Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida– United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Domenico (68) and Rosa Cingari (67) guilty of conspiracy, mail fraud, and making false statements in immigration applications and petitions. They each face up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the 6 mail fraud counts. Domenico Cingari was convicted of two counts of making false statements in immigration applications and his wife was convicted of four counts, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.  Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2016.

The couple was indicted on July 9, 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, Rosa and Domenico Cingari owned and operated R.E.P.C. Accounting and Translations out of their residence in Lakeland. The Cingaris assisted illegal aliens in obtaining Florida driver’s licenses by filing fraudulent immigration documents. Specifically, they would file I-589 (Applications for Asylum and Withholding of Removal), I-130 (Petitions for Alien Relative), and I-765 (Work Authorization) forms. Most of these applications and petitions submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services by the Cingaris contained materially false information. The Cingaris charged their clients between $500 and $1,300 for the fraudulent immigration applications.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacie B. Harris and Simon Gaugush.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that David Anthony Moody (28, Fernandina Beach) has pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb threats. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Moody was arraigned on February 16, 2016.      

According to court documents, between January 30 and February 2, 2016, Moody wrote six bomb threat notes and left them at various public places in Fernandina Beach. Each note stated that a bomb was going to explode in the downtown Fernandina Beach area, killing a multitude of people. One of the notes was signed “The F.B. BOMBER!” In an effort to hide his identity, Moody wore gloves when preparing the notes and later destroyed materials associated with the six bomb threats. Although ultimately determined to be hoax threats, each time a bomb threat note was located, local, state, or federal law enforcement officers responded and conducted a search of the area for explosive devices.     

This case was investigated by the Fernandina Beach Police Department, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services - Coast Guard Explosive Detection Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Alysia N. Algere a/k/a “Coco” (29, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for sex trafficking three minors. She pleaded guilty on February 3, 2016.

According to court documents, Algere recruited two minor boys and a minor girl, who were between 14 and 16 years of age, to engage in commercial sex acts. She took sexually explicit photos of the minors and posted advertisements on the Internet, selling them for sex.

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

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 — Yesterday, Thomas Davanzo, of Estero, Florida, and Robert Fedyna, of Naples, Florida, were sentenced to 121 months and 135 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a multi-state scheme to defraud biodiesel buyers and U.S. taxpayers by fraudulently selling biodiesel credits and fraudulently claiming tax credits, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida.  Both defendants were also ordered to forfeit ill-gotten gains from the conspiracy of over $46 million and other items to the government, including gold coins, jewelry and Rolex watches, thoroughbred horses, vehicles and properties.

Davanzo and Fedyna operated several shell companies that were used to facilitate the scheme.  As part of the scheme, Davanzo and Fedyna operated entities that purported to purchase renewable fuel, on which credits had been claimed and which was ineligible for additional credits, produced by their co-conspirators at Gen-X Energy Group (Gen-X), headquartered in Pasco, Washington, and its subsidiary, Southern Resources and Commodities (SRC), located in Dublin, Georgia.  They then used a series of false transactions to transform the fuel back into feedstock needed for the production of renewable fuel, and sold it back to Gen-X or SRC, allowing credits to be claimed again.  This cycle was repeated multiple times.

“In their pursuit of personal gain, the defendants perpetrated a multi-state conspiracy that defrauded and undermined a federal program intended to further the energy independence of our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden.  “Today’s sentence is a just punishment for these serious crimes against the American people.”

“We are proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and investigate individuals that manipulate and utilize federal government programs to line their pockets by fraud,” said Kim Lappin, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office. “Today’s sentencings mark the successful result of an investigation that uncovered a complicated fraudulent scheme that generated tens of millions of dollars through false biodiesel tax credits.  IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute all those involved.”

In addition, both Davanzo and Fedyna laundered the proceeds of the scheme through various shell entities. Davanzo and Fedyna established bank accounts in the names of shell entities. Funds were cycled through these shell companies’ bank accounts to perpetuate the fraud scheme and conceal its proceeds.

Davanzo and Fedyna also directed and participated in the generation of false paperwork designed to create the façade that the renewable identification number (or RIN, a serial number used to track biodiesel credits) created and claimed by co-conspirators were legitimate.  The paperwork included false invoices from Gen-X or SRC to shell entities, which purported to show sales of renewable fuel, false invoices from shell entities to Gen-X and SRC, which purported to show the purchase of feedstock and false bills of lading, which purported to show the transportation of fuel and feedstock by tanker truck.

From March 2013 to March 2014, the co-conspirators generated at least 60 million RINs that were based on fuel that was either never produced or was merely re-processed at the Gen-X or SRC facilities.  The co-conspirators received at least $42 million from the sale of these fraudulent RINs to third parties.  In addition, Gen-X received approximately $4,360,724.50 in false tax credits for this fuel.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Environmental Protection Agency -Criminal Investigation Division, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Megan Kistler and Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Michel Lermos-Hernandez (40, Tampa) to 16 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to pay $714,383.51 in restitution to his victims. Lermos-Hernandez pleaded guilty on March 2, 2016.

According to court documents, Lermos-Hernandez ran a credit card fraud ring in which conspirators obtained credit card numbers by placing key loggers on credit card terminals that intercepted and stored swiped credit and debit account information at the International Mall in Tampa, including one at the Haagen-Dazs ice cream store. Lermos-Hernandez and others then created counterfeit credit cards using the stolen account numbers. Lermos-Hernandez obtained blank credit card stock, embossing machines, and magnetic stripe re-encoders from his co-defendant, Viviana Reyes. He also sold stolen account numbers to Reyes and others. 

After making the counterfeit cards, Lermos-Hernandez provided them to his co-conspirators, including his sister, Norma Cabezas-Hernandez, his girlfriend, Danay-Crespo Rodriguez, and at least two other individuals, including Lazaro Rodriguez and Abel Osorio-Cuok, who used the cards to purchase electronics and gift cards at Tampa area retailers. The conspirators then took these items to Reyes, who paid them in cash for the fraudulently obtained merchandise. Reyes then sold the items at a discounted price.

On February 7, 2013, a search warrant was executed at Lermos-Hernandez’s residence. Agents recovered $14,515 in cash, a laptop computer, a credit card embosser, a magnet stripe reader/encoder, a key logger, and multiple counterfeit credit cards and re-encoded gift cards. Also pursuant to his arrest, agents seized a Mercedes-Benz sedan that Lermos-Hernandez had purchased for over $130,000.

The total actual loss identified to date is more than $700,000 and the scheme victimized more than 35 federally insured financial institutions, and over 1,000 individuals, whose account information was compromised.

Reyes was convicted at trial and was later sentenced to 12 years in prison. Crespo-Rodriguez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Cabezas-Hernandez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.  Lazaro Rodriguez was sentenced to 37 months’ incarceration. Osoria-Cuok, who was only involved in the conspiracy for approximately three weeks, was sentenced to a term of five years’ probation.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), all of which are members of the USSS’s Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Suzanne Nebesky.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Candia V. Williams (49, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to nine counts of aiding in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. She faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Williams was the owner and operator of Express Tax Returns, a tax preparation business in Jacksonville that was also known as Taxonville. In the course of preparing and filing income tax returns for customers, Williams reported false information, including inflated business income, to increase the customers’ eligibility for tax credits.  As a result of her actions, the United States Treasury lost more than $300,000 in tax revenue. 

After being indicted on May 27, 2015, and initially released to await trial, Williams fled Florida in violation of the conditions of her bond. On January 6, 2016, a fugitive task force determined that Williams was hiding out in a home in Gulfport, Mississippi. After a standoff with law enforcement, she was found hiding under a pile of clothing in a bathroom closet in the home. She was arrested and returned to Florida.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Robin C. Briere (64, Clermont) to 33 months in federal prison for the theft of over $650,000 from the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Florida. She was also ordered to pay $657,441.21 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release. Briere pleaded guilty to wire fraud on July 18, 2016. 

According to court documents, Brere used her position as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Legion Auxiliary to steal $657,441.21 from the organization over a seven-year period from 2007 to 2014. Briere accomplished her scheme by creating 200 fraudulent transactions, most of which involved writing checks to herself on the American Legion Auxiliary account and then making false entries in the organization’s accounting system. She also wrote checks from the American Legion Auxiliary account to pay her personal credit card bills, and in some instances, used the American Legion Auxiliary credit card to pay her personal expenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan W. Hill and Roger B. Handberg.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a federal criminal complaint charging Oliver Charles Halliday Gee (34, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico), with assault or intimidation of a flight crew. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Gee made his initial appearance in federal court in Jacksonville yesterday. He was ordered temporarily detained until his formal detention hearing, which has been scheduled for November 7, 2016.

According to the criminal complaint, on November 2, 2016, Gee was a passenger on Condor flight 2115 traveling from Cancun, Mexico, to Frankfurt, Germany. Before takeoff, Gee demanded to be served alcohol and was behaving aggressively. Approximately 60-90 minutes into the flight, Gee threatened to kill another passenger aboard the flight and threatened and intimidated a three-year-old child. Gee proceeded to insult flight attendants aboard the flight and at one point began removing his clothes, exposing his penis. 

Gee announced his intention to urinate in the flight cabin and was escorted to the lavatory by the flight’s purser and a passenger who volunteered to assist. While being escorted, Gee slapped both the purser and the volunteer passenger. Gee also threatened to kill the volunteer passenger and stated that he knew people in Mexico who would kill the volunteer passenger for him.

Ultimately, the purser and volunteer passenger were able to restrain Gee in a seat and the flight was diverted to Jacksonville International Airport for an emergency landing. After the plane landed, Gee was arrested and taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The plane was then refueled and continued to its destination.

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 Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ahmid Cecil Lewis (27, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition while a felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on August 12, 2016, a person called 911 to report a road rage incident on Busch Boulevard, in Tampa. The complainant reported that a man in a car had cut him off and then waved a pistol. An officer with the Tampa Police Department responded to the 911 call, located the car that Lewis was driving, and pulled it over. Lewis was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Upon searching the car, the officer found a loaded .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s seat. At the time, Lewis was a convicted felon and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.

Orlando, FL – United States District Court Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Meghaj Reddy Kuchakulla (49, Orlando) to 12 months in federal prison for theft of $555,561.69 in United States Postal Service (USPS) money orders. Prior to sentencing, he repaid $275,000 to the USPS. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to repay the balance as restitution.

Kuchakulla pleaded guilty on February 10, 2016. 

According to court documents, Kuchakulla was a licensed USPS money order vendor for the four gas stations he owned in Orange and Lake Counties. As a licensed vendor, he had access to create, print, and disburse USPS money orders. From October 2009 through April 2010, Kuchakulla fraudulently created and printed more than 1,100 money orders in his own name, without actually purchasing them. He deposited the funds from the money orders into his personal bank accounts and then used them to pay business expenses, personal expenses, and to pay back the USPS for previous money orders that he had fraudulently created, printed, and deposited.       

“This criminal exploited the postal service financial system and embezzled more than half a million dollars,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “With the partnership of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, he is now being held accountable for his crimes.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Jonathan William Lauman (27, Clearwater) to eight years in federal prison for possessing and transporting child pornography. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervision and register as a sex offender following his release from prison. The Court also ordered him to pay restitution to several victims. Lauman pleaded guilty in February 2016.

According to court documents, Lauman downloaded and possessed more than 1,500 videos and over 50,000 images of young children, including infants, engaged in sexual acts with adults. The videos depicted, in part, sadistic and masochistic sexual abuse of children and infants. Lauman hoarded and transported these videos and images on his personal laptop. 

“Downloading sexually explicit images and videos of young children creates lifelong scars for victims and enables perpetrators around the globe to continuously exploit those same innocent youths,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Tampa. “HSI special agents will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target criminals who prey on the most vulnerable members of society.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.

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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Melissa Hayes has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the plea agreement, Hayes conspired with others to commit stolen identity refund fraud by depositing United States Treasury checks in the names of others into a business bank account that had been established for her restaurant/food business. Hayes then withdrew the funds the same day or the following day, spent the money on point-of-purchase items, or transferred the money to her personal bank account. The Treasury checks were fraudulently endorsed with the name of the intended recipient (the victim) and the name of Hayes’s business prior to being deposited.  Four of the persons named on the Treasury checks deposited into Hayes’s account were deceased. 

Between January and June 2012, Hayes deposited 22 fraudulent government and tax refund checks, totaling more than $160,000, into her business bank account. She used these fraudulently obtained funds for her personal use and shared them with her co-conspirators.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Pedro Garcia (34, Manatee County) has pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 26, 2017.

According to court documents, on November 9, 2015, law enforcement officers conducted a compliance search at Garcia’s residence, pursuant to the terms of his probation.  Inside the home, the officers found a loaded 9mm pistol, various types of 9mm and .45 caliber ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. As a previously convicted felon, Garcia was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.   

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Florida Department of Corrections Probation & Parole Field Service Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Jose Avianeda-Espinoza (44, Hillsborough County) to three years in federal prison for making material false representations to an agency of the United Sates, making false statements as to his citizenship, and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty on August 3, 2016. 

According to court documents, Avianeda, a citizen of Mexico, used a U.S. citizen’s identity for nearly 17 years to obtain a number of government identifications and to avoid deportation.  In December 2015, he gave a false name to deportation officers and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.  He subsequently recanted his claim, however, and admitted to being a citizen of Mexico who was illegally present in the United States.  On January 4, 2016, Avianeda appeared before an immigration judge and reasserted his claim to United States citizenship, providing a false name to the court and relying on a stolen birth certificate from Puerto Rico.  He subsequently repeated his false claim to immigration officers.  In March 2016, Avianeda again appeared before an immigration judge for removal proceedings and falsely identified himself to the court. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Fugitive Operation Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Priscilla Ellis (51, Killeen, TX) has been charged by criminal complaint with retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Ellis was convicted on October 21, 2016, of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit international money laundering following a three-week trial.  The next day, she began soliciting a fellow inmate to help her find a hit man to murder two people in retaliation for testimony given at trial.  One was a key witness for the government, and the other was the mother of another witness who had pleaded guilty and was cooperating against Ellis. During recorded conversations with the inmate and undercover agents posing as co-conspirators, Ellis told the agent posing as the hit man that the first witness’s child should be killed along with the witness, if necessary.  Ellis also described the manner in which she wanted the cooperating witness’s mother to be killed.  Ellis agreed to have her daughter in Texas take money obtained from another fraudulent scheme and give it to the hit man as partial payment for the two murders, which the daughter in fact did at Ellis’s direction.      

A criminal complaint 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Gerard and Patrick Scruggs.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Brian Lee Adams (56, Green Cove Springs) today pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison, including a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Adams admitted to authorities that his mother had died of natural causes in July 2014 and, instead of notifying anyone, Adams buried her in the backyard of her home. Adams confessed to investigators that he had buried his mother after she died in order to continue collecting both her Social Security payments and a pension payment that she received monthly. As part of the theft, Adams used his mother’s name on checks that he would write to transfer money between her accounts. He would then use the funds on himself. The total amount Adams stole was $35,345.

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Craig DeMange (62, Oviedo) guilty of one count of knowingly and willfully making a false statement to a federal agency. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 23, 2017.

DeMange was indicted on June 15, 2016.

According to evidence presented at trial, DeMange received Social Security disability benefits for nearly two decades, beginning in 1995. In July 2013, the Social Security Administration requested information about his work and earnings history to assess his continued eligibility for disability benefits. At that time, DeMange knowingly and willfully provided false and fraudulent information about his current work status.  Specifically, DeMange stated that he had not worked since 1996, when in fact he had been running a business since 2010 or 2011.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis yesterday sentenced Kevin Allen Rose (30, Macclenny) to seven years in federal prison for selling marijuana and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  He pleaded guilty to all charges on July 13, 2016.           

According to court documents, on multiple occasions, Rose sold marijuana at his home in Macclenny, Florida to a confidential informant. During the sales, he bragged about his ownership of firearms. During one sale, Rose directed a child in the home to assist him. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence, they discovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun and over 100 rounds of ammunition. Rose is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law because of his multiple, prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging John R. Biggerstaff (39, Jacksonville) with using a facility of interstate commerce to promote, manage, establish, and carry on a prostitution business. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, between June 30, 2016 and July 31, 2016, Biggerstaff promoted, managed, established, and carried on a business enterprise that involved prostitution, in violation of applicable Florida laws. The indictment alleges that Biggerstaff used a facility of interstate commerce, a cellphone, to commit the offenses.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Integrity Unit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Poster Chappell has sentenced Norris Williams (45, Fort Myers) to 30 years in federal prison for three counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Williams was found guilty by a federal jury on April 8, 2016. 

According to the trial evidence, Williams, a nine-time convicted felon, sold heroin to an undercover officer on several dates, specifically November 18, 2014; December 17, 2014; and February 11, 2015. In addition, he attempted to purchase a one-kilogram brick of heroin from an undercover officer on October 20, 2015. The attempted purchase occurred after Williams negotiated to receive the kilogram for a price of $75,000, with $50,000 cash up front, and a promise to pay the balance at a later date. Williams met the undercover officer at a parking lot and handed the officer $49,900 in a shoe box to complete the transaction.

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Schmitz.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Derma Miller (34, Sanford) to seven years in federal prison for conspiracy to steal federal tax refunds and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $493,697, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. A federal jury found Miller guilty of these offenses on July 21, 2016.

According to court documents, Derma Miller and her mother, Virginia Miller, conspired to file false federal income tax returns using stolen personal identity information (PII), much of which belonged to individuals who were physically and mentally disabled, to obtain tax refunds from the Treasury Department. Virginia Miller prepared and filed the fraudulent returns using the stolen PII. She then directed the Internal Revenue Service to electronically deposit the fraudulent refunds into a bank account that Derma Miller controlled. The women withdrew the tax refunds in cash and made purchases for their own benefit and the benefit of others. During a two-year period, the Millers filed approximately 226 fraudulent tax returns and obtained $493,697 in fraudulent tax refunds from the Treasury Department.

Virginia Miller was previously sentenced to five years and one month in federal prison for her role in the offenses.

This case was investigated by the Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Gable and Nathan W. Hill.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Eugene Willis (22, Orlando), Sedrick Lamar Hamilton (24, Orlando), and Justin Deontae Crumpton (18, Orlando) with carjacking and firearms offenses. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on October 8, 2015, Willis, Hamilton, and Crumpton carjacked a victim at gunpoint in Brandon, FL, taking his 2012 Dodge Charger. The men led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase, ultimately crashing the stolen car. Willis, Hamilton, and Crumpton then carjacked a second victim at gunpoint, taking her 2013 Kia Optima in Lakeland. After crashing this vehicle, the men fled into a local restaurant. After a several-hour standoff, they were arrested.

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

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced David H. Stewart (65, Holly Hill) to three years, five months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $323,636, the proceeds of his criminal conduct, and ordered the forfeiture of his interest in a parcel of real property.

Stewart pleaded guilty on June 28, 2016.

According to court documents, Stewart conspired with Jason Neiman and others to defraud financial institutions and a credit card processor into processing illegal Internet gambling payments for offshore Internet gambling businesses. Stewart duped the financial institutions into processing the Internet gambling payments by disguising the transactions as payments for Internet television and movie subscriptions from DiamondPayTV, a phony Internet merchant. Stewart funneled the illegal gambling proceeds through business bank accounts that he opened in the names of shell companies and transferred the funds to overseas accounts controlled by the Internet casinos. He also lied to bank officials about the nature of these businesses to convince them to open the accounts. During a one-year period, the conspirators processed over 59,000 credit card transactions for illegal Internet gambling, totaling about $4.2 million.

This case was investigated by the Saint Cloud Internal Revenue Service-Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force, a task force comprised of the following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies: Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; United States Secret Service; Saint Cloud Police Department; Osceola County Sheriff’s Office; Brevard County Sheriff’s Office; Palm Bay Police Department; Casselberry Police Department; Kissimmee Police Department; Winter Park Police Department; and the Maitland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Zuleyka Jeanette Colon-Rivera (25, Orlando) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, and three counts of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute heroin. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing has been set for January 5, 2017.

Colon-Rivera was indicted on March 23, 2016, along with co-conspirators Angel Manuel Fontanez, Alexis Fontanez Nieves, Ernesto Cabanas-Torres, Pedro Juan Rivera-Aviles, Wilbert Joel Alequin-Pagan, Robert Sautner, and Emmanuel Verges. All eight have been convicted of a federal drug offense.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Colon-Rivera was part of a drug trafficking organization called “La Compania” or “the Company,” which operated primarily in the Orlando tourist district, near International Drive. Colon-Rivera’s responsibilities in the organization included controlling the telephone that was used to communicate with customers, supplying heroin to the organization’s street-level dealers, and collecting money from the dealers at the end of their shifts. Colon-Rivera also sold large quantities of heroin to undercover agents on two separate occasions during the conspiracy. 

On February 24, 2016, law enforcement agents seized 200 bags of heroin, two firearms, ammunition, and over $10,000 from Colon-Rivera’s residence. Based on the trial testimony and the heroin purchased or seized during the investigation, this organization was responsible for the distribution of approximately one kilogram of heroin every two weeks.

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “La Compania.” The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Kissimmee Police Department and the Osceola County Investigative Bureau, and the Virginia State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

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.

Fort Myers, Florida– U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Samer Jamil Rashid (43, Fort Myers) to eight years and one month in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 or more kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2016.

According to court documents, from approximately 2010 through July 2013, Rashid and others received high-grade marijuana from sources in California and Colorado, usually via UPS. Co-conspirators Jermaine Lewis, Jr., Karam Mehri, Ian Alters, Davan Nieves, and others then distributed the marijuana in the Fort Myers area and elsewhere. The conspirators used multiple bank accounts in California, in the names of nominee account holders, to make payments to the California suppliers for the marijuana. 

Judge Chappell previously sentenced Lewis, Mehri, Alters, and Nieves to 46, 40, 40, and 60 months in federal prison, respectively. 

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert P. Barclift.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Troy Markeith Griffin (38, Bradenton) guilty of conspiring to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of an armed robbery. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 7, 2017.

Griffin was indicted on November 4, 2015, along with four co-conspirators, including his son and nephew. 

According to testimony presented at trial, Griffin and his co-conspirators, all of whom previously pleaded guilty, committed at least four armed robberies before they were apprehended. Three of the robberies occurred at bars in Manatee County, including the Oasis Bar, Bubbas Too, and the Three Oaks Bar. The fourth robbery occurred at the Twin Horse Saloon in Pinellas County, during which the defendants repeatedly held a firearm to the head of the bartender, and beat the patrons with a pool stick.  Following that robbery, Griffin led police on a high-speed chase for several miles in St. Petersburg before the officers disabled Griffin’s vehicle and, with canine assistance, ultimately apprehended all five individuals.

Troy Markeith Griffin, Jr., Tevin Jamar Marketh Major, Craig Demetrio Koonce, and Juwaan Roberts previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case and are currently awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natalie Adams and Carlton Gammons.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Dario Renteria-Garcia (41, Colombia, South America) has pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on multiple occasions between 2010 and 2013, Renteria-Garcia organized maritime cocaine shipments. Among other things, he recruited mariners to smuggle cocaine from Colombia by sea in September 2010 and January 2013. Those mariners were subsequently interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard in the eastern Pacific Ocean with over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine.

Renteria-Garcia was arrested in Colombia, and subsequently extradited to the United States, first arriving at a place in the Middle District of Florida.

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. The Office of International Affairs, Department of Justice, assisted with Renteria-Garcia’s extradition from Colombia.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robert Mosakowski will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2016, general elections. AUSA Mosakowski has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Florida. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Bentley said, “Every citizen should be free to vote without interference and to have his or her vote count, without the fear that it will be stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the electoral process.”

The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for the public to report possible violations on Election Day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. Such acts may include questioning, challenging, photographing, or videotaping voters at polling places, under the pretext of uncovering violations of federal voting rights laws. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 8, 2016, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Bentley stated that AUSA/DEO Mosakowski will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. Public complaints may be reported to him at (813) 274-6129.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. Local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at either (813) 253-1000 (Tampa Division) or (904) 248-7000 (Jacksonville Division).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws also may be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC either by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov, or by complaint form at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake.

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends, in large part, on the cooperation of the American public,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley. “It is imperative that anyone with specific information about discrimination or election fraud immediately contact my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

Tampa, FL - Life Care Centers of America Inc. (Life Care) and its owner, Forrest L. Preston, have agreed to pay $145 million to resolve a government lawsuit alleging that Life Care violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to submit false claims to Medicare and TRICARE for rehabilitation therapy services that were not reasonable, necessary or skilled, the Department of Justice announced today.  Life Care, based in Cleveland, Tennessee, owns and operates more than 220 skilled nursing facilities across the country, including the Middle District of Florida.

“This resolution is the largest settlement with a skilled nursing facility chain in the department’s history,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “It is critically important that we protect the integrity of government health care programs by ensuring that services are provided based on clinical rather than financial considerations.”

This settlement resolves allegations that between Jan. 1, 2006 and Feb. 28, 2013, Life Care submitted false claims for rehabilitation therapy by engaging in a systematic effort to increase its Medicare and TRICARE billings.  Medicare reimburses skilled nursing facilities at a daily rate that reflects the skilled therapy and nursing needs of their qualifying patients.  The greater the skilled therapy and nursing needs of the patient, the higher the level of Medicare reimbursement.  The highest level of Medicare reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities is for “Ultra High” patients who require a minimum of 720 minutes of skilled therapy from two therapy disciplines (e.g., physical, occupational, speech), one of which has to be provided five days a week.   

The United States alleged in its complaint that Life Care instituted corporate-wide policies and practices designed to place as many beneficiaries in the Ultra High reimbursement level irrespective of the clinical needs of the patients, resulting in the provision of unreasonable and unnecessary therapy to many beneficiaries.  Life Care also sought to keep patients longer than was necessary in order to continue billing for rehabilitation therapy, even after the treating therapists felt that therapy should be discontinued.  Life Care carefully tracked the minutes of therapy provided to each patient and number of days in therapy to ensure that as many patients as possible were at the highest level of reimbursement for the longest possible period.  The settlement also resolves allegations brought in a separate lawsuit by the United States that Forrest L. Preston, as the sole shareholder of Life Care, was unjustly enriched by Life Care’s fraudulent scheme.

As part of this settlement, Life Care has also entered into a five-year chain-wide Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) that requires an independent review organization to annually assess the medical necessity and appropriateness of therapy services billed to Medicare. 

“This settlement addresses troubling conduct by a nationwide provider of rehabilitation services,” said United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “We will not tolerate this kind of fraud and abuse in skilled nursing facilities in our district.”

“Therapy provided in skilled nursing facilities must be medically reasonable and necessary, and we will continue to vigorously investigate companies that subject their residents to needless and unreasonable therapy,” said HHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson.  “The corporate integrity agreement with Life Care is designed to ensure that it only provides therapy based on the individual needs of each resident.”

The settlement, which was based on the company’s ability to pay, resolves allegations originally brought in lawsuits filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Tammie Taylor and Glenda Martin, former Life Care employees.  The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery.  The government may intervene and file its own complaint in such a lawsuit, as it has done in this case.  The whistleblower reward in this case will be $29 million.

The settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Southern District of Florida, and the HHS-OIG, with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the District of Massachusetts and the District of South Carolina and NCI/AdvanceMed, a Medicare Zone Program Integrity Contractor. In the Middle District of Florida, Assistant United States Attorneys Randy Harwell and Michael Kenneth assisted with the case.

The two qui tam cases are docketed as United States ex rel. Taylor v. Life Care Centers of America, Inc., No. 1:12-cv-64 (E.D. Tenn) and United States ex rel. Martin v. Life Care Centers of America, Inc., No. 1:08-cv-251 (E.D. Tenn).  The case against Forrest L. Preston is captioned United States v. Preston, No. 1:16-cv-113 (E.D. Tenn).  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Michael Eugene Williams (59, Jacksonville) with publishing a notice seeking child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. If convicted on all counts, Williams faces a minimum mandatory term of 20 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison.

According to the complaint, on July 7, 2016, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence after receiving information that he was uploading child pornography for sharing to Google Drive.  During the execution of the warrant, agents seized electronic devices, including a cellphone and a tablet that had been identified as belonging to Williams. The forensic examination of these devices revealed that Williams had been communicating by text message with a woman in Texas who had a 3-year-old daughter. The woman was producing pornographic images of her daughter and sending them to Williams in exchange for money that Williams sent to her via Western Union.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was able to identify the woman in Texas and agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville and Dallas coordinated with the Cleburne Police Department (Texas) to obtain a search warrant for the woman’s residence. During an interview with her, she admitted to sending sexually explicit images of her daughter to Williams in exchange for money. She also stated that she had recent contact with Williams using a messaging app.

Law enforcement officers obtained a federal search warrant for Williams’s residence and seized a cellphone that belonged to him. A preliminary examination of the phone revealed additional images of child pornography received from the woman in Texas, as well as explicit chats of sexual conduct Williams wished to engage in with the child.

Williams has been arrested and is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson on Friday, October 28, 2016, at 2:30 pm. 

A criminal complaint 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 Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that Mark Gilmore has agreed to pay the government $4.25 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act.

The United States contends that QMedRx, a compound pharmacy in Maitland, Florida, knowingly billed federal healthcare programs for services that were not reimbursable.  Specifically, the government contends that from January 1, 2013, until January 22, 2014, QMedRx submitted to federal healthcare programs, compounded prescriptions that were tainted within the meaning of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Because Gilmore was a partial owner of QMedRx, the government sought penalties and fines from the owners who participated in the fraud. The government is still pursuing penalties and fines from other participants within QMedRx. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to taking the steps necessary to protect TRICARE and other federal health care programs from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley.  “When health care practitioners violate the Anti-Kickback Statute in order to generate business, they will be held accountable.” 

This case was developed through an initiative to track and prosecute compound pharmacies that submitted millions of dollars in improper claims to the TRICARE program.  The government estimates that up to $2 billion of tainted and unnecessary compound prescriptions had been submitted to and paid by the government. In the Middle District of Florida, the government has recovered almost $70 million in fines and penalties over the past 18 months. 

"This settlement is yet another example of the continuing commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) health care program," said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office. "As one of our top priorities, DCIS aggressively investigates health care fraud that harms the DoD, to ensure the best use of precious taxpayer dollars needed to provide critical care for our Warfighters, their family members, and military retirees."

“The FBI remains vigilant in protecting federal health care programs from fraud,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal. “Agents will continue to identify and investigate individuals who target these programs for personal gain.”

This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered more than $30.9 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $18.6 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

This matter was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alexis Fontanez Nieves (29, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.  He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

Nieves was indicted on March 23, 2016, along with co-conspirators Angel Manuel Fontanez, Ernesto Cabanas-Torres, Zuleyka Jeanette Colon-Rivera, Pedro Juan Rivera-Aviles, Wilbert Joel Alequin-Pagan, Robert Sautner, and Emmanuel Verges. To date, seven of the eight defendants have been convicted of a federal drug offense. A trial date for the remaining individual, Colon-Rivera, is currently set for October 24, 2016.

According to court documents, a drug trafficking organization whose members referred to themselves as “La Compania” or “the Company” used a telephone number (“the heroin line”) that frequently changed to sell heroin to customers primarily in the Orlando tourist district, near International Drive. Customers would call the heroin line and arrange to purchase heroin from a member of the organization. The heroin line changed hands from one member of the organization to the next, as heroin was sold during two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week.  The organization distributed approximately one kilogram of heroin every two weeks.

Nieves’ brother, Angel Manuel Fontanez, was the leader of the organization.  During the conspiracy, Nieves helped his brother re-package bulk heroin into smaller baggies for street-level sales, inside hotel rooms in Orlando.  Nieves also supplied cocaine to the organization’s sellers, who would then sell it using the same methods they used to sell heroin.  After Fontanez was arrested by officers from the Orlando Police Department for trafficking heroin, Nieves became more involved in the organization’s day-to-day activities by controlling the heroin line, providing heroin to the organization’s low-level sellers, and collecting money from the sellers at the end of their shifts.      

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “La Compania.” The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Perry Don Cortese (53, Little River, Texas), Priscilla Ann Ellis (51, Killeen, Texas), and Kenietta Rayshawn Johnson (35, Leavenworth, Kansas) guilty of conspiracy to commit international money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.  Each faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison.  Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

Cortese, Ellis, and Johnson were named in a superseding indictment on September 24, 2015.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Cortese, Ellis, and Johnson were members of an international criminal organization that defrauded dozens of victims across the United States and then laundered the funds, much of which were sent overseas.  The fraud schemes took several forms.  Many victims were law firms solicited online to perform legal work, provided counterfeit cashier’s checks for deposit into the firms’ trust accounts, and then directed to wire money to third-party shell businesses controlled by the conspirators.  Others were title companies defrauded in phony real estate transactions.  Other victims were targeted and defrauded by fake suitors on dating websites.  The conspiracy also employed hackers who compromised both individual and corporate e-mail accounts, ordering wire transfers from brokerage and business accounts to shell accounts controlled by conspirators.

Victims were instructed to wire money into funnel accounts held by conspirators, known as “money mules.” The funds were then quickly moved to other accounts in the United States and around the world before the victims could discover the fraud.  Bank records presented at trial indicate that, from 2012 to 2015, several millions dollars’ worth of wires were received in such accounts to be laundered.  Conspirators in Canada, Nigeria, South Korea, Senegal, and elsewhere helped coordinate the fraud and money laundering activity from abroad. 

Cortese, a licensed attorney in Texas, worked for the conspirators by laundering victim money through his interest on lawyers trust accounts (“IOLTAs”).  He also met with individuals in person to retrieve cash withdrawn from receiver accounts. Cortese recruited his paralegal and others to open such accounts to launder funds.  The evidence further showed that Johnson, then a bank employee at Capital One, helped create counterfeit checks and monitor money flows between accounts controlled by conspirators. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from various federal and local law enforcement partners throughout the country, including the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Toronto Police Service in Ontario, Canada.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Scruggs and Eric Gerard.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Shaquana Quenella Brookins (31, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine base; and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.  She faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, from the summer of 2013 through late 2015, Brookins was trafficking illegal drugs, including crack cocaine, heroin, and flakka, in Jacksonville and routinely carried firearms for intimidation purposes. She also engaged in commercial sex trafficking.

Around March 2014, Brookins met a woman with the initials D.C., who began working for Brookins in the commercial sex industry.  D.C. was addicted to crack cocaine, and Brookins controlled D.C. by exploiting her addiction.  Brookins repeatedly beat D.C. in order to cause her to engage in commercial sex and to punish her if she stole drugs or withheld money.  On several occasions, D.C. attempted to escape from Brookins, but was forced by Brookins to return. 

Brookins’s criminal enterprise included a driver who would take D.C. and others to commercial sex “dates” in exchange for crack cocaine.  Brookins also used crack cocaine to compensate an attorney who represented D.C. and another sex trafficking victim in various criminal cases brought against the victims.  Additionally, Brookins obtained a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver from the attorney, which she paid for with crack cocaine.  Brookins was previously convicted of four felonies, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Brookins and several co-conspirators distributed at least 200 grams of crack cocaine as part of their conspiracy during this time.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Antawan Hudson (31, Tampa) to 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking minors. On September 28, 2016, Hudson’s brother, Maurice Williams (26, Tampa), was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sex trafficking minors. Hudson pleaded guilty on the first day of trial and a federal jury found Williams guilty on May 20, 2016. 

According to evidence presented at trial, Williams conspired with Hudson to traffic underage females by fraud, force, and coercion in the commercial sex trade. Williams and Hudson worked together to post online prostitution ads for the victims and then transported the girls throughout central Florida to have sex with customers. After the victims had sex with the customers, Williams and Hudson took some or all of the money and, in exchange, offered the victims drugs, alcohol, and beauty appointments. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacie Harris and Daniel George.     

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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Rowy De Jesus Vasquez (26, Altamonte Springs) today pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. He faces a penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Vasquez was indicted on December 9, 2015.

According to the plea agreement, between April 24, 2015, and June 10, 2015, Vasquez caused a 14-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial gain and profit. He provided the girl with a cellphone to communicate with potential customers and to post advertisements for prostitution services on the Backpage website. Vasquez also set the prices for the sex acts and kept all of the proceeds.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. 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.

Orlando, Florida – Senior United States District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Lakisha Abney (33, Washington, D.C.) to eight years and one month in federal prison for conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. She pleaded guilty on July 20, 2016.

According to court documents, in May 2016, Abney and her co-conspirators, Shawnta Aiken, Ciera Bryant, and Shenique Milbourne, traveled to Jamaica aboard a commercial cruise ship. Upon arriving in Jamaica, Abney coordinated a meeting with an individual who provided the four women with more than six kilograms of cocaine concealed in bras and underwear. Abney paid the individual for the cocaine and the four women returned to the cruise ship with the cocaine concealed under their dresses in the bras and underwear. The women then concealed the drugs in the cabin they shared aboard the cruise ship for the remainder of the cruise. When the ship returned to Port Canaveral, Abney and her co-conspirators departed the ship and entered the customs area of the port, with the cocaine concealed in their bras and underwear. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers identified the cocaine during screenings and searches of the four passengers. 

Aiken, Bryant, and Milbourne previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this case. Aiken was sentenced to two years in federal prison, Bryant was sentenced to one year and ten months in federal prison, and Milbourne was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges today sentenced Charles Lewis Madison, Jr. (35, Ocala) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2016. 

According to court documents, on May 11, 2016, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Madison’s residence. Upon seeing the agents, Madison unsuccessfully tried to flee on foot.  The search of his residence and automobile revealed seven firearms (two of which were had been stolen), approximately 70 rounds of ammunition, baggies of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.  Madison admitted that the firearms, ammunition, and narcotics belonged to him.  Madison has prior federal felony convictions for drug distribution and illegal possession of a firearm, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crime in our communities.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging West Wild Hogs (31, Searle, Alabama) with kidnapping. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on October 8, 2016, Hogs kidnapped a four-year-old girl from her home in Lakeland, Florida. He is not related to, nor did he have legal custody of the child. Hogs traveled across state lines to commit the offense and transported the child out of the State of Florida.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Cordera Hill (27, Tampa), Anthonio Miller (25, Tampa), and Rashad Barr (24, St. Petersburg) with one count of conspiracy and nine counts of offering to pay and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care benefit program. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count.  The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds traceable to the offenses. 

According to the indictment, in October 2014, Hill, an active duty member of the United States Army, and Miller, an active duty member of the United States Navy, agreed to become sales representatives for Centurion Compounding, Inc. Centurion, a marketing firm in Wesley Chapel, utilized sales representatives as independent contractors to market compounded medications, specifically creams for pain and scars, to health care benefit program beneficiaries. These creams had very high reimbursement rates, ranging from approximately $4,000 to $17,000 for a one-month supply. Centurion focused its promotional efforts on TRICARE beneficiaries based upon an understanding and belief that TRICARE would pay claims for these compounded creams. Centurion directed the prescriptions that it received for the patients its sales representatives had recruited to two compounding pharmacies: Lifecare Pharmacy and later Oldsmar Pharmacy.  Centurion received approximately 50 percent of the after-cost amount of each claim paid by a health care benefit program to the pharmacy for each prescription filled. Centurion then paid its sales representatives a percentage of the paid claims it received from the pharmacies.

With the help of patient recruiter Barr, who was a U.S. Army reservist, Hill, Miller, and others working with them agreed to make, made, and caused to be made illegal kickbacks in the form of cash payments, doctor visit co-pays, meals, travel costs, and entertainment expenses to TRICARE beneficiaries to induce those beneficiaries to see doctors for the purpose of obtaining prescriptions for compounded creams marketed by Centurion and filled at Lifecare and later Oldsmar, resulting in commission payments to Centurion and its sales representatives, including the defendants.

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 Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the DEA.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Cecil Dante Buckner (36, Orlando) to 34 years and 6 months in federal prison and Jarmen Lindell Sharp (34, Orlando) to 13 years in federal prison for their participation in a conspiracy to rob Publix supermarkets. Buckner also pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robberies. 

According to court documents, beginning no later than February 28, 2014, and continuing through April 23, 2014, Buckner, Sharp, and another individual conspired to rob Publix supermarkets in Orange and Volusia Counties. Specifically, on February 28, 2014, the two men and their co-conspirator robbed the Publix located at 2295 Aloma Avenue in Winter Park; on March 16, 2014, they robbed the Publix located at 7640 West Sand Lake Road in Orlando; and on March 30, 2014, they robbed the Publix located at 2410 South Woodland Boulevard in DeLand. During each of the robberies, Buckner and a co-conspirator wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities. Buckner held store customers and employees at gunpoint at the front of the stores, while the co-conspirator forced store employees into the cashier room at gunpoint and stole cash. Sharp acted as the “lookout” during each of the robberies, waiting in the parking lot of the stores to alert Buckner and the co-conspirator in the event that law enforcement arrived. In total, Buckner, Sharp, and their co-conspirator stole over $24,000 from Publix as a result of these robberies.

Additionally, on May 4, 2016, Buckner and another individual robbed the Publix supermarket located at 2515 Thonotosassa Road in Plant City. During that robbery, Buckner held store customers and employees at gunpoint while the other individual forced a store employee into the cashier room at gunpoint. As a result of this robbery, Buckner and the other individual stole over $18,000 from Publix.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, and the DeLand Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury found Lamar Ivory (25, Jacksonville), also known as “Thug Life,” guilty of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2017.

According to evidence presented at trial, in early 2015, Ivory was a crack cocaine dealer in the north Phillips Highway area of Jacksonville. On April 30, 2015, a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Ivory was a passenger in the vehicle and was apprehended, along with the driver. During a search of the vehicle, a Sig Sauer P226 9mm pistol was located in the glove compartment directly in front of the passenger seat where Ivory had been sitting.

A trace on the firearm determined that the owner was a Jacksonville criminal defense attorney and firearms collector. The attorney, who subsequently was prosecuted for being in possession of firearms while an unlawful user of crack cocaine, informed agents that Ivory had taken the pistol from him after he had retrieved it from a pawn shop on April 17, 2015. The attorney testified that he knew Ivory by the street name “Thug Life” and that Ivory had been his dealer.

At the time of his arrest, Ivory had multiple prior felony convictions, including armed robbery and drug sales, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crime in our communities.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mac D. Heavener and Laura Cofer Taylor.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Rafael Sanchez (69, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud.  He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Sanchez has agreed to make full restitution to the Clerk of Court for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2017.

According to the plea agreement, Sanchez, a licensed real estate broker, devised a short-sale scheme to defraud creditors holding lawfully recorded mortgage notes, as well as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), who had guaranteed the principal and interest payments on the mortgages. He targeted distressed homeowners facing foreclosure and promised to save their homes. 

Sanchez successfully prevented creditors and guarantors from lawfully foreclosing on properties secured by mortgage notes by filing, or causing to be filed, fraudulent bankruptcies on behalf of the homeowners he targeted.  The filing of these bogus bankruptcy petitions invoked the automatic stay provision of federal bankruptcy law, which brought an immediate halt to any foreclosure actions against the homeowners’ property.  

As a result of the scheme, Sanchez enriched himself through ill-gotten real estate commissions from short sales of distressed homeowners’ properties during the automatic stay period. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the U.S. Trustee in Orlando.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney James Mandolfo.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Michael Kelly (29, Largo) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.  The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. 

Kelly was indicted on March 9, 2016, and convicted on June 29, 2016, after a jury trial.  According to court documents, on October 15, 2015, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Kelly’s home and recovered a semi-automatic pistol from his bedroom. The firearm was loaded and contained nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. Agents also recovered three boxes of ammunition, containing a total of 150 rounds, from the top of his dresser. Kelly has multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of a sawed-off shotgun and aggravated assault, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Simon A. Gaugush. 

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Chad Jason Lansford (31, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for sending notices over the Internet soliciting images of child pornography from a 9 year old child.  He was also ordered to serve a 10 year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Lansford pleaded guilty on July 6, 2016.  He has been in custody since his arrest on March 12, 2015.    

According to court documents, in January 2015, law enforcement officers responded to a complaint from the mother of a 9 year old girl who had found several sexually explicit images on her daughter’s Facebook account. The mother identified two of the images as depicting her daughter.  A review of the child’s iPod revealed online conversations through Facebook between the child and Lansford, including a message Lansford had sent to the child on January 2, 2015, that included images of his genitalia.  During Lansford and the child’s online conversation that day, the child told Lansford that she was 9 years old.  Despite this knowledge, Lansford repeatedly requested that she take and send to him pornographic pictures of herself.  Eventually, the child complied with Lansford’s demands and sent him pornographic pictures of herself. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.  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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ernesto Cabanas-Torres (41, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.  He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

Cabanas-Torres was indicted on March 23, 2016, along with co-conspirators Angel Manuel Fontanez, Alexis Fontanez Nieves, Zuleyka Jeanette Colon-Rivera, Pedro Juan Rivera-Aviles, Wilbert Joel Alequin-Pagan, Robert Sautner, and Emmanuel Verges. To date, five of the eight defendants have been convicted of a federal drug offense. A trial date for the remaining individuals is currently set for October 24, 2016.

According to court documents, a drug trafficking organization whose members referred to themselves as “La Compania” or “the Company” used a telephone number (“the heroin line”) that frequently changed to sell heroin to customers primarily in the Orlando tourist district, near International Drive. Customers would call the heroin line and arrange to purchase heroin from a member of the organization. The heroin line changed hands from one member of the organization to the next, as heroin was sold during two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. 

On February 6, 2015, the leader of the organization, Angel Manuel Fontanez, was arrested by officers from the Orlando Police Department for trafficking heroin in the parking lot of a business located on Major Boulevard in Orlando.  After Fontanez’s arrest, Cabanas-Torres and other co-conspirators assumed leadership roles in the conspiracy.  Cabanas-Torres controlled the heroin line at times, and directed the activities of other co-conspirators.  He also used his Orlando business, the Majestik Tattoo and Barbershop, to supply heroin to sellers and for meetings between the co-conspirators.  Cabanas-Torres also personally sold heroin to undercover agents and informants on seven separate occasions between January and August 2015.    

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “La Compania.” The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Barbara Barr to 36 months and 1 day in federal prison for theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft.  The Court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $8,000, representing the proceeds of the offenses.  Barr pleaded guilty on July 28, 2016.

According to court documents, Barr and her co-conspirator sold two stolen tax refund checks, totaling over $40,000, to a confidential informant for $8,000. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Thomas Samborski, II (41, Orange County) to 20 years in federal prison and a life term of supervised release for production of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to pay restitution and to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

Samborski pleaded guilty in July 2016.

According to the plea agreement, on March 1, 2015, Samborski made sexually suggestive posts involving photographs of three minor children on a file sharing Internet site. As a result, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted an investigation and on March 6, 2015, agents executed a search warrant at Samborski’s residence.  During the search, agents recovered an iPhone 6 Plus containing hundreds of lascivious images of a female child that had been produced on March 1 and March 3, 2015.  Additional electronic devices and media containing child pornography, including photographs showing the sexual abuse of infants and other minor victims, were also recovered. 

"This criminal has caused irreparable harm to a young child and he will now spend the next 20 years in prison for these crimes,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “We hope that today’s sentencing can bring a small measure of closure to the victim and family.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. 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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Thomas Samborski, II (41, Orange County) to 20 years in federal prison and a life term of supervised release for production of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to pay restitution and to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

Samborski pleaded guilty in July 2016.

According to the plea agreement, on March 1, 2015, Samborski made sexually suggestive posts involving photographs of three minor children on a file sharing Internet site. As a result, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted an investigation and on March 6, 2015, agents executed a search warrant at Samborski’s residence.  During the search, agents recovered an iPhone 6 Plus containing hundreds of lascivious images of a female child that had been produced on March 1 and March 3, 2015.  Additional electronic devices and media containing child pornography, including photographs showing the sexual abuse of infants and other minor victims, were also recovered. 

"This criminal has caused irreparable harm to a young child and he will now spend the next 20 years in prison for these crimes,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “We hope that today’s sentencing can bring a small measure of closure to the victim and family.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. 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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Angel Manuel Fontanez (32, Clermont) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, as well as individual counts of distributing and possessing heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

Fontanez was indicted on March 23, 2016, along with co-conspirators Alexis Fontanez Nieves, Ernesto Cabanas-Torres, Zuleyka Jeanette Colon-Rivera, Pedro Juan Rivera-Aviles, Wilbert Joel Alequin-Pagan, Robert Sautner, and Emmanuel Verges. To date, four of the eight defendants have been convicted of a federal drug offense. A trial date for the remaining individuals is currently set for October 24, 2016.

According to court documents, a drug trafficking organization whose members referred to themselves as “La Compania” or “the Company” used a telephone number (“the heroin line”) that frequently changed to sell heroin to customers primarily in the Orlando tourist district, near International Drive. Customers would call the heroin line and arrange to purchase heroin from a member of the organization. The heroin line changed hands from one member of the organization to the next, as heroin was sold during two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. 

Fontanez was the leader of the organization, and he traveled out-of-state to acquire kilograms of heroin that were transported back to the Orlando area and then re-packaged into smaller, street-level quantities for distribution. He also managed and directed the activities of the organization’s street dealers. Based on undercover heroin purchases and other evidence developed during this investigation, law enforcement determined that Fontanez’s drug organization distributed approximately one kilogram of heroin to its customers in the Orlando area every two weeks. The organization also occasionally provided its customers with cocaine.    

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “La Compania.” The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Searle.

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.