Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Lelia Vanessa Perdomo Zapata (26, Colombia) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as one count of possession with the intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine on that vessel. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 5, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Perdomo Zapata was part of an international maritime drug smuggling operation involving at least 440 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $13 million. Perdomo Zapata was the Colombian load guard for a Cartagena, Colombia-based cocaine smuggling crew. Prior to their interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Perdomo Zapata and one of her co-conspirators were transporting 18 bales of cocaine onboard a 60-foot sailing vessel from Cartagena, Colombia to Cancun, Mexico. Ultimately, USCG law enforcement officers from Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific boarded the sailing vessel and discovered the 18 bales of cocaine and multiple electronic devices consistent with cocaine trafficking. Subsequent analysis of these devices yielded crucial digital evidence of the cocaine smuggling operation.  

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas DeRenzo.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Ahmet Sakarya (30, Istanbul, Turkey) with bulk cash smuggling. If convicted, Sakarya faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Sakarya that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are traceable to the offense.

According to the indictment, on August 13, 2019, Sakarya attempted to board a flight from Tampa International Airport to Frankfort, Germany after falsely declaring that he was only carrying $14,000 in U.S. Currency. Upon further investigation, U.S. Custom and Border Patrol officers discovered that Sakarya was transporting $55,000 in cash that was hidden in his luggage.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Baggé-Hernández.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Aaron Michael Rohrer (25, Tampa) with distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of an individual, B.G. If convicted, Rohrer faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.  

According to the indictment, on March 10, 2019, Rohrer distributed a substance containing fentanyl to B.G. B.G. used the substance containing fentanyl, and subsequently overdosed and died. The distribution took place within 1,000 feet of Time of Wonder Academy, a primary school, and the National Louis University.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Baggé-Hernández.

Jacksonville, Florida – Nicole Johnson (37, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. She faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. 

According to the plea agreement, Johnson was the owner and operator of Financial Asset Tax Service, which offered tax return preparation services. For the tax years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Johnson prepared returns for individuals in which she falsified the amounts of deductions and tax credits owed to the taxpayers. As a result, those taxpayers received undeserved tax refunds. Johnson fraudulently claimed the General Business Credit and False Tax Credit for taxpayers who were not entitled to them, and inflated itemized deductions. As a result of the false returns prepared by Johnson, the IRS issued more than $1.3 million in undeserved refunds.  Johnson has agreed to repay the IRS that amount in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore, Jr. has sentenced Raul Alfaro-Muniz (44, Ocala) to 24 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after previously being deported. Alfaro-Muniz had pleaded guilty on April 9, 2019. 

According to the facts described in court, on February 4, 2019, Alfaro-Muniz was arrested for battery in Marion County. Agents soon discovered that Alfaro-Muniz had previously been deported from the United States four times. He is a citizen of Mexico and is illegally in the United States. After Alfaro-Muniz serves his prison sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore, Jr. has sentenced Missael Gonzalez Terrazas (23, Ocala) to seven years in federal prison for possessing at least 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.  Terrazas had pleaded guilty on May 28, 2019. 

According to the facts described in court, Terrazas was apprehended by law enforcement while in possession of more than four kilograms of pure methamphetamine and $9,000 in cash. Terrazas is a citizen of Mexico and is residing in the United States illegally. After serving his prison sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore, Jr. has sentenced Jesus Gonzalez-Villanueva (35, Ocala) to 17 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after previously being deported.  Gonzalez-Villanueva had pleaded guilty on May 16, 2019. 

According to the facts described in court, in March 2019, Gonzalez-Villanueva was cited for a traffic offense in Lake County. Agents soon discovered that Gonzalez-Villanueva had previously been deported from the United States on two occasions and had previously been convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Gonzalez-Villanueva is a citizen of Mexico and is illegally in the United States. After he serves his prison sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Marco Glover (40, Gainesville) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Glover had pleaded guilty on May 21, 2019.

According to court records, on February 22, 2019, Glover and his co-defendant, Harry Covert, Jr., sold three firearms to an undercover ATF agent. On March 1, 2019, Glover sold four ounces of methamphetamine to the same undercover agent. Glover’s extensive criminal record—which includes prior state convictions for sale of cocaine and a federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine—qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal for federal sentencing purposes.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Scharlene Alisa Hudson to 7 years and 10 months in federal prison for fraudulent possession of unauthorized access devices (credit cards) and aggravated identity theft. Hudson had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2019.

According to court documents, in February 2015, law enforcement officers discovered Hudson squatting in an Orlando residence. At the time, Hudson had in her possession approximately 50 debit cards in other people’s names, a notebook, and other documents containing ledgers listing the names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth of numerous victims. Hudson used the personal identification information of the victims to file false tax returns and claim fraudulent tax refunds. The total loss to the government exceeded $297,000. During the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that many of the victims were elderly.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Winyontis Quavari Gordon (29, Ocala) to 16 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Gordon had pleaded guilty on May 16, 2019.

According to court documents, on July 5, 2018, detectives from the Ocala Police Department attempted to arrest Gordon on an outstanding state warrant. Upon seeing the approaching detectives, Gordon exited the driver’s side of a parked car and fled on foot. Following a brief chase, the detectives took Gordon into custody and discovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun on the driver’s seat of the car, where Gordon had been sitting. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Gordon admitted that he had possessed the loaded firearm and repeatedly told the agent, “I’ll take that charge.” He also admitted to having an assault rifle in the trunk of the car.

A records check confirmed that Gordon had prior state felony convictions for aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, domestic battery by strangulation, and felony battery. These felony convictions prohibit Gordon from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. They also qualified Gordon for an enhanced sentence as an Armed Career Criminal.   

The City of Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jointly investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

 

Ocala, Florida – Travis Antwan Yates (31, Anthony) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Yates had been indicted on August 14, 2019.

According to court documents, on June 27, 2019, Yates was driving a vehicle with a suspended driver license. During a traffic stop, a canine unit alerted to the presence of illegal drugs inside the car. When officers searched the vehicle, they located a black bag containing cocaine, a loaded handgun, a digital scale, a black cotton ski mask, several pair of black gloves, and Yates’s wallet. Yates admitted that these items belonged to him and that he cannot lawfully possess firearms because he is a convicted felon. A records check subsequently confirmed that Yates has two prior state burglary convictions from 2011. 

This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Barbara Caylor-Hernandez (48, Dalton, Georgia) to 14 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Caylor-Hernandez had pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019.

According to court documents, in April 2017, the FBI, and later the DEA, started an investigation into the drug trafficking organizations (DTO) that supplied motorcycle clubs operating in the Middle District of Florida with distribution amounts of methamphetamine. To date, 21 individuals have either pleaded or been found guilty as a result of the joint investigation.

As a result of this investigation, law enforcement learned that Caylor-Hernandez was one of the leaders of a DTO that was distributing kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from Georgia to other DTOs and individuals located in central Florida. Members of the Caylor-Hernandez DTO transported methamphetamine from Georgia to various cities in central Florida, including St. Augustine, Holly Hill, and Daytona Beach, for further distribution.

As part of the conspiracy, one of the members of the Caylor-Hernandez DTO distributed methamphetamine to members of the Pagans and Thunderguard Motorcycle Gangs. Georgia Highway Patrol troopers arrested Caylor-Hernandez on May 9, 2018, after she was found in a vehicle with approximately 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Jonathan Hipps (34, Warner Robins, Georgia) guilty of mail fraud, concealment of material facts from a federal agency, and providing a false document to a federal agency. Hipps faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 4, 2019. Hipps had been indicted on January 16, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Hipps was an employee at STAT Industry, Inc., a company that provided parts and materials to the aerospace industry, including NASA. In the summer of 2014, Hipps handled a contract that required STAT to provide steel rods for use in support of NASA’s Space Launch System/Orion project at Kennedy Space Center. The contract required that the steel rods originate from the United States. During the procurement, Hipps received steel rods originating from India. Instead of replacing the rods with materials from the United States, Hipps used a box cutter to cut off all of the labels from the shipment indicating that the rods were made in India, thus making them to appear that they had originated from the United States. Hipps then shipped the steel rods to the Kennedy Space Center with a certification falsely certifying that the steel rods conformed to all of NASA’s requirements.  

“The NASA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who undermine and defraud NASA efforts to build the SLS launch vehicle and it’s systems,” said Special Agent in Charge John Corbett, Central Field Office. “This jury verdict serves as a staunch reminder that such conduct will not be tolerated. The NASA OIG applauds the efforts of the entire investigative and prosecution team during this investigation, and we look forward to our continued cooperation with our law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.” 

This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Jeffrey McKinney (62, Minneola) to two years in federal prison for wire fraud.  McKinney was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay $828,894.25 in restitution.

McKinney had pleaded guilty on May 16, 2019. 

According to court documents, McKinney is a Certified Public Accountant and was the Controller of a local business. In addition to serving as the Controller, McKinney was responsible for moving funds between various accounts held by the business and one of its executives. For more than 18 months, McKinney used his position to embezzle over $750,000 from those accounts on 12 different occasions.  To cover up his thefts, McKinney falsified check stubs, moved money between accounts to hide what he had stolen, and provided the executive with reports that inflated the amount of money that remained in the executive’s accounts. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Marvas Aurelien (22, Orlando) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as convicted felon. Aurelien had pleaded guilty on May 22, 2019.

According to court documents, on March 14, 2019, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit located and apprehended Aurelien, who was wanted on an active arrest warrant stemming from aggravated assault with a firearm. While securing Aurelien, deputies located a fully loaded FMK 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in Aurelien’s front pocket. Law enforcement later learned that the firearm had been stolen. Aurelien is a previously convicted felon and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – Jose Acevedo (39, Connecticut) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to file false claims against the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the facts presented at the plea hearing, Acevedo joined in a conspiracy with others to file false and fraudulent income tax returns as claims against the United States. He and fellow conspirators used the personal identification information of persons they knew, and others, to file false and fraudulent income tax returns claiming refunds. These returns contained false information, including that the purported taxpayers had paid withholding taxes to the IRS associated with their supposed employment with business entities created by the conspirators when, in truth, the purported taxpayers were not employees of such entities and had not paid the claimed withholding taxes. Acevedo also caused the filing of several amended income tax returns with the IRS on his own behalf, using the same type of false information, causing the issuance of fraudulent refunds to himself. As a result, the IRS paid conspirators approximately $90,359 in fraudulent refunds and stopped payment on significantly more refund claims.

This case was investigated by agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

 

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Jovan Demetrius Fredericks (40, Ocala) to 25 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A federal jury had found Fredericks guilty of the offenses on March 5, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented in court, on the morning of September 29, 2018, officers from the Ocala Police Department encountered Fredericks at the Parkside Gardens public housing complex. Fredericks, a felon with multiple convictions, immediately tried to conceal a hand-rolled cigarette containing illegal drugs from the officers. When the officers stopped to investigate, they saw a loaded, full-size handgun with a 30-round ammunition magazine tucked into the waistband of Fredericks’s pants. After arresting Fredericks for the firearm, a search of his person revealed multiple packages of illegal drugs ready for sale, including MDMA (“ecstasy”), N-Ethylpentylone (“bath salts”), and cocaine. Fredericks’s extensive criminal record—which includes prior convictions for robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and repeated sales of illegal drugs—qualified him as both an Armed Career Criminal and a Career Offender for federal sentencing purposes.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

This case was jointly investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Kenneth Brian Hanger (47, St. Augustine) to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a child over the internet to produce a sexually explicit video of herself. Hanger was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release. In 1994, Hanger was convicted of aggravated indecent assault of a 4-year-old child in Pennsylvania and was required to register as a child sex offender. Hanger has been detained since his arrest on June 5, 2018. He had pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2018. 

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) reviewed sex offender registration information provided by Hanger. Hanger disclosed his use of a social media account that did not list his true name. Posing as a 13-year-old child, the detective sent a “friend request” to this account, and Hanger accepted the request and made online contact with the “child.” Between May 24 and June 5, 2018, Hanger and the “child” engaged in online conversations on several occasions using a texting application. Hanger was advised, and acknowledged several times, that the “child” was 13 years old. 

On June 1, 2018, Hanger raised the topic of sexual activity between himself and the “child” and suggested meeting to engage in sex. On June 4, 2018, Hanger and the “child” again discussed meeting for sex, and Hanger sent the “child” an explicit photo of himself. Later that day, Hanger asked the “child” to send him a sexually explicit video. The following day, SJSO detectives arrested Hanger at his home. During an interview, Hanger admitted that he engaged in online conversation with the 13-year-old “child,” that he had sent “her” a photo of his own genitalia, and that he had stated that he intended to engage in sex with the “child.”      

“This previously convicted sex offender has proven to society that he remains a threat to our communities,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This sentencing represents the hard work of HSI, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.”      

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation “Rip Current.” It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – Brannon Rue (47, Oviedo) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a financial institution. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Rue executed a scheme to influence financial institutions to approve short sales of real estate at a loss by making false statements on various documents. In furtherance of his scheme, Rue formed and controlled Hatley Partners, which he used to mask his role as the true purchaser of short-sale properties and to profit from the subsequent sale of the properties.

The purchase contracts for the short sales that were submitted to the financial institutions falsely represented that someone other than Rue was the buyer’s/seller’s agent. The related HUD-1 Settlement Statements also falsely stated that real estate agent commissions were to be paid to third-party realtors. In reality, Rue was the real estate agent who should have been listed on the purchase contracts and the HUD-1s because Rue ultimately received the real estate commissions.

Additionally, each short sale transaction included a Short Sale Affidavit signed and certified by Rue, stating that no relationship existed between the buyer/seller and the real estate agents. Rue falsely certified the affidavits to influence the financial institutions to approve the short sales. The Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac insured or guaranteed the balance and interest for the mortgage loans associated with the affected properties.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development –Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Roberto Oquendo (38, Brevard County) to 50 years in federal prison for conspiracy to produce child pornography and production of child pornography. The court also ordered Oquendo to forfeit two cellphones that he had used in connection with the offense.

Oquendo had pleaded guilty on January 30, 2019.

According to the plea agreement, on September 15, 2016, Oquendo was the subject of a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, deputies from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Oquendo possibly had child pornography in his possession. As a result, task force agents with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations interviewed Oquendo. During the interview, Oquendo admitted that, for several years, he had used a cellphone to search for and view child pornography.  Oquendo also disclosed that while residing in Brevard County, he had used a cellphone to take explicit photos of two female children in his custody.

Further investigation led to the seizure of several items of computer media from a place in Brevard County where Oquendo had resided. The computer media contained thousands of images and videos of the two young girls, who were toddlers at the time, as well as other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Oquendo’s collection of child pornography contains depictions of infants, toddlers, and young children engaged in sexual activity, including sadistic conduct.

In addition, Oquendo had used a social media application to engage in live chats with a co-conspirator, Rose Beth Litzky, during which Litzky engaged two female children in sexually explicit conduct for Oquendo’s viewing and sexual gratification. At the time, Oquendo resided in Virginia, and Litzky resided in Florida. Oquendo created screenshots of the visual depictions involving the two girls. 

A federal jury previously found Litzky guilty of conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Her sentencing hearing is set for October 15, 2019. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Michael Guell (37, Ocala) to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Guell had pleaded guilty on May 14, 2019. 

According to court documents, on November 28, 2018, Guell was admitted to a hospital in Ocala with gunshot wounds. When detectives from the Ocala Police Department arrived at the hospital, Guell told them that he had been robbed at gunpoint and shot by an unknown assailant. Investigating further, police located Guell’s car and saw ammunition and shell casings through the car’s window. When interviewed a second time, Guell admitted that he had been drinking in his car and had accidentally shot himself. A search of Guell’s vehicle revealed a semi-automatic handgun, 26 rounds of ammunition, and multiple shell casings. At the time, Guell had five prior felony convictions, including possession of a controlled substance, theft by taking, and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer. As a convicted felon, Guell is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Tafawah Horrobin (39, Cape Coral) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Horrobin had pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019. His uncle, co-defendant Michael Horrobin, was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months’ imprisonment on August 12, 2019. A third co-defendant, Travis Lee Watkins, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 3, 2019.

According to court documents, on five occasions between February and August 2018, law enforcement officers purchased heroin laced with fentanyl from Tafawah Horrobin in Cape Coral. During the investigation, officers learned that although Tafawah Horrobin resided in Cape Coral, he frequently visited a house in Lehigh Acres where Travis Lee Watkins and Michael Horrobin lived. Investigators determined that the Lehigh Acres residence served as a “safe house” for a drug distribution ring where large quantities of controlled substances were stashed for safekeeping.

On August 16, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cape Coral Police Department simultaneously executed search warrants at Tafawah Horrobin’s Cape Coral residence and the Lehigh Acres safe house. Inside the Cape Coral residence, investigators found and arrested Tafawah Horrobin who confessed to distributing more than $10,000 in heroin and fentanyl for the organization monthly. From that house, law enforcement also seized various items used to facilitate the distribution of drugs, an illegally possessed firearm, and cash. Inside the Lehigh Acres safe house, law enforcement seized approximately one kilogram of heroin, approximately 400 grams of cocaine, smaller amounts of crack cocaine and methamphetamine, and four firearms.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cape Coral Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Robert Pratersch (58, Kissimmee) to 15 months in federal prison for threatening a federal official and interstate transmission of a threat to injure. A federal jury had found Pratersch guilty on April 30, 2019.

According to court documents, Pratersch left three threatening voicemail messages at the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders in Burlington, Vermont. These profanity-laced messages included a threat to “behead” Senator Sanders, “ISIS-style,” and videotape the execution. The messages also included numerous anti-Semitic remarks directed at Senator Sanders.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Air Marshals Service, and the United States Capitol Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Larry A. Carr (84, Tampa) to four years in federal prison for the sale of unregistered securities.  The court also ordered Carr to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his victim-investors.

Carr had pleaded guilty on May 9, 2019.

According to court documents, Carr served as the president and/or sole operator of Cita Trust N.A., Inc., Cita Trust Company, N.A., Cita Trust Company, Ltd., and Cita Trust Company, A.G. (collectively, “Cita Trust”). One or more of the Cita Trust entities operated in Florida while others purported to be trusts or firms in Switzerland. 

In 2015, Carr sold unregistered securities in the form of Cita Trust Investment Notes to a victim-investor. The victim-investor used the proceeds of her late husband’s life insurance policy to invest $400,000 with Cita Trust. Carr told the victim-investor that $100,000 was deposited into a money market account earning 1.77% interest, and that the remaining $300,000 was invested in a two-year Cita Trust Investment Note that earned 4.77% interest. Later in 2015, the victim-investor used proceeds from the sale of a building related to her late husband’s business to invest an additional $350,000. The victim-investor gave Carr a check, which he deposited into a bank account in the name of Cita Trust. Carr claimed that the entire $350,000 was invested in an 18-month Cita Trust Investment Note that earned 4.77% interest.

In fact, Carr did not invest the victim-investor’s funds. Rather, he used the funds to make purported interest payments to earlier victim-investors, to pay his employees’ salaries, and to pay for personal expenses, including the lease payment for his luxury car, country club expenses, credit card bills, and a tithe to his church.

The Cita Trust Investment Notes constituted securities, which were required to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Knowing that the notes were not registered with the SEC and not exempt from registration, Carr willfully sold them to the public, including to this victim-investor. His fraud scheme resulted in losses to multiple victim-investors in the total amount of at least $8.174 million.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Karen Collins (51, Jacksonville) guilty of one count of conspiracy to import at least five kilograms of cocaine. She faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Collins recruited young women from her place of employment to carry suitcases roundtrip, from Jacksonville to Jamaica and Trinidad, with either currency or cocaine that was concealed in secret compartments. This conspiracy extended to Chicago, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Texas.  

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Miami Divisions), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Charlotte, North Carolina). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Taylor.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Sunrise Systems of Brevard, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $500,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for government funds in violations of Small Business Administration regulations.

The settlement relates to a Small Business Administration (SBA) grant for a NASA demolition project. The SBA provides opportunities and grants to minority owned small businesses to partner as joint ventures with larger businesses, such as Sunrise. According to the settlement agreement, from December 10, 2013, through February 9, 2016, Sunrise partnered with a minority-owned small business, V&R Enterprises of Jacksonville, Inc., but violated the SBA’s labor and work performance requirements in order to access SBA set-aside funds. The government alleged that Sunrise performed nearly all of the work on the joint venture project and received nearly all of the profits, in violation of the law. 

“Violating SBA regulations harms small business and hampers economic growth,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to enforcing federal law to ensure a fair playing field for all government contractors.”

This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, NASA - Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor led the investigation.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Faisal Buarki (23, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for possession of firearms by an alien who was admitted under a non-immigrant visa.

Buarki had pleaded guilty on June 3, 2019.

According to court documents, in February 2019, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a car that Buarki was driving in south Tampa due to a mismatched license plate. A subsequent search of the car’s passenger area revealed two bullets on the front floorboard, a small amount of marijuana, and MDMA. Officers also found two handguns among Buarki’s possessions in the trunk, including a Glock .23 40-caliber pistol, containing 18 rounds of ammunition in the magazine, and an FNX-9 9mm pistol, both of which had been previously reported stolen. Buarki later admitted that he had possessed the two guns.

Under federal law, Buarki, who had been admitted to the United States from Kuwait on an F1 non-immigrant visa to study at the University of Tampa, was prohibited from possessing any firearms while he resided in the United States.  Buarki’s status in the United States has since been terminated, and he faces removal from the United States upon his release from custody.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.

Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Keith Dewayne Drayton, Jr. (23, Ft. Myers) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Drayton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on May 15, 2019, Drayton illegally possessed a firearm. Due to his prior state conviction for unlicensed carrying of a concealed firearm, Drayton is prohibited from carrying a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case is part of Operation Triple Beam (OTB), a U.S. Marshals-led 90-day operation to reduce violent gang crime. OTB was designed to target and arrest violent fugitives and criminal offenders who committed high-profile crimes such as homicide, felony assault and sexual assault, illegal possession of firearms, illegal drug distribution, robbery and arson. The operation concluded on August 1, 2019, and resulted in 120 arrests.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

The operation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, along with the Fort Myers Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

A Florida man was arrested today following the return of an indictment by a federal grand jury charging him with two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and two counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. 

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements’ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa made the announcement. 

According to the indictment, on March 9, 2015, and again on Feb. 23, 2016, Christopher Edwin Day, 49, of St. Petersburg, Florida, allegedly traveled in interstate and foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.  In addition, starting in at least in or around December 2014, he allegedly attempted to use electronic devices to persuade two minors to engage in criminal sexual conduct.

The case is being investigated by HSI.  Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace G. Rich of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

 

Tampa, FL - A Florida man was arrested today following the return of an indictment by a federal grand jury charging him with two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and two counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. 

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements’ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa made the announcement. 

According to the

indictment , on March 9, 2015, and again on Feb. 23, 2016, Christopher Edwin Day, 49, of St. Petersburg, Florida, allegedly traveled in interstate and foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.  In addition, starting in at least in or around December 2014, he allegedly attempted to use electronic devices to persuade two minors to engage in criminal sexual conduct.

The case is being investigated by HSI.  Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace G. Rich of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Rudolph Randolph Meighan (28, Belize), Jorge Ramon Newball-May (49, Colombia), and Calbot Reid-Dilbert (59, Colombia) each to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for their roles in an international maritime cocaine trafficking conspiracy. In May 2019, a federal jury found Randolph Meighan, Newball-May, and Reid-Dilbert each guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on that vessel.

According to evidence presented at trial, Randolph Meighan, Newball-May, and Reid-Dilbert were part of an international maritime drug smuggling operation involving more than 600 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $18 million, bound for the United States. Randolph Meighan was the Belizean load guard for a Cartagena, Colombia-based cocaine smuggling crew, which included Newball-May and Reid-Dilbert as crewmembers. Prior to their interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard, the individuals were transporting approximately 30 to 40 bales of cocaine onboard a go-fast vessel from Colombia to Belize, following a known cocaine smuggling route known as the “Honduras Rise.”

On December 1, 2018, a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft deployed from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. spotted and recorded the defendants onboard a go-fast vessel traveling north at a high rate of speed, approximately 110 nautical miles southwest of Jamaica. In an attempt to destroy evidence and evade capture, the defendants jettisoned all of the cocaine bales onboard the vessel and sank them to the ocean bottom by tying the bales to the outboard engines and throwing the engines (their only means of propulsion) overboard.

Later that day, Randolph Meighan, Newball-May, and Reid-Dilbert and their now engine-less vessel were interdicted and boarded by USCG officers from the Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific. That boarding yielded crucial evidence consistent with cocaine trafficking, including trace amounts of cocaine present both on the smuggling vessel and on the defendants.

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas DeRenzo and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Christopher Brian Cosimano, a/k/a “Durty,” (31, Gibsonton) and Michael Dominick Mencher, a/k/a “Pumpkin,” (52, Tarpon Springs) guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses. Cosimano and Mencher face a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Cosimano and Mencher were indicted, along with three codefendants who later pleaded guilty, on May 22, 2018. Cosimano and Mencher went to trial, which commenced on July 29, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Cosimano and Mencher were members of the 69’ers Motorcycle Club, a criminal organization engaged in acts of violence and narcotics distribution.

In 2017, the 69’ers Motorcycle Club was entangled in an increasingly violent feud with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The feud escalated, culminating with the murder of Paul Anderson, President of the Cross Bayou Chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, on December 21, 2017. On that date, Cosimano, Mencher, and their three codefendants stalked Anderson for several miles down the Suncoast Parkway. Cosimano and Mencher rode their motorcycles with their faces covered and license plates obscured.

After following Anderson for miles, Cosimano and Mencher pulled alongside his truck and shot him repeatedly at the busy intersection of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54, during rush hour. After the murder, the defendants took steps to cover up the crime, including removing identifying markings from and disassembling their motorcycles.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Natalie Hirt Adams.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Catherine Trinidad De Jesus Santana (43, Holiday) to three years in federal prison for access device (credit card) fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from De Jesus Santana’s use of counterfeit credit cards at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, located on the Seminole Indian Reservation in Tampa.

De Jesus Santana had pleaded guilty on March 27, 2019.

According to court documents, De Jesus Santana obtained breached and stolen credit card and debit card information, which she used to manufacture counterfeit credit cards. In June 2014, on multiple occasions, De Jesus Santana used those counterfeit cards to obtain cash from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The total loss amount from the use and attempted use of the counterfeit cards was $20,352.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging three Honduran nationals, Gregorio Fuentes-Zelaya (26), Santiago Erazo-Zelaya (25), and Dennis Barahona (36), with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Fuentes-Zelaya is also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit tax fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and two counts of tax fraud. Additional charges against Erazo-Zelaya include one count of conspiracy to commit tax fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud. Barahona is also charged with one count of wire fraud.

Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and each tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to seek forfeiture of a total of $1,367,625, the approximate amount obtained as a result of the wire fraud offenses, as well as a 2014 Land Rover, and two bank accounts (totaling $230,764) that were utilized during the scheme.

Fuentes-Zelaya and Erazo-Zelaya are Honduran citizens who are illegally present in the United States. On May 8, 2019, an immigration judge ordered Erazo-Zelaya to be deported to Honduras. Barahona is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Honduras.

According to the indictment, the three men established shell companies that purported to be the employers of construction work crews that were mostly made up of illegal aliens. The shell companies entered into agreements with construction contractors in which the shell companies purported to be subcontractors. The workers then performed construction work as directed by the contractors, but were paid through the shell companies. By obtaining and paying the workers through the shell companies, the contractors avoided responsibility for ensuring that the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States, that required state and federal payroll taxes were paid, and that adequate workers’ compensation insurance was provided.

Florida law requires any business that engages in construction work to secure and maintain workers’ compensation insurance. The defendants applied for workers’ compensation insurance policies to cover a few employees and a minimal payroll.  The defendants then “rented” those insurance policies to numerous construction work crews employing hundreds of workers. The contractors wrote payroll checks to the shell companies for work performed by the work crews and then deposited those payroll checks into a bank and distributed the payroll to the work crew leaders, who in turn paid the workers. The defendants kept at least 6% of the amount of each payroll check as a fee.

During the period of the scheme, the defendants cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $22,793,748, and their fees totaled approximately $1,367,625. Had workers’ compensation policies been purchased for the payroll amount, the policy premiums would have totaled approximately $3.6 million. The policies purchased and then “rented” out by the defendants were for estimated payrolls of $80,800 to $100,800, and the insurance company issued those policies for annual premiums ranging from $15,206 to $31,268.

Although a total of almost $23 million of payroll passed through the shell companies, neither the defendants nor the contractors remitted payroll taxes to the IRS. According to the IRS, the estimated amount of payroll taxes due on the total wages is approximately $5.3 million.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Rose Beth Litzky (33, Palm Bay) guilty of conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, involving two female children. Both of the victims, toddlers at the time, were under Litzky’s care. Litzky faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison on the conspiracy and production counts, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession charge. In addition, Litzky must forfeit an iPhone that was used in furtherance of the offenses. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2019.

Litzky was indicted on September 26, 2018. 

According to evidence presented at trial, on September 15, 2016, Litzky’s boyfriend, Roberto Oquendo, was the subject of a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, deputies from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Oquendo was possibly in possession of child pornography. As a result, task force agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations interviewed Oquendo. Oquendo disclosed to the agents that he had used a cellphone to take pictures of the genital area of two young children under his custody for his sexual gratification. 

Further investigation led to the seizure and search of several computers and cellphones from a place in Brevard County where Oquendo had hidden them. Through forensic analysis, investigators found that one of his cellphones contained deleted chats between Litzky and Oquendo where they had discussed taking sexually explicit images and videos of the two children. The forensic evidence revealed that between October 2014 and September 15, 2016, Litzky caused the two children to engage in sexually explicit conduct while chatting with Oquendo through a social media app that allowed Oquendo to see the children in the nude for his sexual gratification. Some of the images depict Litzky as she caused the children to engage in sexual conduct. At the time the images were produced, Oquendo resided in Virginia, and Litzky resided in Florida. Oquendo created hundreds of screenshots of the visual depictions and transported them to Brevard County, where they were found on his cellphone. 

Agents interviewed Litzky about the sexual exploitation of the children and she admitted to producing hundreds of visual depictions of the children in the nude that she then sent to Oquendo via text messaging for his sexual gratification. Litzky’s iPhone was searched and found to contain child pornography.

In January 2019, Oquendo pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2019.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury today found Benjamin Greene Robinson (31, Daytona Beach) guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 20, 2019.   

Robinson was originally indicted on June 5, 2019. A superseding indictment was returned on July 24, 2019. 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in January 2016, Robinson and three conspirators arranged for multiple shipments of cocaine to be sent through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from California. During the investigation, the FBI and the USPS seized three of the packages, each containing two kilograms of cocaine hidden inside tubs of protein powder. Law enforcement identified five additional shipments that the conspirators had successfully shipped through the mail. In 2016, during the month of January, Robinson and his conspirators were responsible for shipping 14 kilograms of cocaine through the mail, estimated to be worth a total $490,000. 

Two of Robinson’s co-conspirators, Dondi Kentrail Freeney (Sanford) and Telvin Williams (Sanford) have pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and will be sentenced on September 19, 2019. Antonio Chandler (Belle Isle), the third co-conspirator, has a change of plea hearing scheduled next week.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Lake County Sherriff’s Office, and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and E. Jackson Boggs.

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Jorge Delgado-Macias (44) to 40 months in federal prison for being an alien unlawfully in the United States in possession of a firearm and for aggravated identity theft.

Delgado-Macias had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2019.

According to testimony and court documents, on October 17, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Delgado-Macias’s home in Hillsborough County and found two firearms, a Taurus .40 caliber pistol and a Taurus 9mm pistol, along with ammunition for each gun. They also discovered that Delgado-Macias was a citizen of Mexico and that he had re-entered the United States unlawfully, after having been deported to Mexico in 1998. Delgado-Macias also admitted, that while in the United States, he used the identity of another person unlawfully and without permission to obtain a Social Security card and a false Florida driver license.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Border Patrol, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

Jacksonville, Florida – Russell Leroy Dotson, Jr. (62) and Maria Luisa Dotson (65), both of Jacksonville, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States.

According to court documents, the Dotsons owned and operated Asmarina Food Mart, with two locations in Jacksonville. Upon opening the convenience stores, they applied for and received approval from the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. After receiving this approval, the Dotsons trained their employees how to conduct fraudulent transactions with SNAP recipients using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. The Dotsons instructed their employees to ring up fraudulent transactions to make it appear that SNAP recipients had purchased eligible food products from the store using their EBT cards. The employees then gave the SNAP recipients cash representing approximately one-half of the amount of the fraudulent transaction, while the Dotsons received the remainder of the money. Over approximately 27 months, Russell and Maria Dotson defrauded the United States out of $257,979.

This case is part of a long-term investigation into SNAP fraud occurring at the two Asmarina Food Mart locations in Jacksonville. To date, 11 others have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this scheme. Shelly Rowe Sullivan, Teighlor Michelle Wicker, Tracy Lynn Hammock, Shannon Marie Whaley, Denise Diane Taylor, Ormetre Patterson, Cierra Elizabeth White, Laura Lockwood, Shanelle Bryant, Felicia Meadows, and Theresa Marie Paschall were previously sentenced to supervised release and ordered to pay a total of $218,629.67 in restitution to the United States.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, and United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

 

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found James John Edwards (37, Brevard County) guilty of possession of child pornography. Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and must forfeit a computer and a one-terabyte hard drive that was used in the commission of the offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2019.

Edwards was indicted on March 6, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, on February 7, 2019, during the execution of a federal search warrant, Edwards was found to be in possession of more than 1,000 videos and over 300 images depicting young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The videos and images depicted toddlers and children under the age of 12 in bondage, being raped and sodomized, and made to perform sadistic sexual acts. The evidence also showed that Edwards had an extensive computer background, and in this case, used a file-sharing  software to search for, download, and view child pornography via a computer and hard drive in his bedroom. The computer was connected to a television that was mounted on the wall above Edwards’s dresser. Edwards used the hard drive to store videos and images of child pornography. His collection dated back to 2015.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Palm Bay Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Gregory Apicella (54, Fort Myers) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in death and, for distributing methamphetamine. 

Apicella had pleaded guilty on February 26, 2019.

According to court documents, on December 29, 2017, and January 18, 2018, Apicella sold fentanyl to a 21-year-old male (J.Y.) from his home on South Entrada Drive in Fort Myers. J.Y. ingested the fentanyl and quickly died of an overdose. During the execution of a search warrant at Apicella’s house, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office recovered a large quantity of fentanyl, paraphernalia, and methamphetamine from Apicella’s bedroom. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles Schmitz and Kyle Cohen.

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury today found Deborah Carmona Antonsanti (43, Orlando) guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Carmona Antonsanti faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison on each count. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 20, 2019. 

Carmona Antonsanti was indicted on April 4, 2019, along with her husband, Jerry Sanchez Carrasquillo, who pleaded guilty on July 29, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Carmona Antonsanti and Sanchez Carrasquillo worked together to receive a package containing more than a kilogram of cocaine, which was sent from Puerto Rico. Carmona Antonsanti and Sanchez Carrasquillo were arrested as part of an operation involving an undercover officer disguised as a delivery person. As part of the arrest, the agents recovered a set of keys and a receipt to a nearby storage unit. The agents located an additional 247 grams of cocaine, inside a bag with the fingerprints of both Carmona Antonsanti and Sanchez Carrasquillo, from inside the storage unit.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

Orlando, Florida – Andres Fernandez (37, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 30, 2019.

According to court documents, Fernandez orchestrated an investment scheme that defrauded at least 50 victims out of millions of dollars. Fernandez solicited individuals to invest in concert events that he claimed were being produced by his companies, Kadaae Entertainment Corporation and Kadaae LLC. He told victims that their investment would be used to fund specific concert events from artists, including Julio Iglesias and Pitbull, and promised a return on investment of up to 100 percent. Fernandez used fake contracts and other false documents to convince victims that he and his companies were under contract to produce the events. In fact, neither Fernandez nor his companies were involved in most of the events he had solicited to victims. Fernandez used portions of the funds sent by investors for his own personal use and to pay fraudulent “investment returns” to earlier investors. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan W. Hill.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Lavitress Williams (39, Orlando) to six years in federal prison for wire fraud, passing counterfeit checks, and violating her supervised release. 

On May 14, 2019, Williams had pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and five counts of passing counterfeit checks. On June 4, 2019, she admitted that she had violated her federal supervised release by committing those crimes. 

According to court documents, in 2013, Williams was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for participating in a scheme involving counterfeit travelers’ checks that were passed at Target stores located throughout the southeastern United States. After she was released from prison, and while serving on federal supervised release, Williams engaged in another check fraud scheme in which she passed counterfeit checks at Walgreens and CVS stores in Central Florida.

Over the course of more than five months, Williams passed, or attempted to pass, counterfeit checks at more than 40 drugstores. The total amount of actual and attempted losses associated with the scheme was more than $70,000.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Eatonville Police Department, the Maitland Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – Bryan L. Brewer (44, Winter Park) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud count, up to 30 years’ imprisonment for the bank fraud count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering count. Brewer has also agreed to pay restitution to his victims and a money judgment has been entered for more than $9 million.

According to court documents, Brewer engaged in two fraud schemes that resulted in him receiving more than $9 million. In one scheme, Brewer solicited an individual to invest in a company that manufactured paddleboards by the name of USBoardco (also known as WatersEdge). As part of the scheme, Brewer sent the victim copies of bank statements, tax returns, and other financial documents that had been falsified to inflate the sales, profits, income, and bank account balance for the company. Relying upon those and other misrepresentations, the victim invested over $1 million.

The second scheme related to real estate located in Seminole County. In 2012, an investor loaned more than $4 million to assist Brewer in the purchase of the property. In return, the investor obtained a mortgage on the property. A couple of years later, Brewer defrauded a bank into lending his companies $7.75 million that involved Brewer forging documents and using a fake email account that he had created for his investor. This scheme consisted of two parts. First, Brewer forged a letter that transferred the mortgage from his investor to an entity that Brewer controlled. Second, Brewer forged an estoppel letter from his investor that falsely promised that the investor would release his mortgage for $3.5 million. Brewer used a fake email account that he had established for the investor to send the forged estoppel letter and to pretend to be the investor in communications with the bank. Relying upon the forged letters and his other misrepresentations, the bank loaned one of Brewer’s companies $7.75 million. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest of Terrian J. Knight (29, St. Petersburg) on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Knight faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to the

complaint , on July 30, 2019, Knight attempted to rob the assistant manager of a St. Petersburg Family Dollar store as the manager was leaving the store. During the course of the robbery, Knight produced a firearm and shot the victim twice. After hiding in a retention pond area for approximately seven hours, Knight was taken into custody, and law enforcement recovered the firearm used in the shooting.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Terrance Maurice Goss (33, Tampa) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for committing four bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies. The court also ordered Goss to forfeit $6,462, the funds he had stolen from the banks.

Goss had pleaded guilty on May 21, 2019.

According to court documents, between January 11 and 25, 2019, Goss robbed four banks. On January 11, 2019, he robbed the Wells Fargo Bank located at 2699 Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater. He robbed a second Wells Fargo Bank located at 5250 East Bay Drive in Clearwater on January 15, 2019. Two days later, he robbed the Centennial Bank located at 5850 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. On January 25, 2019, Goss robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Davenport. Additionally, Goss attempted to rob the TD Bank located at 6108 U.S. Highway 98 North in Lakeland on January 17, 2019, and the SunTrust Bank located at 1075 Carpenters Way in Lakeland on January 25, 2019. 

During each robbery, and attempted robbery, Goss entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. Following Goss’s robbery of the bank in Davenport, he led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase, ultimately crashing his car. The officers recovered a loaded pistol from the car after the crash.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Largo Police Department, the Clearwater Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Fort Myers, Florida – Tony Wilson, Jr. (31, Lehigh Acres) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine base, fentanyl, heroin, and multiple firearms charges. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, from 2013 through 2018, Wilson, known a/k/a “Big Homie” and “Caine,” was the head of a large-scale drug distribution ring operating in the Suncoast Estates neighborhood of North Fort Myers. The drug organization occupied several houses and trailer homes in the neighborhood, inside which dealers worked side-by-side to distribute controlled substances to customers.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted dozens of undercover drug purchases from the dealers at the drug houses. They also executed multiple search warrants resulting in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars in cash, multiple firearms, and large quantities of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl. Investigators believe that the organization often generated more than $10,000 per day in sales.

To date, eighteen members of the ring have been federally charged. Wilson is the fourteenth member to plead guilty.

The following is a list of individuals who have been charged in connection with this case:

Name Charge(s) Status

Tony Wilson, Jr.

(31, Lehigh Acres)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, and firearms offenses.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to life in federal prison.

Monique Moore

(47, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to life in federal prison.

Patrick Graham

(25, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Michael Perez

(38, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

James Estrella

(50, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Danielle Hallmon

(32, Pine Island)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Dorothy Rochford

(27, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Darniel Williams

(24, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Kenneth Tippins

(48, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Eileen Smith

(22, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Malik Timbers

(26, St. Petersburg)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Christopher Connor

(30, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Pleaded guilty, faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

William Thomas

(26, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

Trial scheduled for August 19, 2019; he faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Tyrome Wright

(46, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

Trial scheduled for August 19, 2019; he faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Jeffrey Beard, II

(29, Labelle)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

Trial scheduled for August 19, 2019; he faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Kuc

(47, North Fort Myers)

Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

Trial scheduled for August 19, 2019; she faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Michelle Gladys

(49, North Fort Myers)

Possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Sentenced to 33 months in federal prison.

Samantha Badger

(23, North Fort Myers)

Possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Leeman and Trent Reichling.

Jacksonville, Florida – Mark Wesley Schmit (50, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.    

According to court documents, during the course of the investigation of an unrelated child exploitation case, the FBI learned that an individual had exchanged a series of text messages with Schmit on July 24, 2017. During that conversation, the individual sent several pornographic videos to Schmit, claiming that they depicted his 13-year-old sister. In response, Schmit requested that the individual send him additional graphic sexual videos of the purported child. Schmit then sent an image to the individual depicting an adult male sexually assaulting a young girl.

On April 16, 2019, FBI agents arrested Schmit pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. During an interview, Schmit admitted to sending and receiving child pornography, and that he had a sexual interest in looking at images of underage girls.  Schmit also admitted that he had engaged in online conversations with underage girls, while purporting to be a teenage boy, and solicited sexual images of the girls. Forensic analysis of Schmit’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least five images depicting the sexual abuse of young children. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville Office). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Ocala, Florida – A federal jury today found Eric Pedro Valdez (39, Atlanta) guilty of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Valdez was indicted on October 11, 2017.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between November 2015 and May 2016, Valdez conspired with others to distribute more than 70 kilograms of methamphetamine. On March 23, 2016, Valdez hand-delivered 4 kilograms of methamphetamine to two co-conspirators at a business in the Atlanta- area. The methamphetamine was intended for distribution in Sumter County.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez and U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey for the Eastern District of Tennessee announce that Scott Roix, together with several entities through which he ran his telemarketing business, including HealthRight, LLC; Health Savings Solutions, LLC; Vici Marketing, LLC; and Vici Marketing Group, LLC (hereinafter collectively referred to as “marketing companies”), have agreed to pay $2.5 million to resolve allegations that Roix and these marketing companies violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs in connection with telemedicine health care fraud schemes. 

The government alleged that: (1) Roix and his marketing companies fraudulently obtained insurance coverage information from consumers across the country to arrange for them to receive prescription pain creams and other similar products, (2) these prescriptions were not medically necessary and did not arise from a valid doctor-patient relationship, and (3) Roix and his marketing companies sold these prescriptions to pharmacies under the guise of marketing services, and the payments solicited were based on the volume and value of the prescriptions.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting TRICARE and other federal health care programs from improper practices that harm our nation’s healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “Those who generate prescriptions for profit and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute will be held accountable.” 

“Prescriptions and other medical services resulting from kickbacks undermine the integrity of our health care system,” said U.S. Attorney Overbey. “Telemedicine is a valuable service for our citizens, but it must not be abused. We will take action against individuals who break the law to make a profit at the expense of our federal healthcare programs and ultimately at the expense of the American taxpayer.”

“Telemarketing fraud is a major threat to the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.  “Unscrupulous companies collect patient information then sell it to pharmacies and other medical providers in exchange for kickbacks.”

U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, stated, “The U.S. Postal Service spends billions of dollars per year in workers compensation-related costs, most of which are legitimate. However, when medical providers or companies choose to flout the rules and profit illegally, special agents with the USPS OIG will work with our law enforcement partners to hold them responsible. To report fraud or other criminal activity involving the Postal Service, contact our special agents at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.”

“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals do not unjustly enrich themselves by abusing the Department of Defense TRICARE program. DCIS protects the integrity of DoD programs by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse which diverts American taxpayer dollars intended to support our Warfighters,” said Special Agent in Charge, Cyndy Bruce, Southeast Field Office.

“Today’s settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General and our law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice to ensuring that federal health care programs, including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, are protected from fraud and abuse,” said Thomas W. South, the OPM Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. “I am immensely proud of the work our office has done to not only safeguard taxpayer dollars, but also protect the health and wellbeing of federal employees, annuitants, and their families.”

“This settlement emphasizes the collaborative effort by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to target those individuals who cheat the system and destroy public trust in our federally funded healthcare programs,” said Michael F. McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division.

The settlement resolves allegations that, beginning in September 2014, Health Savings Solutions, at the direction of Roix, received payments from Oldsmar Pharmacy that were based on the value and volume of prescriptions solicited by Health Savings Solutions in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the False Claims Act. These allegations were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims, and to receive a share of any recovery.  The qui tam case against Roix and Health Savings Solutions was filed by Jennifer Silva and Jessica Robertson and is captioned: United States ex rel. Silva, et al. v. Vici Marketing, LLC, et al., Middle District of Florida (Case No. 8:15-cv-444-T-33TGW).  Ms. Silva and Ms. Robertson will receive $287,500 of the settlement. 

The settlement also resolves allegations that, from June 2015 through October 2018, HealthRight, at the direction of Roix, received payments from Synergy Pharmacy that were based on the value and volume of prescriptions solicited by HealthRight on behalf of Synergy Pharmacy. These allegations were also the subject of a criminal case captioned United States v. Scott Roix, et al., Eastern District of Tennessee (Case No. 2:18-cr-133), in which Roix and HealthRight pleaded guilty in September 2018.

This investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorneys’ Office of the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Middle District of Florida. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Dykes, Michael Kenneth, and Jessica Sievert, with support from HHS-OIG, OPM-OIG, USPS-OIG, DOD-DCIS, and FBI.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.