Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Joshua Ryne Goldberg (20, Orange Park, Florida) for distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the criminal complaint, Goldberg was in contact, through on-line communications, with an individual who law enforcement knew to be a Confidential Human Source (CHS). Between the months of July and September 2015, Goldberg distributed information to the CHS on how to manufacture a bomb. He instructed the CHS to make a pressure cooker bomb and fill it with nails, metal, and other items dipped in rat poison. Goldberg instructed the CHS to place the bomb at an upcoming memorial in Kansas City, Missouri that was commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks.

A 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 is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the Jacksonville JTTF include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein of the Middle District of Florida, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Mara Kohn of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

No Photo Available

Detention and Preliminary Hearing set for Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at 2 pm before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt (Courtroom 5D) at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse, 300 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida.

Update following 9/15/2015 hearing: 

Joshua Ryne Goldberg has formally retained private counsel.  The Federal Public Defender’s Office has been removed as the attorney of record and Shorstein, Lasnetski & Gihon, LLC attorneys at law have filed a notice of appearance on behalf of the defendant.

Today, U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt ordered a 30-day competency evaluation, at a federal medical center, for the defendant.

Goldberg will remain in federal custody.

No future court date was set.

No further information available at this time.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Robert Lawrence Brown (32, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, beginning in January 2015, Brown used his position as a Correctional Officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex to smuggle contraband to inmates in exchange for monetary payments. On June 18, 2015, federal agents monitored a meeting between Brown and a cooperating witness. During that meeting, Brown accepted $2,600 for items that he had already smuggled into the prison. When confronted by investigators, Brown admitted that he had illegally negotiated $7,100 in cash payments in return for smuggling cellphones, prescription pills, tobacco, and other items to federal inmates.

This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Christopher Jon Kirkland (42, Jacksonville) to two years and six months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. As part of his sentence, Kirkland has agreed to forfeit computer equipment that was used to manufacture the counterfeit currency. He was also ordered to pay restitution.

According to the plea agreement, in August 2013, Kirkland began manufacturing counterfeit $20 and $100 Federal Reserve notes. Once he manufactured the notes, his co-defendants, William Brinkley, Jr. and Timothy Larry Malden, drove him to various businesses in Florida and Georgia to pass the counterfeit currency. They passed the notes to obtain merchandise and reloadable gift cards. They also returned fraudulently obtained merchandise to obtain genuine currency. From approximately August 2013 to December 2013, the group passed or attempted to pass approximately $32,600 in counterfeit currency throughout Florida and Georgia. 

Brinkley and Malden previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. On September 3, 2015, Brinkley was sentenced to 36 months’ probation.  The sentencing hearing for Malden is scheduled for October 29, 2015. 

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Domingo Zamora (47, Dade City) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison on drug conspiracy charges. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2014.

According to court documents, Zamora, a previously convicted felon who was affiliated with a Dade City street gang, sold large amounts of methamphetamine to undercover ATF agents and brokered drug deals between the agents and other sources of supply.  He also sold a firearm to an agent on at least one occasion during a drug transaction.   

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

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 Regina Lombardo, 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 violence in communities.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Billie Jay Rufrano (31, Titusville) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. He was also ordered to pay restitution to two victims.

Rufrano was indicted on January 14, 2015, and he pleaded guilty on April 28, 2015.

According to court documents, on October 3, 2014, a state search warrant was executed at Rufrano’s residence and several computers were seized. Forensic analyses of the computer media subsequently revealed 223 movies and 114 images depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was 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 Christopher James Everding (28, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to entice a child to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2015.

According to the plea agreement, from May 15, 2015, to May 22, 2015, Everding engaged in communications via the Internet with an undercover officer about his intent to engage the undercover officer’s 13-year-old fictitious daughter in sex and bestiality.  On May 22, 2015, Everding traveled from Tampa to Brevard County for the purpose of engaging the “child” in illicit sexual conduct and was arrested.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced two Jacksonville women for conspiracy to defraud the United States and aggravated identity theft.  Laura Butler was sentenced to two years and one month in federal prison and Cherica Daniels was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

Butler pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, and Daniels pleaded guilty on February 25, 2015.

According to court documents, in 2011, Butler worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida and had access to personal identifying information.  During her employment, she accessed several subscribers’ identities and later used them to file false and fraudulent income tax returns.  Daniels also participated in the scheme to prepare and file false and fraudulent tax returns. During her initial encounter with law enforcement, Daniels had a black bag containing more than 200 identities, including more than 15 social security numbers.          

The case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that the United States has formally filed a lawsuit against URS Federal Services, Inc. and its subcontractor Yang Enterprises, Inc. This lawsuit is brought pursuant to the False Claims Act.

In its complaint, the government describes a six-year scheme in which URS and Yang – recipients of over a billion dollars in federal government contracts – systematically defrauded the government.  The complaint alleges that URS and Yang, who were responsible for overseeing a General Services Administration (GSA) fleet of approximately 400 vehicles for NASA at Kennedy Space Center, submitted more than a thousand claims for undocumented and unreasonable early replacement of car tires.

The complaint alleges that, between June 2009 and April 2015, URS and Yang submitted $387,000 in false claims to the federal government for payment. During this time period, URS and Yang billed NASA for an unprecedented number of tire replacements, excluding ones for blowouts or catastrophic damage. For example, the government alleges that URS ordered six tire replacements for one vehicle during a 27-month period.  Some of these tires had fewer than 5,000 miles of use on them.  In some cases, installed tires on government vehicles appeared to have been removed and replaced by inferior tires by the time the vehicle was re-serviced.  The government alleges that roughly half of the vehicle fleet for which URS and Yang were responsible had vehicles with tires that did not last 60% of their expected tire life.

“We expect government contractors to act with integrity when they fulfill their contractual obligations to the government,” stated U.S. Attorney Bentley. “Overbilling for services that are not documented or not reasonable hurts the taxpayer.”

This case is being investigated by the General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Office of Inspector General, and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.

The lawsuit contains allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found John Francis Williams (69, Blythewood, SC) guilty of using the Internet to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 20, 2015.

Williams was indicted on February 6, 2013.

According to evidence presented at trial, in October 2012, while visiting his vacation home in Port Orange, Florida, Williams responded to a Craigslist ad. The ad had been placed by an undercover officer posing as the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was looking for a man to teach her child about sex. After a series of emails and phone calls with the “mother,” Williams drove to a house where he intended to have sex with the teen. He brought an overnight bag containing condoms, lubricants, and vibrators.  

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

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 Paul G. Byron has sentenced Bogdan Dragos (34, Romania) to two years in federal prison for filing a false petition to obtain visas for foreign workers. He pleaded guilty on June 12, 2015.      

According to court documents, in 2010, while operating an employment agency in Daytona Beach, Dragos filed a petition with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain 392 visas for unnamed workers from the Philippines. In that petition, he falsely claimed that he had contracts with 12 hotels in the Daytona Beach area to provide foreign workers on a temporary basis. USCIS approved the petition and a large number of Filipino workers started applying for visas at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The fraud was detected when an employee from the U.S. Embassy began calling the hotels in Daytona Beach and learned that the purported contracts did not exist.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Wenston DeSue (44, Bradenton) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for theft of federal funds.  As part of his sentence, the Court entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $276,300.03, the proceeds of DeSue’s theft, and also ordered him to pay the same amount in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”).

DeSue pleaded guilty on May 28, 2015.

According to court documents, from January 1, 2006, until September 19, 2013, DeSue was employed as the Executive Director of the Bradenton Housing Authority (“BHA”), a local housing authority that receives federal funds from HUD.

An investigation by the HUD - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that between September 2010 and September 2013, DeSue was significantly absent from the BHA on a routine basis, engaged in non-BHA activities during work hours, and failed to take annual or sick leave for those absences. Despite being absent from the BHA much of the time, he accepted his regular salary. In total, DeSue stole and knowingly converted to his own use $276,300.03 from the BHA in salary, bonuses, and cash-outs of unused leave.

In addition, DeSue spent personal time with BHA Project Director, Stephany West, with whom he was romantically involved. On numerous occasions, the two spent personal time together during the workday when they should have been working or on some form of leave. West previously pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds and has a sentencing hearing set for September 9, 2015. In total, West stole and knowingly converted to her own use $104,550.75 from the BHA in salary, bonuses, and cash-outs of unused leave.

This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Simon A. Gaugush.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found John A. White (40, Windermere) guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of filing a false tax-related document. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 3 years’ imprisonment for each false document charge. White’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2015. He was indicted on April 9, 2015.

According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2006 through 2012, White was employed as the personal assistant to NBA basketball player Gilbert J. Arenas, who has since retired from professional basketball. During calendar years 2008 through 2011, White stole approximately $2,188,170 from Arenas by making unauthorized online banking money transfers from one of Arenas’s bank accounts into three different bank accounts that White controlled. White spent these funds on his own personal expenses, including mortgage payments for his home in Windermere, and the purchase of a Ferrari and a Range Rover. White also filed false joint income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for each of these years. In these tax returns, he and his wife never reported more than $60,000 in gross income, when in fact their joint income was significantly greater due to the money White stole from Arenas.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Rashan L. Gibson (28, Clermont) on a criminal complaint charging him with four counts of making false statements to federal investigators. He faces up to five years in federal prison for each offense. Gibson was released on a $25,000 bond pending resolution of the matter.

According to court documents, federal investigators were contacted by an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County who claimed that Gibson, a federal corrections officer, had smuggled cigarettes into the facility in exchange for a $500 bribe. Investigators subsequently monitored an audio and video-recorded meeting between Gibson and the inmate in May 2015. During that meeting, Gibson and the inmate discussed the previous transaction, as well as a future $5,000 payment for other contraband that Gibson would smuggle into the prison. The inmate also provided Gibson with the name of a contact who could deliver the payment to him.

On August 6, 2015, investigators confronted Gibson about the smuggling operation. During the meeting, Gibson denied smuggling contraband into the prison. He also claimed that that he had never met with the inmate, had never discussed a bribery payment, and had never received the name of a person who would pay him money on the inmate’s behalf. Based upon the evidence obtained during the investigation, all of these statements were false.

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 is being investigated by the Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Michael J. Ronga (43, Cape Coral) guilty of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the civil rights violation and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the obstruction charge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2015.

Ronga was indicted on February 23, 2015.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on May 5, 2013, Ronga, a deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), provided a courtesy transport to victim R.L.C. Ronga subsequently assaulted R.L.C., causing bodily injury. He also robbed the victim of his cash and cellphone. R.L.C. reported the assault and robbery to the LCSO, and an investigation ensued. During the course of the investigation, Ronga lied to law enforcement about his interaction with the victim.

This case was investigated by Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Special Assistant United States Attorney Amira D. Fox.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Harold Didier Loiaza-Quintana (42, Cali, Colombia) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin. He pleaded guilty on April 29, 2015.

According to court documents, in August 2011, Loiaza-Quintana orchestrated the shipment of 11 kilograms of heroin from Colombia to the United States. He coordinated the transaction from Colombia and involved multiple co-conspirators. Osvaldo Beltran-Rengifo and his girlfriend smuggled the heroin in spandex body suits aboard a cruise ship. The heroin was delivered to co-conspirator Jose Salinas-Correales.  Salinas-Correales then gave the heroin to Carlos Manuel Perez, who had driven to Orlando from Philadelphia to pick it up.  Perez was later stopped by officers from the Orlando Police Department, who discovered and seized the four heroin-filled body suits.

The co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case. Beltran-Rengifo was sentenced last month to five years and eight months in federal prison. On June 4, 2015, Jose Salinas-Correales was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison. Perez was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment on November 18, 2013.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orlando Police Department, and the Colombian National Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II has sentenced Stephen Longest (27, Oviedo) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.  He was also ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to a victim of the offense, and to forfeit the computers and electronic devices he had used to commit the crime.  Longest pleaded guilty on April 2, 2015.

According to court documents, for at least four years, Longest used a file-sharing program to receive thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and young children.  Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at his home and located hundreds of child pornography images on his smart phone and computers.

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 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.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Martin Slone (59, Oldsmar) with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.

According to the indictment, Slone defrauded a Miami-area lender and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The sealed indictment was returned by a grand jury on July 11, 2013, and an arrest warrant was issued. At the time, Slone was residing in Brazil. On June 28, 2015, he was arrested at Abu Dhabi International Airport by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), based on an INTERPOL Red Notice. On August 13, 2015, special agents of the Ex-Im Bank – Officer of Inspector General (OIG) took custody of Slone and returned him to the United States to face charges.

According to the indictment, Slone owned and operated an aircraft brokerage and export business in Florida called Woolie Enterprises Inc. In September 2007, he sought and received an insurance policy from Ex-Im Bank to insure aircraft sales from Woolie to purported buyers in Brazil. Slone allegedly submitted false information regarding Woolie’s export activity to the lending bank and Ex-Im Bank. The indictment also alleges that Slone created fake invoices and documents falsely claiming that foreign buyers had purchased aircraft and parts from Woolie, and then falsely reported that those foreign buyers had defaulted on payments, causing Ex-Im Bank to pay Woolie approximately $197,690.

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 is a good example of the OIG working with our embassy officials and foreign counterparts to pursue fraud across borders,” said Deputy Inspector General Michael McCarthy. “The Export-Import Bank will diligently pursue fraud cases against subjects who are located abroad.”

The case was investigated by the Ex-Im Bank – OIG, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, INTERPOL, and law enforcement agencies of the UAE. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Cindy Sanchez Carabeo (50, Brandon) has pleaded guilty to bank robbery. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on May 11, 2015, Carabeo committed three bank robberies in Brandon. Within a span of approximately 30 minutes, she robbed a BB&T bank, a Wells Fargo bank, and a Florida Central Credit Union. During each robbery, Carabeo presented a note threatening to kill the teller if she did not comply with Carabeo’s demands.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Ledale Johnson with three counts of credit card fraud, two counts of filing false tax returns, and three counts of aggravated identity theft.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of up to ten years in federal prison for each count of credit card fraud, up to five years for each of the false tax filing counts, and a consecutive two-year term for the aggravated identity theft counts.  The indictment also notifies Johnson that the United States is seeking a money judgment of $48,416, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.  Johnson had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli and was detained.

According to the indictment, on several occasions between October 2011 and March 2012, Johnson possessed and used unauthorized and counterfeit debit cards that had been loaded with fraudulently obtained tax refunds.  Those refunds were the result of tax returns that had been filed using stolen identities.  Johnson also filed a fraudulent tax return in his name and the name of another individual.

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 Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that four Jacksonville residents who were born in the Philippines have pleaded guilty to immigration fraud offenses. Mark Laurence Barlaan (36) and Winnie Rabaya Barlaan (65) pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and face a maximum penalty of five years each in federal prison. Peter Laforteza Barlaan (63) pleaded guilty to immigration document fraud and Mary Helen Amaba Barlaan (32) pleaded guilty to obtaining U.S. citizenship by fraud.  They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. In their plea agreements, Mark and Mary Barlaan have agreed to leave the United States after the completion of the legal proceedings and any prison sentence imposed by the Court.  The sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to court documents, Winnie and Peter Barlaan are naturalized U.S. citizens.  Mary Barlaan entered the United States with a temporary visitor’s visa in November 2007, and Mark Barlaan entered the country with a temporary work visa in December 2008.

Mark Barlaan is Peter Barlaan’s son. Before Mark and Mary Barlaan came to the United States, they were involved in a romantic relationship with each other, and that relationship continued after they came to the United States.

On September 9, 2009, the day after Peter Barlaan became a U.S. citizen, he married Mary Barlaan, his son’s girlfriend. On October 25, 2011, Mark Barlaan and Winnie Barlaan were married. Peter Barlaan paid Winnie Barlaan several thousand dollars in exchange for her marrying Mark Barlaan and cooperating in the immigration proceedings.

Under U.S. immigration law, aliens married to U.S. citizens are given priority in the granting of immigration benefits. By marrying U.S. citizens, Mark and Mary Barlaan could obtain these benefits faster and without meeting the requirements applicable to persons who are not married to U.S. citizens. In an attempt to conceal the fact that they had committed marriage fraud, these individuals made false statements on documents they had submitted to immigration authorities, and that made false statements during interviews and other encounters with immigration officials.

On June 5, 2013, Mary Barlaan became a naturalized citizen of the United States.  Because she obtained her citizenship by fraud, her conviction will result in a revocation of citizenship by the Court.

"Marriage fraud is a federal crime, and can have grave consequences for national security," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa "Defrauding the U.S. government is not a victimless crime."

"As an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, USCIS has zero tolerance for marriage fraud," said Kathy Redman, USCIS Southeast Regional Director. "We remain vigilant in detecting and assisting in the prosecution of any immigration fraud."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Daniel Lester Jackson (34, Brevard County) has pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2015.

According to the plea agreement, on June 17, 2015, officers from the Palm Bay Police Department executed a search warrant at Jackson’s residence. Forensic analyses of the electronic media revealed images and videos depicting child pornography. Subsequent investigation determined that on at least two separate occasions Jackson had used his cellphone to record explicit images of a 6-year-old girl.

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida –  U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced John Robert Haldemann (31, Naples) today to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for committing three armed bank robberies.  As part of his sentence, the Court entered a money judgment in the amount of $14,308, representing the combined proceeds of the robberies.  The Court also ordered Haldemann to pay restitution to each of the financial institutions he robbed, plus an additional $799.25 in restitution to Synovus Bank for damages to the bank’s door he had caused during an attempted robbery.  Haldemann pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015.

According to court documents, Haldemann committed three armed bank robberies last summer. On June 4, 2014, he robbed a Capital Bank in Venice.  He then committed an armed robbery at a Wells Fargo Bank in Naples on July 12, 2014.  And, in Punta Gorda on July 25, 2014, he robbed a Bank of America.  During each armed bank robbery, Haldemann displayed what appeared to be a firearm and demanded money from bank employees.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force, the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Naples Police Department, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Venice Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Tampa, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Richard A. Lazzara sentenced Bertha Hart today to five years and ten months in federal prison for theft of government property. She pleaded guilty on May 11, 2015.

According to court documents, Hart was arrested by deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office on November 1, 2012. Several prepaid debit cards, in other peoples’ names, containing fraudulent tax refunds were found in her possession. Hart later admitted to participating in a conspiracy involving federal tax returns and stolen identities. Hart allowed fraudulent tax filers to use her address to receive prepaid debit cards containing federal tax refunds. She also retrieved similar debit cards from other peoples’ mailboxes. Once these cards were in her possession, Hart delivered them to her co-conspirators, who removed most of the money from them. The co-conspirators later returned the cards to Hart with $1,000 to $2,000 remaining on them as her payment.

This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Cape Coral residents Ronald R. Raiola, a/k/a Ronald Sambuco (57), and Rose Ann Labarbera (61) with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit theft of government funds, and theft of government funds involving the Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. Raiola is charged with an additional count of theft of government funds in relation to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years, and each count of theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the couple that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of the proceeds of each of the fraud schemes.

Raiola and Labarbera were arrested earlier today and made their initial appearances in federal court in Fort Myers. They were released on bond and Raiola was also ordered to participate in home detention and electronic monitoring.

According to the indictment, Raiola participated in the HCV Program, commonly referred to as “Section 8,” from at least January 1997 until December 2012. He made fraudulent representations concerning his identity, marital status, place of residence, financial status, and ability to engage in gainful employment in order to participate in, and receive housing assistance subsidies through the HCV Program and SSI benefits from the SSA. Raiola is married to and lives with Labarbera. As part of the alleged conspiracy, they concealed their marital status, income, and ownership interests in residential properties in New York and Florida from HUD. Some of these properties were purportedly rented through the HCV Program to Raiola, and rent was paid to Labarbera and to Raiola’s alias by HUD.

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 United States Department of Housing & Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Lee County Sherriff’s Office Economic Crimes and Special Operations Units, the City of Fort Myers Housing Authority, the New York City Housing Authority, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Cape Coral Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced three Orlando residents for robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Malcolm Jamal Ward (23), Stanley Valentin (20), and Javier Tyson Farrar (21) were each sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in federal prison. The Court also ordered them to pay $5,637.42 in restitution. Valentin and Farrar pleaded guilty on April 28, 2015. Ward pleaded guilty on May 4, 2015.

According to court documents, over the course of two weeks in October 2014, Ward, Valentin, and Farrar committed six armed robberies. One of the robberies occurred at a Red Lobster restaurant in Orlando as the employees were closing for the night. The five other robberies involved drugstores throughout Orange, Volusia, Osceola, and Polk Counties. In addition, Ward committed an additional armed robbery of a drugstore by himself during that same period.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Ashley Anders Bishop (42, Orlando) guilty of one count of possessing and four counts of receiving child pornography. Bishop was previously convicted of a sex offense and, as a result, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the possession count, and a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, for each count of receiving child pornography. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2015. In reaching their decision, the jury made a special finding that certain exhibits depicted children under the age of 12.

Bishop was indicted on May 27, 2015.

According to the testimony presented at trial, on October 6, 2000, in Orange County, Bishop was convicted of attempting to commit lascivious molestation on a child under the age of 12 and was sentenced to a 15-year prison term. After his release, Bishop, a registered sex offender, was arrested on two different occasions, and each time had a cellphone in his possession. Both phones were searched pursuant to state search warrants and found to contain child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys 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 U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II has sentenced Jean Roussel Eloi (30, Palm Bay) to 30 years in federal prison for Internet solicitation of a minor. The court also ordered Eloi to forfeit a cell phone that he had used as part of the offense. A federal jury found him guilty on February 3, 2015.

According to testimony presented at trial, on the night of July 20, 2014, Eloi started an online chat session with an 11-year-old girl who lived in Palm Bay. The next day, the girl reported the chats to her mother.  After the mother contacted law enforcement, an undercover detective began engaging in a series of chats with Eloi, who explicitly detailed the sexual acts he wanted to perform with the “girl.” Eloi eventually asked the “girl” to meet him. When he arrived at the prearranged location, deputies arrested him.

According to evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, in 2006, Eloi admitted to and was charged with having sex with a 13-year-old girl in Palm Beach County.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated, "I applaud this partnership and the agencies involved who stand between our most defenseless citizens and those who wish to harm them.  Through their outstanding efforts, an individual who actively participated in the exploitation of our children has been removed from our communities.”

"This sentencing emphasizes that child exploitation is one of the most heinous crimes we investigate," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our children."

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Task Force, 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that James Steven Hall (47, Lake City) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Hall was indicted on May 13, 2015.  

According to court documents, in March 2015, law enforcement received information that Hall had possessed counterfeit currency inside his hotel room in Columbia County. On March 25, 2015, officers from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service went to the hotel and made contact with Hall, who allowed the officers to search his room. The search revealed counterfeit $10 and $20 bills that had been hidden between the mattress and box spring. Supplies for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, including a paper cutter, an ink-jet printer, blank paper, a laptop, and used ink-jet cartridges were also found in the room. Hall later admitted to manufacturing a few thousand dollars in counterfeit notes and to passing some of them at local businesses in the Lake City area.

This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the U. S. Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mark Gardner (28, Osteen) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for his role in the operation of a boiler room. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering count. Sentencing has been set for October 30, 2015.

Gardner and Tammie Lynn Cline (33, Leominster, MA) were indicted on January 28, 2015.

According to court documents, Gardner and Cline operated a boiler room in Central Florida. Along with the telemarketers who worked at their call center, they made unsolicited calls to owners of timeshare properties located throughout the United States. During those calls, they claimed that they worked for Universal Timeshare Sales Associates (UTSA) in Beaverton, Oregon, that UTSA had a purchaser who was interested in buying a timeshare, and that the timeshare owner just needed to pay a fee between $1,600 and $2,200 for the sale to proceed.

In order to convince timeshare owners to pay the fee, Gardner, Cline and their telemarketers sometimes claimed that an interested purchaser was present in the showroom ready to buy a timeshare, that a buyer had already deposited money into an escrow account for the sale, or that the sale would take place in about 90 days. Those representations were false. The timeshares were not sold as had been promised, and members of the conspiracy would deny or ignore requests for refunds, and would dispute chargebacks with the credit card companies.

In total, victims lost approximately $1.6 million due to the operation of the call center.

In May 2013, the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General’s Office filed a civil action against Gardner, Cline, and others in federal court. In June 2014, the district court entered a permanent injunction against them related to certain telemarketing practices.

Tammie Lynn Cline previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has been set for October 9, 2015.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Patrick Towns (35, Fort Myers) to eight years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the pistol and ammunition used in the offense. Towns pleaded guilty on May 6, 2015. 

According to court documents, on December 26, 2014, while driving with a suspended driver’s license and an inoperable headlight, Towns was stopped by officers with the Fort Myers Police Department and placed under arrest. In connection with the arrest, the officers observed a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol and cocaine inside the vehicle. During a search of Towns, officers located a quantity of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or Molly, in his pocket.

During today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Chappell noted that Towns had eight prior felony convictions.  As a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Southwest Florida Violent Crime Task Force and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Eyad Farah (41, Barrington, Texas) with conspiring to export firearms without a license, exporting firearms without a license, and smuggling firearms from the United States in violation of federal export control and firearms laws. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy offense, up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the export charge, and up to 20 years in federal prison for the smuggling charge. The indictment was returned by the grand jury on September 4, 2014.

According to the indictment, Farah is part of a network of individuals involved in smuggling firearms from the United States to the Middle East. The indictment alleges that the firearms were concealed in vehicles that had been purchased at used car auctions in Central Florida. The vehicles were then scheduled for export to Jordan.

According to court documents, Farah was arrested at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany on June 2, 2015. He made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed earlier today.

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.

Farah’s co-conspirator, Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani Mohammad Assaf, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is currently awaiting sentencing. Yasser Ahmad Obeid, a defendant in a related case, has also pleaded guilty. In December 2014, he was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.

"This arrest represents a significant milestone in combating weapons smuggling by transnational criminal organizations," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "It is through collaborative efforts with our domestic and international law enforcement partners that the United States will stem the tide of this continuing threat."  

"ATF's mission is the gun,” said Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge ATF-Tampa. “Whether it's domestic/international trafficking, or the gun is being used in violent crime, I will commit our resources to curb and stop illegal diversion of firearms or their use in violent gun crimes.”

John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS-Southeast Field Office, stated, "DCIS effectively collaborates with our partner agencies to battle against the illegal export of sensitive weapons and systems.  This arrest highlights our continuing efforts."

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Josephine W. Thomas and Adam M. Saltzman.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Michael Carvalho today pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the theft of government property and a consecutive 2-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft count. Carvalho also agreed to a money judgment in the amount of $2,223,083.44, representing the amount of illicit proceeds gained from the theft, and forfeiture of the contents of three JPMorgan Chase accounts and real properties located at 2615 S. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, Florida, and 2045 Shadow Drive, Geneva, Florida.

According to the plea agreement, from approximately October 2011 through September 2013, Carvalho passed or attempted to pass more than 441 federal tax refund checks in excess of $2.9 million at six banks in the Middle District of Florida. The checks were fraudulently obtained and/or contained falsely made or forged endorsements or signatures. Along with others, Carvalho deposited these instruments on 180 different days, over a two-year period.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced three individuals for their roles in a conspiracy to commit stolen identity refund fraud in the Manatee County area between 2012 and 2013. Among those sentenced were Marcus Lowe (32, Tampa) to three years and six months’ imprisonment, Tedrick Randall (44, Bradenton) to three years and one month in federal prison, and Rachel Kerley (36, Bradenton) to a term of 6 months’ imprisonment.  As part of each defendant’s sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $15,457, representing the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Randall and Kerley pleaded guilty in April 2015, and Lowe was found guilty on May 1, 2015, after a jury trial.

According to court documents, Lowe worked for the Manatee County Parole Services Division at the Manatee County Jail and, as such, had access to the jail booking sheets. These booking sheets contained personal identification information relating to the inmates, including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. Lowe provided that information to Randall and Kerley, who then used the data to file false and fraudulent income tax returns seeking tax refunds in the names of those inmates. The conspirators filed income tax returns seeking a total of approximately $72,254 in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

A Tampa, Florida, area investment advisor pleaded guilty today to perpetrating a $9 million investment fraud scheme involving Facebook stock.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and Inspector in Charge Ronald J. Verrochio of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division made the announcement.

Gignesh Movalia, 40, of Tampa, a registered investment advisor, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony E. Porcelli of the Middle District of Florida to one count of investment advisor fraud.  Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Movalia was the founder and manager of OM Global Investment Fund LLC (the OM Global Fund), an investment fund formed in 2009.  According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, beginning in or about 2011, Movalia began soliciting investments for the OM Global Fund by, among other methods, touting access to pre-initial public offering (IPO) shares of Facebook Inc.  Movalia admitted that, by the end of 2012, he had raised more than $15 million for the OM Global Fund, and that more than $9 million of the amount raised was for “side pocket” investments, which Movalia represented were to be used exclusively for purchasing of Facebook shares.

Movalia further admitted that, contrary to these representations and unknown to “side pocket” investors, he used funds designated exclusively for the purchase of Facebook shares for other investments, which he concealed from the investors.  He also admitted that he made material misrepresentations and omissions to investors in order to mislead them about the nature and value of their investments in the OM Global Fund.  The OM Global Fund lost approximately $9 million before it went into receivership in September 2013.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and USPIS, with assistance provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Miami Regional Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Andrew H. Warren of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Movalia Plea Agreement

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Justin Robinson (33, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on October 21, 2014.

According to court documents, at approximately 3:45 AM on April 28, 2014, a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw Robinson hiding behind a van outside an apartment complex in Tampa. Robinson told the deputy that he was in the area to visit a friend, but residents of the apartment he claimed to be visiting later said that they did not know Robinson. The deputy found a loaded .9 mm firearm on the ground where Robinson had been hiding, and ordered Robinson to put his hands behind his back. Robinson fled, but was apprehended after a short foot chase. Law enforcement officials later determined that the firearm had been stolen during a residential burglary.

Robinson was previously convicted of several felonies, including three drug trafficking offenses, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.  As such, he qualified for an enhanced penalty under the Armed Career Criminal statute.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natalie Hirt Adams and Megan Kistler.

This is another case prosecuted as 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 Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, are 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 on reducing violent crime in communities.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of two indictments charging five individuals with conspiracy charges related to fraudulently operating chiropractic clinics that defrauded automobile insurance companies.  These charges are the culmination of a two-year joint federal and state law enforcement investigation dubbed Operation Fraudulent Pain.

Garry Joseph (36), Nesly Loute (51), Wisler Cyrius (34), Anouce Toussaint (32), and Sijames Melus (32) are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Cyrius and Toussaint have also been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictments also notify the defendants that the United States is seeking money judgments in the amount of the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, Joseph and Melus were the true owners of two chiropractic clinics in Naples, Parkway Medical and Rehab LLC and T&C Consultants d/b/a Collier Chiropractic Center. To circumvent State of Florida licensing requirements, they paid licensed health care practitioners to allow their names to be used on official documents as though they were the true owners of the clinics. Between October 2012 and February 2015, Parkway and Collier Chiropractic submitted claims to automobile insurance companies for payment for services purportedly rendered to accident victims treated at the clinics. The true owners of the clinics caused the insurance companies to be billed for claims that violated Florida law because the clinics were not properly licensed. In addition, they caused the insurance companies to be billed for claims for unnecessary treatments and/or services that had not been actually rendered. Joseph and Melus allegedly defrauded the auto insurance companies of more than $2 million.

According to the second indictment, between June 2013 and February 2015, Cyrius, Loute, and Toussaint participated in a scheme to defraud insurance companies by filing fraudulent claims. Cyrius and Toussaint were the actual owners of Tamiami Pain and Rehab LLC and First Choice Pain and Rehab Inc. As part of the conspiracy, they paid a licensed health care practitioner to act as the owner of the clinics. The conspirators fraudulently submitted multiple claims to the insurance companies that were unlawful because the clinics were not properly licensed under Florida law and were not exempt from the Florida licensing statutes. In addition, the conspirators allegedly solicited individuals to participate in staged automobile accidents in exchange for compensation, and caused clinics that they controlled to submit claims for payment by the automobile insurance companies for unnecessary services rendered to the staged accident participants. The indictment further alleges that Cyrius and Toussaint conspired to launder the proceeds of the mail fraud by concealing the nature of the funds and by taking steps to avoid reporting requirements related to financial transactions.

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, the State of Florida’s Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistance was also provided by the Florida Highway Patrol, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Florida Department of Health, and the State Attorneys’ Offices for the 13th and 19th Judicial Circuits. The following insurance companies also assisted with the case: Travelers, Nationwide, Bristol West, Esurance, Windhaven, Farmers, Direct General, Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, Geico, Infinity, and Foremost.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Jay Paul Porton (67, Clearwater) guilty of assault on a federal officer. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 29, 2015. Porton was indicted on April 15, 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, Porton, a pro se plaintiff in a civil case, was a regular visitor to the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse in Tampa. On March 19, 2015, the presiding judge ruled against Porton in his civil case. On the morning of April 1, 2015, Porton approached the courthouse carrying a small baseball bat. A Court Security Officer (CSO) confronted Porton at the main entrance of the courthouse and ordered him to put the bat down. As the CSO approached, Porton said, “batter up,” tapped the bat on the ground, and assumed a batting stance. When then CSO was approximately 7-10 feet away, Porton swung the T-ball bat in the CSO’s direction. The CSO then put his hand on his gun, and Porton put the bat down. Other officers came to assist and placed Porton under arrest. 

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vincent S. Chiu and Tiffany L. Cummins.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that Stephen Paul Cotton (43, Palm Coast) has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of failing to register as a sex offender after traveling from Florida to North Carolina. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Cotton was arrested in Suwanee, Georgia on April 11, 2015.

According to court documents, in January 1999, Cotton was convicted of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child in Manatee County.  Subsequent to his conviction, and between 2004 and 2012, he registered as a sex offender with Florida authorities as required. However, between July 2012 and December 2014, Cotton traveled from Florida to Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, but failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Suwanee (Georgia) Police Department, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being 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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Bryan Shane Sneed (41, Lutz) guilty of attempted enticement of a minor for sex and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 29, 2015.

Sneed was originally indicted on January 28, 2015. A superseding indictment was returned on March 18, 2015.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 24, 2014, an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old child responded to an online personal ad posted by Sneed. Sneed, who traveled frequently, communicated with the undercover agent through emails and text messages for almost a year, believing that the agent was 14 years old. During the communications, Sneed repeatedly sent the “child” multiple graphic images and a video of adult pornography. He made firm plans to meet the “child” in Tampa. On January 21, 2015, Sneed arrived at the agreed upon location and was placed under arrest. A search of his vehicle revealed loaded 9 millimeter and .45 caliber handguns, and condoms. 

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

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 the unsealing of an indictment charging Gary Blankenship (44, St. Petersburg, Florida) with conspiracy, wire fraud, and bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment for each charge. The indictment also notifies him that the United States is seeking a money judgment for the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment and court proceedings, in 2005, entities controlled by co-conspirators entered into a contract to purchase The Arbors, an apartment complex in Hillsborough County, Florida. The new owners then engaged in a plan to convert the complex from rental apartment units to condominium units.

Blankenship’s co-conspirator, Brenden Bolger, aided the developers in the sale of numerous condominium units through his company, Capital Management Guarantee, LLC. In order to induce buyers to purchase The Arbors units, Bolger created an addendum to the purchase contract offering buyers various incentives such as rental supplements, money to defray maintenance costs, and a design credit to upgrade the units’ amenities. When the buyers cancelled the design credit within 10 days of signing the addendum, Bolger paid them a kickback from his company’s bank account for the amount of the design credit. Blankenship’s role in the conspiracy as a realtor consisted of marketing The Arbors units by promising buyers that they would not be required to provide any money at closing, actually providing cash for borrowers to close on the units, facilitating the payment of kickbacks to his clients via Capital Management Guarantee, and facilitating the submission of false loan applications to FDIC-insured financial institutions, or their subsidiaries. In this manner, Bolger, Blankenship, and other co-conspirators failed to disclose material facts to the buyers’ mortgage lenders about the financing of the condominium sales.

Bolger previously pleaded guilty his role in the conspiracy. His sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2015.

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 and the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hoffer.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that John Thomas Humphreys (46, Texas) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison for the counterfeit note and false representation charges, to be followed by a consecutive mandatory minimum of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft charge.

According to the plea agreement, on February 2, 2015, the Green Cove Springs Police Department received information that two individuals, later identified as Humphreys and Joe Eugene Loving, were manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in their hotel room at the Astoria Hotel in Clay County. The two men had active arrest warrants for parole violations in Texas and were subsequently arrested at the hotel by deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies found a counterfeit $100.00 note on Loving after his arrest.

During an interview with law enforcement, Humphreys and Loving stated, among other things, that they were involved in a drug deal in Texas in December 2014 and had been on the run ever since. They estimated printing and passing at least $10,000.00 in counterfeit currency. In addition, they printed counterfeit checks using the identities of others.

During a subsequent search of the hotel room, agents located a box of personal identification information and financial documents belonging to other individuals, a printer/scanner/copier with counterfeit checks lying on top of it, counterfeit currency, and various computer media which had been used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.

A third individual, Paul Corbin Pennington, Jr., was also charged in this case for passing counterfeit currency.  Pennington, a maintenance worker at the Astoria Hotel, loaned Loving and Humphreys his computer to watch movies. Loving and Humphreys used the computer to print counterfeit checks. Pennington confessed to law enforcement officers that he had passed counterfeit currency in Clay County.

On July 9, 2015, Pennington pleaded guilty to one count of passing counterfeit currency.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2015.  Loving’s case is set for trial in September 2015.

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

This case was investigated by the Green Cove Springs Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Richard Donald Ragsdale (57, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for transportation and receipt of child pornography.  He pleaded guilty on December 18, 2014.

According to the complaint, on May 5, 2014, an undercover agent downloaded child pornography from an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was connected to Ragsdale’s residence. Further investigation revealed online chats by Ragsdale, in which he admitted to having prior sexual contact with children and discussed the sexual abuse of children. On June 24, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Ragsdale’s Tampa residence. Agents found hundreds of videos and images depicting child pornography on Ragsdale’s laptop.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

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 (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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jason Dean Barnes (39, Jacksonville) has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. His detention hearing is scheduled for August 3, 2015.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 29, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Barnes’s residence in Jacksonville. During an interview, Barnes admitted to searching for, downloading, and viewing child pornography, and that he has struggled with this addiction for a number of years. A forensic examination of Barnes’s laptop revealed images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that had been downloaded earlier that day.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ronald Eugene Mabrey, Jr. (34, Callahan) has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. A detention hearing is scheduled for July 30, 2015.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 28, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Mabrey’s residence in Callahan. During an interview, Mabrey admitted to searching for, downloading, and viewing child pornography. He estimated that his computer would contain “a couple thousand” images and “approximately 500 videos” depicting child pornography. A forensic examination of Mabrey’s laptop revealed images depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child that had been recently downloaded.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being 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 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 – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Alvaro De La Torre-Valdez (42, Dayton, TX) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on April 3, 2015.

According to court documents, Torre-Valdez was a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting methamphetamine from Texas to Central Florida. In October 2014, he arranged to hide three kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the spare tire of a car and transport it from his home in Texas to Florida. A trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol stopped the car near Ocala. During the traffic stop, a trained drug detection dog alerted on the car and approximately three kilograms of crystal methamphetamine were recovered from inside the spare tire of the car.

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Mark Joseph Unrein (62, New Port Richey) guilty of possessing child pornography and using a cell phone and computer to attempt to induce a person he believed was a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 23, 2015.

Unrein was originally indicted on June 26, 2014. On January 14, 2015, a superseding indictment was returned that added the possession of child pornography count.

According to evidence presented at trial, the investigation of Unrein began during a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office child exploitation operation seeking to identify individuals who posed a risk to children in the community. On May 8, 2014, an undercover officer posted a personal ad online posing as a mother who would allow her “12-year-old daughter” to have a sex with a stranger. Unrein responded to the ad on the same day, and began communicating with the undercover officer. Through emails and phone calls, Unrein made arrangements to meet to have sex with the “child.” The next day, Unrein drove to Inverness, where he believed the “mother” and “child” resided. He was subsequently arrested.

After the arrest, agents conducted a search of Unrein’s residence and seized the computer that he had used to communicate with the undercover officer. A forensic examination of the computer revealed numerous images of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.     

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

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, FL – United States District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Dariel Sardinas Lopez (22, Tampa) to four years in federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft. He pleaded guilty on April 22, 2015.

According to court documents, Sardinas Lopez produced and trafficked in counterfeit credit cards. These fraudulent credit cards were encoded with the numbers and information of victims whose cards had been “skimmed” at local gas stations. The victims were often unaware their information had been stolen. Sardinas Lopez sold these counterfeit credit cards and also used them to purchase merchandise for himself.

This case was investigated by the Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Titus Lamar Bellot (28, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute the controlled substance methylone. He was convicted by a federal jury on February 13, 2015.

According to the testimony presented during the three-day trial, on April 21, 2014, United States Customs and Border Protection officials at an international mail facility in New York encountered an International Express Mail parcel from the People’s Republic of China.  After searching the parcel, they determined that it contained methylone. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations agents made a controlled delivery of the package to an address in Lehigh Acres. Deena Williams, who was convicted after a jury trial on February 5, 2015, accepted the package.  Agents then entered the house and discovered that Williams had opened the package and removed the drugs. Bellot came to the house a short time later to pick up the drugs. Further investigation revealed that the package belonged to him.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Daniel Todd Manning (43, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing several firearms after having been convicted of felony child sex offenses in the State of Kansas.  He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Manning has been in custody since his arrest on April 30, 2014, in Jacksonville. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.   

According to court documents, on July 26, 2013, Manning was adjudicated guilty, in Kansas, on multiple counts of indecent liberties with a child. Prior to his sentencing, he fled the state and traveled to Jacksonville, where he established a residence. Because Manning was a convicted felony sex offender and had fled from supervision, Kansas authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. Law enforcement in Jacksonville, including the United States Marshals Service, discovered the location of Manning’s Jacksonville residence and, on April 30, 2014, entered the location to search for him. During the search, they observed several rifles in a glass-front gun case in Manning’s bedroom, as well as a pistol located inside the nightstand next to Manning’s bed. Manning had concealed himself in the attic of the residence. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT team seized the firearms, including five rifles, two shotguns, and a pistol. Hours later, Manning surrendered. He later stated that he had brought all of the guns with him when he fled from Kansas to avoid sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This is another case prosecuted as 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 Regina Lombardo, 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 on reducing violent crime in communities.

It was also 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. 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 – Chief United States District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced Aaron Michael Murray (23, Clermont) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for transporting child pornography over the Internet.  He was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervision, and to register as a sex offender following his release from prison. Murray pleaded guilty on May 15, 2015.

According to court documents, police officers in Texas executed a search warrant at a residence and discovered child pornography on a computer used by a minor child.  Further investigation revealed that the child had received images of child pornography from an individual using a computer located at a residence in Clermont, Florida. The individual, subsequently identified as Murray, had portrayed himself to be a minor child during online conversations with the Texas minor.

A search warrant was executed at Murray’s residence, where his laptop computer and iPod Touch device were seized and analyzed by the FBI. The email account Murray had used to send out the child pornography was located on the iPod. Online chat messages that Murray had sent using the fake persona of a minor child were also recovered, along with at least 250 images and videos depicting child pornography that Murray had obtained using the Internet. Murray’s laptop computer contained at least 73 images and videos depicting child pornography, many of which Murray had organized and sorted into folders. Evidence obtained from his email account showed that Murray had sent at least 246 images of child pornography to other users over the Internet, including many that depicted prepubescent boys engaged in sexual intercourse.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Ocala and Jacksonville, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department, and the Carrollton (Texas) Police Department. 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 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.