilie Voissem, 45, of Sunrise, participated in a scheme to cause the illegal export of rebreather diving equipment to Libya in August 2016.
Rebreathers enable a diver to operate undetected for long periods of time underwater by producing little to no bubbles and by efficiently re-circulating the diver’s own breath after replacing its carbon dioxide with oxygen. Because of these enhanced capabilities, rebreathers have a dual use, with both civilian and military applications, and are specifically included on the Commerce Control List, which is the list of dual use items that are export controlled and licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (DOC-BIS). Such restricted items require a DOC-BIS license if the rebreathers are to be exported to any countries with national security concerns, such as Libya.
The defendants were warned that it was illegal to export the items to Libya without a license and they willfully attempted to export those items after receiving an instruction from a Department of Commerce special agent that such items were detained and not to be exported while a license determination was pending. The exhibits and testimony at trial showed that the defendants lied to and misled Ramas LLC, a shipping company in Virginia, about what the agent had told them and about whether the rebreathers had a military use. Testimony at trial also showed that Sotis threatened a government witness not to cooperate with the federal investigation.
Sotis and Voissem were both convicted of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), attempted violation of the IEEPA and smuggling. Voissem was found not guilty of making false statements to a federal agency. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2022 and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for attempting to violate the IEEPA, a maximum of 5 years and a $250,000 fine for the IEEPA conspiracy, and a maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine for smuggling. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Ariel Joshua Leinwand, Department of Commerce, BIS, Office of Export Enforcement Miami Field Office, which oversees investigations in the southeast; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations’ (ICE-HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The DOC-BIS and ICE-HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nathan Swinton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Thakur and Andy Camacho of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Connecticut Man Guilty of Sex-Trafficking During Miami SuperBowlRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A man who coerced two women and a girl into selling themselves for sex in Miami during the 2020 Superbowl was found guilty of commercial sex trafficking by a federal jury in Ft. Lauderdale this week.
During the eight-day trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Brian Dobbins presented evidence that in January 2020, Edward Walker, 48, of New Haven, Connecticut, brought two adult women and a 17-year-old girl to Miami from Connecticut to engage in commercial sex acts during the SuperBowl. While in Miami, Walker emotionally, psychologically, and financially coerced the victims into soliciting customers and having sex with them in exchange for money, all of which Walker kept. Additional evidence showed that after the Superbowl in Miami, Walker planned to take the victims to Chicago, Illinois (during the NBA All-Star Game), New Orleans, Louisana (during Mardi Gras), Las Vegas, Nevada, and other places to further sexually exploit them.
The jury found Walker guilty of sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor and by force and coercion, and transporting a person for sexual activity. U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn will sentence Walker on January 6, 2022, in federal court in Ft. Lauderdale. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
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.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami; and Alfredo Ramirez, III, Director of Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the guilty verdict.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. FBI New Haven; Homeland Security Investigations Miami; Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Office; Miami Beach Police Department; and Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office assisted.
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.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. 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, under case no. 20-cr-20087.
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South Florida Tax Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison Term for Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns, Costing IRS Almost $3 MillionRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Highlands County, Florida tax return preparer was sentenced yesterday to 37 months imprisonment for filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Benny Aguilar, 49, of Lake Placid, owned and operated B&A Services, a tax preparation business, located in Lake Placid. From approximately 2014 through 2018, Aguilar filed fraudulent returns for his clients seeking refunds to which the clients were not entitled by reporting fictitious residential energy credits and inflating the federal income tax withholdings. For each of the years 2014 through 2018, Aguilar submitted approximately 2,235 returns claiming residential energy credits. At sentencing, it was uncontested that Aguilar’s submission of fraudulent tax returns resulted in a loss amount to the IRS of $2,988,702.00.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon also sentenced Aguilar to one year of supervised release and ordered him to pay $92,230.00 in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
IRS-CI Tampa Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14020.
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Five Individuals Charged with Money Laundering in Connection with Alleged Venezuela Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment on Oct. 7, which was unsealed today, charging three Colombian nationals and two Venezuelan nationals for their alleged roles in laundering the proceeds of contracts to provide food and medicine to Venezuela that were obtained through bribes.
According to court documents, Alvaro Pulido Vargas, aka German Enrique Rubio Salas, aka Cuchi, 57, of Colombia; Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora, 55, of Venezuela; Emmanuel Enrique Rubio Gonzalez, 32, of Colombia; Carlos Rolando Lizcano Manrique, 50, of Colombia; and Ana Guillermo Luis, 49, of Venezuela, were charged in an indictment for their alleged roles in laundering the proceeds of a bribery scheme to obtain and retain inflated contracts through the Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (CLAP), a Venezuelan state-owned and state-controlled food and medicine distribution program for the people of Venezuela.
The indictment alleges that beginning in or around July 2015 and continuing until at least 2020, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, and Guillermo conspired with others to launder the proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme from bank accounts located in Antigua, United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere to and through bank accounts in the United States. According to the indictment, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, and Guillermo and others obtained contracts with Venezuelan governmental entities to import and distribute boxes of food and medicine in Venezuela through CLAP by paying bribes to Venezuelan government officials, including Vielma-Mora. The defendants and their co-conspirators knowingly inflated the costs of the contracts to pay the bribes and unjustly enrich themselves. The indictment also alleges that co-conspirators directed funds to be transferred to promote the bribery scheme while in the United States, and wired money related to the scheme to bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida. As a result of the scheme, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, Guillermo, and their co-conspirators allegedly received approximately $1.6 billion from the Republic of Venezuela, and transferred approximately $180 million through or to the United States.
The defendants are each charged in a five-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum total penalty of 100 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the DEA Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by DEA Miami with assistance from the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Homeland Security Investigation’s Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexander J. Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
To see indictment, click here: /media/1173176/dl?inline.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This prosecution 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 principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
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-20509.
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Five Individuals Charged with Money Laundering in Connection with Alleged Venezuela Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment on Oct. 7, which was unsealed today, charging three Colombian nationals and two Venezuelan nationals for their alleged roles in laundering the proceeds of contracts to provide food and medicine to Venezuela that were obtained through bribes.
According to court documents, Alvaro Pulido Vargas, aka German Enrique Rubio Salas, aka Cuchi, 57, of Colombia; Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora, 55, of Venezuela; Emmanuel Enrique Rubio Gonzalez, 32, of Colombia; Carlos Rolando Lizcano Manrique, 50, of Colombia; and Ana Guillermo Luis, 49, of Venezuela, were charged in an indictment for their alleged roles in laundering the proceeds of a bribery scheme to obtain and retain inflated contracts through the Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (CLAP), a Venezuelan state-owned and state-controlled food and medicine distribution program for the people of Venezuela.
The indictment alleges that beginning in or around July 2015 and continuing until at least 2020, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, and Guillermo conspired with others to launder the proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme from bank accounts located in Antigua, United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere to and through bank accounts in the United States. According to the indictment, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, and Guillermo and others obtained contracts with Venezuelan governmental entities to import and distribute boxes of food and medicine in Venezuela through CLAP by paying bribes to Venezuelan government officials, including Vielma-Mora. The defendants and their co-conspirators knowingly inflated the costs of the contracts to pay the bribes and unjustly enrich themselves. The indictment also alleges that co-conspirators directed funds to be transferred to promote the bribery scheme while in the United States, and wired money related to the scheme to bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida. As a result of the scheme, Pulido, Vielma-Mora, Rubio, Lizcano, Guillermo, and their co-conspirators allegedly received approximately $1.6 billion from the Republic of Venezuela, and transferred approximately $180 million through or to the United States.
The defendants are each charged in a five-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum total penalty of 100 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, and Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the DEA Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by DEA Miami with assistance from the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Homeland Security Investigation’s Miami Field Office.
Trial Attorney Alexander J. Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Seven Defendants Sentenced in $10 Million Mortgage Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – This week, a federal district judge sent six South Florida residents and one New Jersey resident to federal prison for their roles in a fraud scheme that involved stealing identities, creating and using fake foreign passports, impersonating homeowners, and falsifying loan documents to trick lenders into providing millions of dollars of mortgage loans on unencumbered residential properties.
The scheme followed a general pattern. First, the fraudsters would identify residential homes with no mortgages, and absent owners, located in high-end South Florida neighborhoods. Next, using the names and other identity information of the true homeowners, the fraudsters created fake passports. Alongside the homeowners’ names, the fraudsters placed photographs of co-conspirators. Some of those co-conspirators appeared at loan closings posing as the homeowners. The fraudsters used the fake passports to apply for mortgage loans from private lenders and to open bank accounts in the homeowners’ names -- accounts into which lenders wired the loan money. They used the stolen money to buy luxury cars, expensive watches, and other items. In total, the scheme drained close to $10 million of equity from South Florida homes.
The prison sentences in this case include:
- Carlos Rafael Castaneda Mendez, 34, of Miami, was sentenced to 78 months.
- Alejandro Boada Oliveros, 45, of Miami, was sentenced to 46 months.
- Jonnathan Jesus Gonzalez, 33, of Miami, was sentenced to 44 months.
- Yanjeisis Alejandra Pompa Villafane, 25, of Hialeah, was sentenced to 28 months.
- Lilia Rosa Morales Moreno, 45, of Miami, was sentenced to 30 months.
- Katherine Hansen Mendoza, 25, of Miami, was sentenced to seven months.
- Isbel Rodriguez Batista, 23, of Teaneck, New Jersey was sentenced to 30 months.
Charges against other defendants are pending. An indictment is only an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office; and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
USSS Miami, HSI Miami, and Aventura Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hauser is prosecuting the case. 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 http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no.: 20-cr-20155.
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Former NFL Player Pleads Guilty to Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Scheme Involving CARES Act Unemployment Insurance FundsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – South Florida native and former National Football League (NFL) Player Kenbrell Armod Thompkins, 33, pled guilty this week in federal district court to stealing other peoples’ identities to fraudulently obtain Covid-19-related unemployment insurance benefits.
Thompkins admitted that from August 16, 2020 through September 25, 2020, he used the social security numbers and other protected personal information of unsuspecting Florida residents to obtain prepaid unemployment insurance debit cards from California and to withdraw thousands of dollars from such cards. Thompkins pled guilty to one count of unauthorized access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. will sentence Thompkins on January 6, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in Miami. He faces up to 12 years in prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
USSS Miami and the Aventura Police Department investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr.
In 2020, Congress passed the Covid Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help individuals and businesses financially survive the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the provision of federal funds to state unemployment insurance benefit programs.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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 http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20136.
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Eight People Charged in South Florida Federal Bank Fraud, Money Laundering CaseRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – In a 30-count indictment unsealed today, a Miami federal grand jury charged eight defendants for their roles in a fraudulent check and money laundering scheme.
The indictment charges Christopher Salermo, 30, from Miami; Rene Ripes III, 22, from Hialeah; Carlo Luvara Escobar, 26, from Miami; Clifton Taylor, Jr., 33, from Miami; Edwin Castillo, 23, from Hialeah; John Anthony Perez, 23, from Hialeah Gardens; Ana Figueroa, 22, from Miami; and Brandon Cooper, 28, from the Bahamas, for participating in a fraud scheme that operated as follows, according to the indictment: Members of the conspiracy would steal bank account and routing numbers belonging to legitimate companies and individuals. Then they would: create fraudulent checks containing the stolen account and routing number information; forge victim signatures on the checks; and deposit the checks into bank accounts under the control of members of the conspiracy. After the checks cleared, but before the financial institutions discovered the fraud, members of the conspiracy would withdraw money from those accounts for their personal gain, it is alleged.
Seven of the eight defendants were arrested today. Defendants Salermo, Ripes, Taylor, Castillo, and Cooper made their initial appearances today in federal magistrate court in Miami before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan. Defendants Escobar and Perez will make their initial appearances tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. before Judge O’Sullivan.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from HSI Tampa, Miami Beach Police Department, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Gang Strike Force, Miami-Dade Police Department, and City of Miami Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20491.
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Extraditan a Estados Unidos desde Cabo Verde a empresario colombiano acusado de lavado de dineroRead the Press Release
Alex Nain Saab Moran (Saab), de 47 años y nacionalidad colombiana, hará su primera comparecencia hoy ante un tribunal federal en Miami, Florida, tras ser extraditado de la República de Cabo Verde. Saab ha sido acusado formalmente de haber blanqueado el lucro obtenido como resultado de violaciones de la Ley sobre Prácticas Corruptas en el Extranjero (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FCPA) en relación con un mecanismo de pago de sobornos que tenía como propósito sacar provecho del sistema cambiario controlado por el gobierno venezolano. Se espera que su primera comparecencia sea hoy a la 1:00 p.m. ante el juez John J. O’Sullivan del Tribunal de Distrito Federal para el Distrito Sur de Florida.
Concretamente, el 25 de julio de 2019, se acusó a Saab junto con Álvaro Pulido Vargas, alias Germán Enrique Rubio Salas, de 55 años, también de nacionalidad colombiana, mediante una imputación por ocho cargos, uno de ellos por conspiración para llevar a cabo lavado de dinero y otros siete cargos por lavado de dinero. La acusación sostiene que desde noviembre de 2011 o aproximadamente desde esa fecha y hasta al menos septiembre de 2015, Saab y Pulido conspiraron con otras personas para blanquear el lucro obtenido mediante un mecanismo ilegal de sobornos pagados desde cuentas bancarias en Venezuela hacia cuentas en Estados Unidos y a través de estas. Según la acusación, Saab y Pulido obtuvieron un contrato con el gobierno venezolano en noviembre de 2011 para la construcción de viviendas en sectores de bajos recursos. Los acusados y los demás partícipes en la conspiración luego aprovecharon el tipo de cambio que controla el gobierno de Venezuela, que permitía obtener dólares estadounidenses a una tasa conveniente, presentando documentos de importación falsos y fraudulentos para artículos y materiales que nunca se importaron a Venezuela y sobornando a funcionarios públicos venezolanos con el fin de que aprobaran esos documentos. La acusación sostiene que la actividad ilegal consistió en un mecanismo de soborno que vulneró lo establecido en la FCPA e involucró delitos de soborno contra Venezuela. También afirma que se llevaron a cabo en Miami reuniones para coordinar los pagos de sobornos y que Saab y Pulido transfirieron dinero relacionado con este mecanismo a cuentas bancarias en el Distrito Sur de Florida. Como resultado de este mecanismo, Saab y Pulido transfirieron aproximadamente USD 350 millones desde Venezuela, a través de Estados Unidos, a cuentas en el extranjero sobre las que tenían la titularidad o el control.
A pedido de Estados Unidos, el 12 de junio de 2020, Saab fue detenido en la República de Cabo Verde, una nación conformada por varias islas al oeste de África continental. A continuación, Estados Unidos presentó un pedido de extradición formal, que Saab objetó. El 16 de marzo, la Corte Suprema de Cabo Verde aprobó la extradición de Saab. Tras un litigio relativo a la detención y extradición de Saab que involucró a sus abogados y a la Fiscalía General de Cabo Verde, el 30 de agosto la Corte Constitucional de Cabo Verde desestimó la apelación, y el 31 de octubre denegó el último pedido de reconsideración que presentó Saab y certificó la finalización del proceso relativo a la extradición de Saab a Estados Unidos. La Ministra de Justicia de Cabo Verde ordenó que fuera entregado en cumplimiento de lo establecido en las órdenes judiciales, lo cual permitió que Saab llegara a Estados Unidos el 16 de octubre.
El anuncio fue realizado por el fiscal general adjunto Kenneth A. Polite Jr. de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, el fiscal federal interino Juan Antonio González para el Distrito Sur de Florida y la agente especial interina a cargo La Verne J. Hibbert de la Oficina Local en Miami de la Agencia Antinarcóticos de EE. UU. (DEA).
El fiscal general adjunto Polite y el fiscal federal interino González reconocieron y agradecieron al Gobierno de la República de Cabo Verde por su colaboración para la extradición de Saab a Estados Unidos. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia brindó asistencia sustancial para que se concretaran la detención y la extradición de Saab, al igual que INTERPOL Washington.
El caso fue investigado por DEA Miami con la colaboración de la Oficina Local en Miami del FBI y la Oficina en Miami de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional. La División de Operaciones Internacionales del FBI transportó a Saab desde Cabo Verde hasta Estados Unidos.
La acción penal la impulsan el fiscal de primera instancia Alexander Kramer de la Sección de Fraude de la División Penal y el fiscal auxiliar federal Kurt K. Lunkenheimer del Distrito Sur de Florida.
Una acusación formal es solo una acusación y todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta tanto se demuestre su culpabilidad sin lugar a duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
Para ver el texto original, ir a: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/colombian-businessman-charged-money-laundering-extradited-united-states-cabo-verde
Colombian Businessman Charged with Money Laundering Extradited to the United States from Cabo VerdeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Alex Nain Saab Moran (Saab), 49, a Colombian citizen, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida, today after being extradited from the Republic of Cabo Verde. Saab is charged in an indictment with laundering the proceeds of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a scheme to pay bribes to take advantage of Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate. He is expected to make his initial court appearance today at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Specifically, on July 25, 2019, Saab was charged along with Alvaro Pulido Vargas, aka German Enrique Rubio Salas, 55, also a Colombian citizen, in an eight-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and seven counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that beginning in or around November 2011 and continuing until at least September 2015, Saab and Pulido conspired with others to launder the proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme from bank accounts located in Venezuela to and through bank accounts located in the United States. According to the indictment, Saab and Pulido obtained a contract with the Venezuelan government in November 2011 to build low-income housing units. The defendants and their co-conspirators then took advantage of Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate, under which U.S. dollars could be obtained at a favorable rate, by submitting false and fraudulent import documents for goods and materials that were never imported into Venezuela and bribing Venezuelan government officials to approve those documents. The indictment alleges that the unlawful activity was a bribery scheme that violated the FCPA and involved bribery offenses against Venezuela. It also alleges that meetings in furtherance of the bribe payments occurred in Miami and that Saab and Pulido wired money related to the scheme to bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida. As a result of the scheme, Saab and Pulido transferred approximately $350 million out of Venezuela, through the United States, to overseas accounts they owned or controlled.
On June 12, 2020, Saab was detained in the Republic of Cabo Verde, an archipelago nation west of continental Africa, at the request of the United States. The United States thereafter submitted a formal extradition request, which Saab opposed. On March 16, the Cabo Verdean Supreme Court approved the extradition of Saab. After further litigation concerning Saab’s detention and extradition between Saab’s lawyers and the Cabo Verdean Attorney General’s Office, on Aug. 30, the Constitutional Court of Cabo Verde dismissed his appeal; and on Oct. 13, it denied the last reconsideration request by Saab and certified the completion of the proceedings concerning the extradition of Saab to the United States. The Minister of Justice of Cabo Verde then ordered his surrender, consistent with the court orders, resulting in Saab’s arrival in the United States on Oct. 16.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of FBI Miami made the announcement.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez and Assistant Attorney General Polite commended and thanked the Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde for their assistance in the extradition of Saab to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Saab’s arrest and extradition, as did INTERPOL Washington.
This case was investigated by DEA Miami with assistance from the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Homeland Security Investigation’s Miami Field Office. FBI’s International Operations Division transported Saab from Cabo Verde to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This prosecution 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 principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
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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Colombian Businessman Charged with Money Laundering Extradited to the United States from Cabo VerdeRead the Press Release
Alex Nain Saab Moran (Saab), 49, a Colombian citizen, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida, today after being extradited from the Republic of Cabo Verde. Saab is charged in an indictment with laundering the proceeds of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a scheme to pay bribes to take advantage of Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate. He is expected to make his initial court appearance today at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Specifically, on July 25, 2019, Saab was charged along with Alvaro Pulido Vargas, aka German Enrique Rubio Salas, 55, also a Colombian citizen, in an eight-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and seven counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that beginning in or around November 2011 and continuing until at least September 2015, Saab and Pulido conspired with others to launder the proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme from bank accounts located in Venezuela to and through bank accounts located in the United States. According to the indictment, Saab and Pulido obtained a contract with the Venezuelan government in November 2011 to build low-income housing units. The defendants and their co-conspirators then took advantage of Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate, under which U.S. dollars could be obtained at a favorable rate, by submitting false and fraudulent import documents for goods and materials that were never imported into Venezuela and bribing Venezuelan government officials to approve those documents. The indictment alleges that the unlawful activity was a bribery scheme that violated the FCPA and involved bribery offenses against Venezuela. It also alleges that meetings in furtherance of the bribe payments occurred in Miami and that Saab and Pulido wired money related to the scheme to bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida. As a result of the scheme, Saab and Pulido transferred approximately $350 million out of Venezuela, through the United States, to overseas accounts they owned or controlled.
On June 12, 2020, Saab was detained in the Republic of Cabo Verde, an archipelago nation west of continental Africa, at the request of the United States. The United States thereafter submitted a formal extradition request, which Saab opposed. On March 16, the Cabo Verdean Supreme Court approved the extradition of Saab. After further litigation concerning Saab’s detention and extradition between Saab’s lawyers and the Cabo Verdean Attorney General’s Office, on Aug. 30, the Constitutional Court of Cabo Verde dismissed his appeal; and on Oct. 13, it denied the last reconsideration request by Saab and certified the completion of the proceedings concerning the extradition of Saab to the United States. The Minister of Justice of Cabo Verde then ordered his surrender, consistent with the court orders, resulting in Saab’s arrival in the United States on Oct. 16.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, and Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne J. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant Attorney General Polite and Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commended and thanked the Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde for their assistance in the extradition of Saab to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Saab’s arrest and extradition, as did INTERPOL Washington.
This case was investigated by DEA Miami with assistance from the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Homeland Security Investigation’s Miami Field Office. FBI’s International Operations Division transported Saab from Cabo Verde to the United States.
Trial Attorney Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
En Español
DeSoto County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced 51-year-old Donald Reid to seven and one-half years in prison for dealing methamphetamine.
Reid distributed methamphetamine on four separate occasions in 2019. On July 3, 2019, Reid sold 26.4 grams of methamphetamine in Lake Placid, Highlands County, Florida. On August 9, 2019, Reid sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida. On August 16, 2019, Reid sold 55.8 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia. And, on September 9, 2019, Reid sold 110.14 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia.
On October 22, 2019, a Highlands County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped Reid as he was driving to Highlands County from DeSoto County. After a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, law enforcement seized 209.8 grams of methamphetamine and over $6,000 cash from the vehicle. Reid admitted that he was a drug dealer and that he obtained at least eight to 16 ounces of methamphetamine a week from his supplier. Reid was on bond for a pending felon-in-possession charge out of DeSoto County, Florida at time of the traffic stop.
Reid previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division announced the sentence.
DEA Miami investigated this case, with assistance from Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14019.
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South Florida Resident Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A United States federal district judge has sentenced Nikolas Cook, 23, of Stuart, Florida, to 840 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on September 10, 2020, Cook communicated with others in a social media group created for individuals interested in child sexual abuse material. While participating in the chat group, Cook produced and distributed multiple pornographic images of a three-year-old girl. An investigation led agents to Cook’s residence. Agents arrested Cook within 12 hours of learning of his activity in the chat group. During a search of Cook’s residence, agents located electronic devices containing multiple sexually explicit images and videos of minor children being sexually abused.
The sentence was imposed by Judge K. Michael Moore after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Special Agent in Charge for FBI Miami George L. Piro announced the sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Funk and Luisa Berti are prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14007.
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Man Sentenced for Lying to Federal Agents During International Wildlife Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Texas man was sentenced in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida yesterday for knowingly and willfully making a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation to Special Agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service during a criminal investigation of international trafficking of primates into the United States.
Gary Tucker, 64, of Alice, Texas, was sentenced to serve a three-year term of probation, with a special condition of home confinement for a period of three months, and to pay a criminal fine in the amount of $5,000 by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. Tucker had previously pled guilty to the charge before William P. Dimitrouleas. In connection with his guilty plea, Tucker admitted that in the course of an interview by Special Agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) about potential illegal trafficking of wildlife, he was asked about his involvement in the procurement and importation to the U.S. of long-tailed macaques -- small non-human primates regularly employed in scientific research -- from Southeast Asia. See included image. In particular, agents asked Tucker whether he or others working for his employer, Orient BioResource Center (OBRC), prepared or submitted to OBRC any audits or reports concerning their visits to supplier sites in Cambodia. Tucker responded to those questions in the negative, that is, that no supplier site visits were memorialized in any written reports to OBRC. In fact, as Tucker well knew, during the relevant period from 2017 – 2019, preparation and submission of site visit reports was a standard procedure at OBRC.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Burke of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Special Investigations Unit made the announcement.
USFWS investigated the case with assistance from Special Agent in Charge Jason Molina of Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
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 numbers 21-cr-20263.
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Jupiter Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Child Pornography and Online Threats to ChildrenRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Yesterday, Coltin Plummer, 29, of Jupiter, Florida, appeared in Fort Pierce federal court and was sentenced to 600 months in prison after being convicted of production and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, in February of 2020, children in Martin County, Florida, notified school officials that they had received threatening and lewd messages from an individual on a social media application. Investigators later located more than a dozen child victims, most between 11 and 15 years old, in Florida, Ohio, South Carolina, and Canada. Agents learned that Plummer had sent child pornography to the children, claiming that the images depicted his previous victims, and then threatened to rape or kill the children or their families. Plummer sent lewd images of himself, made lewd demands of many of the children, and extorted some of the children into sending compromising images of themselves. Plummer was later found in possession of child pornography, and admitted to downloading it from the “dark web” and sending it to others.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated this case, with assistance from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-14023.
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10 Years in Prison for Highlands County Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore has sentenced a 53-year-old man from Highlands County, Florida, to 120 months in prison for drug trafficking.
According to the court record, in 2019, Leon McNeil Roberts sold methamphetamine in Avon Park, Highlands County on three separate occasions. Specifically, on June 19, 2019, Roberts sold 27.38 grams of methamphetamine (actual) to a buyer. On June 28, 2019, Roberts sold 27.227 grams of methamphetamine (actual) to a buyer. And, on July 24, 2019, Roberts he sold 26.949 grams of methamphetamine (actual) to a buyer.
Roberts previously pled guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division made the announcement.
DEA Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter 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 21-cr-14005.
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Two Individuals Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $285,742 through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Dennes Garcia, 28, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 6. According to court documents, Garcia admitted to obtaining a PPP loan of $285,742 for his own company, Dhanda Corporation, based on false information about the company’s number of employees and average payroll and based on false supporting tax documents. Garcia also admitted that he wrote himself a check for $100,000 using the PPP loan proceeds, and further admitted that he paid $71,435.50 to an alleged co-conspirator, James Stote, as a kickback for his assistance in preparing and submitting the fraudulent loan application. In addition to his prison sentence, Garcia was ordered to pay $285,742 in restitution and $285,742 in forfeiture.
Relatedly, Cindi Denton, 63, of Eastvale, California, was sentenced on Oct. 8 to six months in prison and 12 months of home confinement after pleading guilty in the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 22. According to court documents, Denton admitted to obtaining a PPP loan of $491,310 for her own company, Emerald Jade Solutions Inc., based on false information about the company’s number of employees and average payroll and based on false supporting tax documents. Denton also admitted that she sent a $150,000 wire to her personal checking account using the PPP loan proceeds, and further admitted that she paid $98,262 to alleged co-conspirator Stote as a kickback for his assistance in preparing and submitting the fraudulent PPP loan application. In addition to her prison sentence, Denton was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, and to pay $377,883.91 in restitution and $377,883.91 in forfeiture.
Stote was charged by complaint on June 24, 2020, with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and his case remains pending.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Eastern Region made the announcement.
The IRS-CI, FBI, and SBA-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman and of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the department’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the PPP began, Fraud Section attorneys have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases. The Fraud Section has also seized more than $65 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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South Florida Armed Robber Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas handed down a 30-year federal prison sentence for Bryan David Burke, an Oakland Park man who went on a one-month armed robbery spree in South Florida earlier this year. The judge sentenced a second armed robber, Fort Lauderdale resident Kelvyn Lavon Cross, Jr., to 17 years’ imprisonment.
From February 24 to March 31, Burke robbed 10 stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties at gunpoint (including convenience stores, a liquor store, and a gas station). During each robbery, Burke pointed a firearm at the store cashier while an accomplice grabbed money, lottery tickets, and other valuables. Burke recruited Kelvyn Lavon Cross Jr. – who was on state probation after serving 13 years in prison for committing multiple robberies – to assist him on six of the robberies. Cross brandished a firearm during two of those robberies. On the day of Burke’s arrest, before officers took him into custody, Burke led officers on a high-speed chase, abandoned his vehicle, ran through multiple private backyards, and broke into a home where he had a fist fight with someone inside. After taking Burke into custody, officers seized two firearms and ammunition from him. Burke tried to discard one of the firearms while fleeing from officers.
On July 7, Burke pled guilty to five counts of federal robbery (Hobbs Act) and three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. On July 28, Cross pled guilty to three counts of federal robbery (Hobbs Act) and two counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
A third South Florida resident, Brandon Xavier Jones, pled guilty in this case to two counts of federal robbery (Hobbs Act). Judge Dimitrouleas will sentence Jones on November 19, at 1:15 p.m., in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
ATF Miami (Plantation) investigated the case, with assistance from Broward Sheriff’s Office, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Wilton Manors Police Department, and Delray Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Ajay Alexander and Brooke Latta are prosecuting this case.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60144.
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Miami Man Guilty of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Miami resident Michael Mendoza, 61, pled guilty last week in South Florida federal district court to receiving and possessing child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the counts.
According to case documents and statements made in court, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Mendoza’s home, where he lived with his wife and two adult children. Officers found a desktop computer and two external hard drives containing videos and photographs of child pornography and 11 compact discs with labels indicative of child pornography. Some of the over 300 videos and photographs of child pornography that Mendoza had showed toddlers being forced to perform sexual acts on adults. Forensic analysis of the media showed Mendoza has been viewing and storing child pornography for almost two decades. Mendoza admitted that he downloaded child pornography to his computer using a peer-to-peer sharing application and that he stored child pornography for later viewing.
U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez will sentence Mendoza on December 17, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. in Miami.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Miami-Dade Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, and City of Miami Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yara Dodin and Quinshawna Landon are prosecuting this case. AUSA Peter Laserna is handling asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-20113.
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West Palm Beach Investment Fraudster Guilty of Wire Fraud, Victim Losses in the MillionsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Fifty-four-year-old West Palm Beach, Florida resident Salvatore Renaldi pled guilty this week in South Florida federal district court to orchestrating and running two investment fraud schemes that led victims across the country to collectively lose over $3 million.
Renaldi was the founder and CEO of The Sanctum Group of Companies, Inc., Sanctum Publishing and Marketing, Ltd., and Sanctum Media Group, Inc. (the “Sanctum companies”). During the change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman, Renaldi admitted that he and others used the Sanctum companies to solicit funds from victim investors. To induce people to invest, Renaldi lied to them, promising to use their money to build a profitable business and guaranteeing a solid return on their investment. In addition, Renaldi failed to tell investors that he had a history of violating federal securities laws and that he used most of their money to pay for his personal expenses, make cash withdrawals, pay prior investors, and pay undisclosed commissions and fees. From about 2011 to 2015, Renaldi defrauded approximately 14 Sanctum company investors out of almost $1.5 million.
Renaldi also was associated with Magnum Health Management, Magnum Media Management, and Magnum Media Mining (the “Magnum companies”). During the change of plea hearing, Renaldi admitted that he represented himself to the public as the Magnum companies’ CEO, owner and operator. When soliciting funds for the Magnum companies, Renaldi falsely told investors that he would use their money as working capital and to build diabetes clinics. Instead, Renaldi used almost all the money for his personal use and benefit. From about 2017 to 2019, Renaldi defrauded approximately 14 Magnum company investors out of more than $1.6 million.
Renaldi pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Judge Altman will sentence Renaldi on January 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
This case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yisel Valdes.
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-80045-Altman/Brannon.
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Man Who Shot Firearm Inside West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Committed to 198 Months in CustodyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, federal district judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Larry Ray Bon, 62, a former West Palm Beach resident who shot a firearm inside the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach to a federal prison term of 198 months.
According to court records, Bon brought the firearm and ammunition to the emergency room of the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach. When he became frustrated with medical staff, Bon retrieved the firearm from his wheelchair and fired several shots. He placed VA Medical Center employees in fear for their lives, including two employees who were near Bon. An emergency room doctor attempted to disarm Bon, who fired the gun again, hitting the doctor in the neck. Despite being injured, the doctor was still able to disarm Bon. VA Medical Center staff then subdued Bon. The doctor survived the gunshot wound.
On March 13, 2020, Bon pleaded guilty to three counts of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Federal Employees, and one count of Possession of a Firearm in a Federal Facility with Intent to Commit a Crime. Judge Marra originally committed Bon to the custody of the U.S. Attorney General for 25 years of mental health care and treatment at a suitable medical facility. This was a provisional sentence allowable under federal law where a judge “finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is presently suffering from a mental disease or defect and that he should, in lieu of being sentenced to imprisonment, be committed to a suitable facility...” 18 U.S.C. §4244 (d). Bon was determined to no longer need psychiatric hospitalization, and was sentenced today.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI’s Miami Field Office, and David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.
“When this defendant fired shots inside the West Palm Beach VA medical center, he turned a place of healing and comfort into one of violence, fear, and confusion for the U.S. military veterans and medical personnel who were present that day. For this, he is being held accountable,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “We are committed to protecting our veterans, their families, and the dedicated employees of the South Florida VA medical clinics who treat them.”
“On February 27, 2019, Larry Ray Bon entered a Veterans Affairs Medical Center then fired several shots from a firearm that resulted in fear and confusion and the severe wounding an emergency room doctor,” said George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “While this sentence cannot erase what happened, he is now being held accountable for this senseless and cowardly act of violence.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the VA OIG and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant and resolute in holding accountable anyone who commits an act of violence at a VA facility,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG wants to ensure that VA employees have a safe environment in which they can work and veterans can receive quality healthcare."
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and VA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Osborne and Rinku Tribuiani prosecuted this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Croke handled the asset forfeiture aspects of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Shutting Down Fraudulent Psychic Mail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered a permanent injunction against three individuals and two companies who had been operating an international mail fraud scheme. The order bars defendants from operating or otherwise engaging in a psychic mailing scheme and, more broadly, from engaging in any mass-mail or prize promotion marketing in the United States, the Justice Department announced.
As alleged in the complaint, Robert Lhez, Mireille Dayer and Julie Poulleau, all residents of France, utilized corporate defendants Arcana Center, a Delaware corporation, and Partners VAD International Sàrl, a Swiss corporation, to facilitate and promote various psychic mail fraud schemes. In particular, the complaint alleges that the defendants mailed hundreds of thousands of solicitations purportedly sent on behalf of individuals or companies offering psychic, clairvoyant or astrological services to recipients throughout the United States. These solicitations were riddled with false and misleading statements that gave the false impression that in exchange for payment of a small fee, typically of $45 or $50, the individual recipient would come into good fortune resulting in an imminent financial windfall though the lottery, inheritance or other game of chance. The complaint further alleged that tens of thousands of victims, primarily the elderly or vulnerable, sent payments totaling millions of dollars to defendants. From March 2017 to June 2018 alone, victims sent in more than 34,000 payments, for a total of more than $1.4 million. These victims, however, never received the promised benefit.
“The Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to investigate and bring cases to stop mass mailing fraud when it arises,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Individuals who perpetrate fraud schemes like those at issue here must be held accountable.”
“Beyond financial losses, predatory fraud schemes like this one lead to immense emotional suffering for victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “We urge the public to question promotions that seem too good to be true and immediately report suspected fraud to law enforcement.”
“Thursday’s defendants have been known to Postal Inspectors for years, constantly changing their fraudulent schemes in the attempt to stay one step ahead of the law,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “The permanent injunctions make it clear, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will peel back the layers until we find the individuals behind these schemes and hold them accountable."
Under the terms of the consent decree and final judgment, defendants agreed to be permanently barred from sending any mass mail marketing material to the United States, including any pieces referencing psychic services and prizes, as well as from participating in such activities by serving as a consultant or working for a company engaged in those efforts. Defendants also agreed to be prohibited from selling or leasing lists of U.S. residents who have responded to these and similar solicitations. The order also granted the U.S. Postal Service the ability to detain any mail responding to defendants’ solicitations and return, where possible, money to victims.
The government is represented by Trial Attorneys Ann Entwistle and Yolanda McCray Jones of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Weinkle for the Southern District of Florida. The United States Postal Inspection Service provided investigative support.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the billions of dollars seniors lose to fraud schemes, including those perpetrated by transnational criminal organizations. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
262-Month Federal Prison Sentence for South Florida Veterinarian Who Sexually Abused Dogs, Created Animal Crush VideoRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A licensed veterinarian based in Aventura, Florida who recorded himself sexually abusing dogs, shared the bestiality videos on-line, and collected on-line child pornography, was sentenced today in Miami federal court to over 21 years in prison.
Prentiss K. Madden, is guilty of producing videos of himself engaged in sexual activity with dogs and sharing them with others in chats. Madden kept these bestiality videos, as well as chats about bestiality, in his cellular telephones. Madden also is guilty of accessing a Dropbox account containing images of child pornography, receiving child pornography photographs and videos through social media chats, talking about child sexual abuse during chats, and storing thousands of child pornography images in his Dropbox account and cellular telephones.
On July 29, Madden pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2); one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B); and one count of creation of an animal crush video, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 48(a)(2)(B), a federal statute that punishes acts of animal torture, including bestiality.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Alfredo Ramirez, III, Director, Miami Dade Police Department, announced the sentence.
HSI Miami and Miami Dade Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from Hialeah Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Protection, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you have information regarding this case, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 21-cr-20248.
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South Florida Resident Guilty of Threatening to Kill Derek Chauvin’s LawyerRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A 42-year-old Coral Gables, Florida man pled guilty yesterday in federal district court to threatening the defense attorney of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted earlier this year of murdering George Floyd.
During yesterday’s hearing before U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham, William John Hartnett admitted that on April 6, from his location in Miami, he called the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (“MPPOA”) in St. Paul, an organization that funded Chauvin’s defense. Hartnett left an 18-second message on MPPOA’s voicemail in which he threatened to kill Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s defense lawyer. In his message, Hartnett yelled: “Hey you and your whole f------ family are going to f------ die, you motherf-----, for representing Chauvin, a f------ murderer. Now, you all are going to f------ die a worse death than Floyd, you motherf-----. All of you piece of s----.”
Hartnett pled guilty to one count of transmitting a threat through interstate communications. Judge Graham, who sits in Miami, will sentence Hartnett on December 15. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the MPPOA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20412.
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Jury Declares Key West Money Launderer GuiltyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Following a three-day trial, a federal jury in Key West, Florida found Sean Kerwin Bindranauth, 44, guilty of laundering $1 million derived from romance and investment fraud scams targeting elderly victims.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the victims of the romance scam were generally lonely older women who befriended the defendant’s co-conspirators, who posed as men living on oil rigs, serving in wars, or otherwise working in remote locations. After establishing the on-line relationship, the “men” convinced the victims to send them money. Other victims were misled by the defendant’s co-conspirators into investment scams. One victim testified at trial that he was misled into believing that a $1,000 plunge into cryptocurrency would yield a $10,000 return. In 2018 and 2019, victims of both scams were directed to send their money to Bindranauth, which they did by wire transfer, personal checks, or cash.
Once Bindranauth received the money, he would send it from the United States to Nigeria through international money transfer companies and direct bank transfers. Over a dozen seniors and other victims were tricked into sending Bindranauth and his co-conspirators approximately $1 million. Evidence at trial also demonstrated that other victims sent Bindranauth cash via USPS and that Bindranauth purchased gift cards and sent the gift card information to his co-conspirators in Nigeria to use. A forensic analyst testified that the loss to victims as a result of this part of the scheme was impossible to trace.
The jury found Bindranauth guilty of conspiring to commit money laundering and six counts of substantive money laundering, as well as conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business. U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore will sentence Bindranauth on January 10, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. in federal district court in Key West. Bindranauth faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy, 20 years in prison for each money laundering count, and five years in prison for unlicensed money transmitting, in addition to fines.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami, Key West Office, investigated the case, with assistance from Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman and Yisel Valdes are prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniele Croke 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 19-cr-10016.
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South Florida Wildlife Dealer and Company Charged in Scheme to Harvest and Sell Protected TurtlesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – South Florida federal prosecutors have charged a Davie, Florida company specializing in wholesale reptile sales and its owner for their roles in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves and others by smuggling illegally-harvested Florida turtles out of the United States and into China, Japan, and other places.
According to the information filed in Miami federal district court, from approximately April 2017 through April 2019, 54-year-old Davie resident Michael Van Nostrand, his company, Strictly Reptiles, Inc., and others established a network of “collectors” who searched in the Florida wilds for certain fresh-water turtle specimens. Contrary to federal law, the collectors captured the protected turtles and turned them over to Van Nostrand, says the information. Then, to make it appear to customers that he and his company had legitimately obtained the turtles, it is alleged that Van Nostrand falsely labeled the turtles as having been bred in captivity. It is also alleged that Van Nostrand’s co-conspirators – the “collectors” -- represented in federal export disclosure documents that the turtles were captive- bred, rather than wild-caught, which was a lie. According to the information, Van Nostrand, Strictly Reptiles, and their co-conspirators trafficked hundreds of illegally-harvested Florida turtles for profit, including the principal species – Florida three-stripe mud turtles (Kinsperson baurii), pictured above.
Harvesting and selling wild-caught Florida fresh-water turtles is illegal. The information charges Van Nostrand and Strictly Reptiles of conspiring with others to illegally traffic wildlife. Van Nostrand made his first court appearance in this case today, in federal magistrate court in Miami. If convicted, Van Nostrand faces up to five years in prison, plus supervised release and a fine of at least $250,000. V Strictly Reptiles, if convicted, faces a criminal fine of at least $500,000.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Stephen Clark, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Region IV, Office of Law Enforcement, Atlanta; and Colonel Roger Young, Director, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, Law Enforcement Division made the announcement.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission jointly investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting it.
Criminal complaints, informations and indictments contain mere allegations and defendants are innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20495-Williams.
Photograph courtesy of Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.Note: Photograph courtesy of Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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South Florida School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison Term for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Miami has sentenced 27-year-old Hialeah resident Roberto Ortiz to 78 months’ imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for possessing approximately 1,700 images and 40 videos of child pornography.
From 2019 until his arrest on July 30, 2020, Ortiz worked as a mathematics teacher at American Senior High School, a public school in South Florida. Prior to that, Mr. Ortiz served as a teacher at Jose Marti High School in Miami and at Youth Co-Op Preparatory Charter School in Hialeah, a school which includes students as young as five.
Based on information presented to the court, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant for Ortiz’s home after their investigation determined that a computer user at the residence was downloading and sharing child pornography by means of peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Pursuant to their search, agents seized several electronic devices from the home, including a laptop belonging to Ortiz. A forensic analysis of that laptop revealed over 1,700 files of child pornography.
On April 13, Ortiz pled guilty to possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke imposed the sentence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sajjad Matin prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.
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-20206-MGC.
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Indian River County Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison TermRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a South Florida federal district judge sentenced a Vero Beach drug dealer who drove around town with fentanyl, a loaded semi-automatic firearm, and tens of thousands of dollars in cash to 106 months in federal prison.
On February 23, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested 34-year-old Burnell Heiges Emlet, III, after finding him slumped over the steering wheel of a car that was sitting at a stop light. With him inside car, Emlet had a loaded semi-automatic firearm with a large capacity magazine, as well as 76 prepacked baggies of fentanyl. Emlet was charged with state crimes and released on bond. Officers arrested Emlet again on May 22, 2020, following a traffic stop. This time, Emlet had 1,700 prepackaged baggies of fentanyl and more than $55,000 in cash with him inside the car. After this arrest, Emlet’s state bond was revoked.
In 2021, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charged Emlet with federal gun and drug trafficking crimes relating to the February 2020 arrest. A federal magistrate judge ordered him detained pre-trial, without bond. On July 15, 2021, Emlet pled guilty in federal district court to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed today’s sentence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; La Verne J. Hibbert; Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division; and David E. Currey, Chief of Police, Vero Beach Police Department, announced the sentence.
DEA Miami and Vero Beach PD investigated this 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 21-cr-14012.
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Miami Man Sentenced to 160 Months for Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Forty-three-year-old Christopher C. Pinkston was sentenced his week to over 13 years in federal prison for robbing three South Florida banks and attempting to rob a fourth during a one-month crime spree earlier this year. Pinkston had already served nearly twelve years in federal prison for a string of bank robberies in 2006 in the Western District of Missouri.
According to court records, at about 1:30 p.m. on February 11, Pinkston entered the Chase Bank located at 13745 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "I need 30,000 Dollars or everybodys [sic] Dead." The victim teller gave Pinkston $1,000 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind. Pinkston robbed a second bank at about 1:30 p.m. on February 19. He entered the City National Bank located at 13780 S.W. 88th St. in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "Good morning this is a robbery Handover $30,000 you have less than one min no ink bombs or trackers Thank you [sic]." The victim teller handed Pinkston $5,100 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind.
On March 5, the defendant entered a TD Bank in Palmetto Bay, approached a desk of one of the TD Bank employees, sat down, and handed the employee a note demanding $30,000. When the employee informed the defendant that she did not have any cash in her cash box, he took back his demand note and left the bank. The employee recalled that the note began, “This is a robbery, I need $30,000.” Only 15 minute later, the defendant walked into another Chase Bank in Miami located about a mile from the previous attempted robbery. The defendant approached one of the teller windows and handed the teller a note demanding $30,000: “This is a robbery I need $30,000 make it quick.” The defendant walked out of the bank with $24,900.
On September 29, 2021, Pinkston pled guilty to two counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas imposed Pinkston’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated this case, with cooperation and assistance from Miami Dade Police Department and City of Miami Police Department, Special Investigations Section. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20194-WPD.
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Medical Device Company Pleads Guilty to Dealing in Adulterated Devices, Forfeits over $800,000 in Non-FDA Approved DevicesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Affordable Healthcare Solutions, LLC, d/b/a Affordable Healthcare Solutions 1, LLC has pled guilty and was sentenced in South Florida federal court to Receiving Adulterated Devices in Interstate Commerce and Delivery for Pay with Intent to Defraud or Mislead, in violation of 21 USC 331(c) and 333(a)(2).
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, on May 11, 2016, Special Agents with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, executed a search warrant at Affordable Healthcare Solutions 1, LLC (Affordable Healthcare), a business managed by R.A. During the search, agents located and seized unapproved, foreign-market Supartz Euflexxa, Synvisc, Synvisc-One, and Orthovisc, which are prescription hyaluronic acid (HA) medical devices intended for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis of the knee that must be injected by a doctor or other qualified health care professional. Because these prescription medical devices lacked FDA approval for distribution and use in the United States, they were adulterated.
Under 21 U.S.C. § 331(c), it is unlawful to receive in interstate commerce an adulterated device and to deliver or proffer delivery of such device to others for pay or otherwise. Reviews of the labeling conducted by FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health on the injectable HA devices seized from Affordable Care confirmed various differences between the outer box and carton labels, patient information brochures, and instructions for use between the FDA-approved labeling for Supartz, Orthovisc, Synvisc, Synvisc-One and Euflexxa versus the labeling included with the unapproved versions being distributed by Affordable Healthcare. The value of the devices seized were in excess of $800,000.
As a result of the plea agreement, Affordable Healthcare Solutions, LLC pled guilty to a felony, was fined and ordered to forfeit the $837,000 worth of medical devices seized during the search warrant executed by Special Agents with the FDA.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge, Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, announced the felony guilty plea and sentence.
“Medical device suppliers whose greed leads them to disregard FDA protocols and approval processes put the public in danger” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “These are serious crimes and, in our district, companies that put profit over patient safety will be held accountable.”
“FDA regulates the manufacturing and distribution of medical devices to help ensure the safety of American patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Fielder. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of the FDA’s continued focus on companies that put profits ahead of the U.S. public health.”
FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurence Bardfeld is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Brown is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Florida Man Who Called for Race-Based Civil War Sentenced on Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a South Florida federal district judge sentenced Paul Nicholas Miller, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 41 months’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2018, possessing ammunition as a convicted felon in 2021, and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle in 2021.
Miller, who had previously been convicted of three separate felony offenses in New Jersey, took a live firearms training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in January 2018, during which he fired a handgun. Miller then used the certificate of completion from this training to apply to Florida authorities for a concealed weapon license. In this application, Miller falsely affirmed that he had never been convicted of a felony. Florida authorities denied Miller’s application due to his prior felony convictions. Federal law enforcement then arrested Miller on March 2, 2021 after a federal grand jury returned an indictment in connection with Miller’s 2018 conduct.
After this arrest, law enforcement discovered an unregistered short-barreled rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside Miller’s home. Miller admitted that he had bought the ammunition and that he had tried to build his own rifle in part to learn about firearms manufacturing in preparation for a coming civil war. In the months immediately before his arrest, Miller had made hundreds of internet posts publicizing his animosity towards various minority groups and his support for the initiation of a race-based civil war in the United States.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding two counts for Miller’s 2021 possession of the ammunition and the unregistered short-barreled rifle law enforcement found in his home. On June 22, Miller pled guilty to all three charges in the superseding indictment before U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who imposed today’s sentence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Miami Division, made the announcement.
FBI handled the investigation, with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran N. Bhat prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-60067-CR-Singhal/Snow(s).
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California Tobacco Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Evade Federal Excise Taxes on Dominican CigarsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A California tobacco company executive on Thursday admitted his participation in a fraudulent scheme to avoid the payment of millions of dollars in excise taxes on imported tobacco products.
Akrum Alrahib, 43, of Los Angeles, California, was the President of Trendsettah USA, Inc. (“Trendsettah”), a California tobacco company authorized to transact business in Florida. Trendsettah sold various tobacco products, such as large cigars, and marijuana paraphernalia, such as “blunt wraps,” most of which were imported from the Dominican Republic through Miami.
As part of his guilty plea, Alrahib admitted that he partnered with Gitano Pierre Bryant, Jr., a tobacco importer authorized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), to import large cigars. Alrahib and Bryant agreed to lower their costs by underreporting the Federal Tobacco Excise Tax that was due and owing on the imported cigars. They consistently evaded Federal Tobacco Excise Tax by concealing the price Alrahib actually paid for the cigars.
During the course of the scheme, Alrahib paid over $21 million for Dominican tobacco products and received over $700,000 in kickbacks from Bryant.
Alrahib also admitted his participation in a witness tampering scheme, in which he sought to prevent a witness from testifying before a South Florida Grand Jury.
Alrahib pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Alrahib can be sentenced to up to five years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled before District Judge Rodney Smith in Fort Lauderdale on December 3, 2021.
Bryant, Alrahib’s partner, was charged in a separate case (16-cr-20838). He pled guilty, was sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Carrie May, Acting Assistant Administrator for Field Operations, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, DC Field Office, made the announcement.
TTB and IRS-CI investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Browne and Jerrob Duffy of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20165.
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Two South Florida Women Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Orchestrating Credit Card Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Miami, FL – Two south Florida women were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain credit cards that they and other individuals used to purchase over $100,000 of personal cosmetic services.
Sheena Ceasar, 35, of Coconut Creek, and Dekita Bellamy, 37, of Coral Springs, were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman to terms of imprisonment of 44 months and 32 months, respectively, with each term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Altman ordered forfeiture and restitution of $82,151.50 as to Ceasar and $94,968 as to Bellamy. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, as charged in an indictment.
Bellamy and Ceasar carried out the conspiracy by purloining personally identifiable information (PII) of unsuspecting victims, including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for and receive credit cards. In addition to using the credit cards to purchase cosmetic services for themselves, defendants reaped ill-gotten gains by supplying the cards to co-conspirators so they could purchase expensive cosmetic services in exchange for a fee, which was typically half the value of the desired service. Seven other co-conspirators have been charged with, and pleaded guilty to, federal felonies in connection with this criminal activity:
- Shenika Denise Myers, 37, of Lauderhill, Florida pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021 to aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Sayyada Samira Whiters, 33, of Coconut Creek, Florida, pleaded guilty on August 13, 2021 to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Trenasha Lashay Johnson, 36, of Cape Coral, Florida pleaded guilty to August 3, 2021 to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft and is awaiting sentencing.
- Janiqua Oliphant, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on October 14, 2020 to 24 months’ imprisonment.
- Sheena White, 35, of Pompano Beach, Florida pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on September 24, 2020 to 24 months’ imprisonment.
- Nikki Butler, 40, of Pompano Beach, Florida pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and was sentenced on September 15, 2020 to time served with 3 years of supervised release that included 360 days of home detention.
- Lucretia Ford, 31, of Coconut Creek, Florida pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and was sentenced on June 3, 2020 to 3 years’ probation.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. USSS Miami investigated the cases, with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Snider is prosecuting the cases.
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 numbers 19-cr-60380 (United States v. Dekita Bellamy et al.), 21-cr-60063 (United States v. Shenika Denise Myers), 21-cr-60062 (United States v. Sayyada Samira Whiters), 20-cr-60079 (United States v. Trenasha Lashay Johnson), 19-cr-60361 (United States v. Sheena White),19-cr-60356 (United States v. Nikki Butler), and 19-cr-60357 (United States v. Lucretia Ford).
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Washington Man Sentenced to 97 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role in Health Care Fraud Scheme Against TricareRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Washington man was sentenced yesterday to over eight years in federal prison for defrauding Tricare of approximately $19.4 million through a South Florida compounding pharmacy fraud scheme. Tricare is the health care benefit program for the United States Department of Defense.
Jonah Miller, 48, of Shoreline, Washington, pleaded guilty on July 15, to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud. Miller recruited Tricare beneficiaries to order expensive, medically unnecessary compound drugs from a Broward pharmacy. In furtherance of the scheme, Miller paid doctors to approve pre-printed prescriptions for excessive amounts of the expensive drugs without regard to the beneficiaries’ actual medical needs. Investigation revealed that the drugs were formulated to maximize profit without legitimate therapeutic value. Miller’s fraudulent referrals caused an actual loss to the Tricare program of approximately $19.4 million. In exchange for the referrals, Miller personally received over $4.9 million from the pharmacy. In addition to the prison sentence, the Court imposed restitution in the amount of approximately $19.4 million and a forfeiture judgment of approximately $4.9 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Southeast Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami made the announcement.
The DCIS and FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Juenger prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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South Florida Phony IRS Tax Debt Negotiator Headed to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Vero Beach woman who stole money from clients she was supposed to be helping resolve federal tax debt was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Miami to 63 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $867,593.11 in restitution to her victims.
Between 2013 and 2020, Jocelyn Antonia Lynch, 40, held herself out as a person who could help clients settle outstanding tax debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service. After claiming she negotiated agreements with the IRS, she instructed client taxpayers to deposit payments into her personal bank account based on the false representation that she would forward the money to the IRS. Bank records showed that numerous deposits from the client taxpayers were used to pay her personal expenses, not the client taxpayers’ tax liabilities. To hide her fraudulent behavior, she lied to clients about having made payments and provided multiple clients with fraudulent payment receipts. A total of 16 victims were defrauded.
On April 28, 2021, Lynch pled guilty to eight counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez imposed the sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Morini, Jr. for the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Southern Field Division, announced the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14004.
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