Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Gary Todd Smith (45), a/k/a Todd, and Gary Truman Smith (69), a/k/a Gary, both of Fayetteville, North Carolina, with wire fraud affecting a financial institution. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.         

According to the complaint, Gary and Todd Smith ran Smith Advertising. The pair was allegedly involved in a fraud scheme that involved borrowing money (called bridge loans) for Smith Advertising to purportedly pre-purchase advertising space. They also borrowed money on outstanding invoices (called factoring) for Smith Advertising. Each loan, to the extent that it was repaid, was repaid by new loans. The underlying collateral for the loans was, where produced, fake invoices. Smith Advertising maintained a real and a false set of record books.  On the date the company ceased operations, the total assets for the corporation were, according to their real books, valued at -$63,723,391.55, and the total equity was -$103,140,084.68.

 A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.

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Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Amber Dorius (31, St. George, Utah) today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute marijuana.  She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, from 2011 to January 2013, Chad Sunyich arranged for quantities of marijuana to be driven and flown to the Middle District of Florida, from California and Utah, for further distribution. In 2011, Dorius worked as a courier in Sunyich’s organization. She worked with others to transport marijuana from California to Hillsborough County, Florida, by car, generally every forty-five to sixty days. On many of these trips, Dorius’ associate would drive a car carrying the marijuana. Dorius would drive ahead in a separate car, acting as a lookout. Once the marijuana arrived in Hillsborough County, it was distributed.

Dorius is the seventh individual in this investigation to plead guilty. Others pleaded guilty to a marijuana distribution conspiracy charge as follows:

• Chad Sunyich pleaded guilty on June 4, 2013.  He was sentenced on August 22, 2013, to five years in federal prison.
• Timothy O’Neal Long pleaded guilty on June 26, 2013.  He was sentenced on September 13, 2013, to three years and one month in federal prison.
• Jason Vowell pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.  He was sentenced on August 19, 2013, to twelve months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit a Piper Aerostar fixed wing aircraft which had been used to smuggle marijuana from St. George, Utah to Tampa, and $166,228 in drug proceeds.
• Jeff Laflamboy pleaded guilty on January 7, 2014.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2014.
• Miryana Calderon Long pleaded guilty on December 3, 2013.  Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2014.
• Lucas Dahlberg pleaded guilty on April 17, 2014.  His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Robert Lamar Starling (29, Lake City) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with producing child pornography. If convicted, Starling faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Starling was arrested on May 1, 2014. He was ordered detained pending a hearing on May 8, 2014 at 2:30 p.m., before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt.   

According to the criminal complaint, beginning in September 2013, FBI agents executed a series of search warrants on several email accounts around the country and determined, among other things, that a particular user in Lake City, Florida had uploaded images of child pornography to the Internet, using an account on a photo sharing site. Further investigation traced the account back to a residence in Lake City, where Starling resided.

On May 1, 2014, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the residence. Starling was not at the residence, but was located later that morning driving his golf cart at the Suwannee Music Park & Campground in Live Oak, Florida.  During an interview at his campsite, Starling stated that he had produced pornographic images of several prepubescent children and that he searches for and downloads child pornography via the Internet. He provided the identities of five prepubescent children with whom he produced child pornography.  Starling estimated that he may have around 7,000 videos and 5,000 still images of child pornography. A preview of Starling’s laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 600 videos depicting child pornography.   

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 until, and unless, proven guilty.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Suwannee 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 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Vinston Boxton-Moises (48, San Andres Island, Colombia, South America) today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.  Boxton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison, up to a maximum term of life imprisonment.

According to the plea agreement, between 2010 and 2013, Boxton was a knowing and willing participant in an ongoing plan to smuggle cocaine by sea. The cocaine was ultimately destined for unlawful importation into the United States. Boxton’s roles in the conspiracy included recruiting and paying mariners and mechanics, contracting for the use of smuggling and lookout/logistics vessels, and dispatching cocaine-laden go-fast vessels (GFVs). 

Boxton is accountable for the GFV TAUPLY that was interdicted by the United States in the Caribbean Sea on May 31, 2012, approximately eighty-five nautical miles southeast of Nicaragua.  The TAUPLY interdiction resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine. Boxton arranged for the recruitment and payment of the mariners who ultimately operated TAUPLY and attempted to smuggle the cocaine. The government of Colombia consented to the enforcement of United States law over the TAUPLY, its illicit cargo (cocaine), and crew. The five mariners embarked in TAUPLY were successfully prosecuted in the United States for violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, first arriving at a place in the Middle District of Florida.

Boxton was arrested on San Andres Island, Colombia in August 2013, and subsequently extradited to the United States for prosecution. As a direct result of his participation in the conspiracy, Boxton obtained at least $1 million in proceeds.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

It was investigated by the Panama Express North Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, comprised of agents and analysts from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition. 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 John E. Steele today sentenced Alan Robert Johnson (35) to 50 years in federal prison and Jennifer A. Sparks (39) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.  They were both ordered to serve a lifetime of supervision, after their release from prison. The court ordered the couple to forfeit numerous cellular phones, several thumb drives, a Micro SD card, a laptop computer, and a Fuji FinePix camera, which were found to contain child pornography.

Sparks pleaded guilty on January 27, 2014, and Johnson pleaded guilty on January 28, 2014.

According to court documents, on or about May 12, 2012, in Lee County, Florida, Johnson and his girlfriend Sparks knowingly used a 4-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. On June 4, 2012, a private citizen turned the cellular telephone that Johnson and Sparks had used to produce the child pornography over to law enforcement. The cellular telephone had been found in a shopping cart at a Walmart in Lee County. Further investigation revealed that Johnson was a registered sex offender. A subsequent search warrant was obtained for his residence, and another cellular phone was located in the couple’s bedroom, containing sexually explicit images of the minor.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes the Cape Coral Police Department, and with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Jeffrey R. Green (50, Cape Coral), the owner of Gulf Coast Medical Pharmacy, and Karen S. Hebble (44, Cape Coral), the manager of this pharmacy, guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of Oxycodone and Alprazolam, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Green was convicted of six counts of money laundering. The jury found Hebble guilty of two counts of money laundering. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of the controlled substances. Both face a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering and each count of money laundering. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Green and Hebble on July 24, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from 2009 through October 6, 2011, Green and Hebble conspired with each other, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute Oxycodone and Alprazolam.  Green and Hebble filled prescriptions that were not issued for legitimate medical purposes and distributed controlled substances without the supervision and control of a licensed pharmacist at Gulf Coast Medical Pharmacy, which Green owned.  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, which includes the Naples Police Department, Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Robert P. Barclift.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Melvin Barber Bridgers, III (34, Tarpon Springs) has been charged in a criminal complaint with production, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the production charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years in prison on each of the receipt and distribution charges. For the possession of child pornography charge, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Bridgers was arrested on May 1, 2014, and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins, in Tampa.  He was detained pending further proceedings.

According to the criminal complaint, between about November 30, 2013, and May 1, 2014, Bridgers used multiple Facebook accounts to pose as a teenage female and befriend other minor females between the ages of 11 and 16. After befriending the minor females, Bridgers would coerce them into sending sexually graphic photographs to him on Facebook. Bridgers would then threaten the minor females with exposing the sexually graphic photos to their parents or to other Internet users, to extort the minor females into sending him additional sexually graphic photographs and videos. He would also instruct the minor females on how to pose sexually in the photographs. Bridgers, who moved to Tarpon Springs from North Carolina in the fall of 2013, came to the attention of law enforcement when a 12-year-old victim in the Houston, Texas area reported the Facebook activity to her mother, who then contacted the authorities.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

According to investigators, a "disturbing trend" is emerging in which child predators are increasingly using the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook to entice children to produce and share sexually explicit material online. During recent operations, HSI and ICAC investigators encountered various child predators chatting online with minors about sexual topics, sending them obscene images, encouraging them to produce nude or sexual photos and videos, and attempting to meet them in person to engage in sexual activity. In some cases, child predators are also sexually extorting, or "sextorting," the minors into producing additional and increasingly graphic images and videos.  HSI is asking that anyone with additional information about potential victims this case come forward by contacting ICE-HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis yesterday sentenced Narada Randolph (32) to 24 years in federal prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Randolph was indicted on June 27, 2012. He pleaded guilty in November 2013.

According to court documents, from late 2007 through the middle of 2011, Randolph forced, by means of physical violence, four women to engage in the commercial sex trafficking industry. In addition, from July 2008 through March 2010, Randolph transported two of these women from Florida to Washington, D.C., Indiana and Georgia, with the intent of forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Malisa Chokshi.

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Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced John Alexander Talley (42, Seattle, Washington) to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. The court also sentenced Talley’s company, Tallyho Peripherals, Inc. d/b/a Enterprise Solutions Systems, to one year of probation.

Talley and Tallyho pleaded guilty on September 18, 2013. 

According to court documents, from about 2009 to about September 2012, Talley and his company conspired with others, including Mohammed Reza “Ray” Hajian, to unlawfully export sophisticated enterprise level computer equipment from the United States to Iran, and to provide computer information technology (IT) support services for the equipment, all in violation of the United States embargo. Talley’s role was to provide training and computer IT support to ensure that the computer equipment operated in Iran.  In an effort to conceal their activities, the conspirators in the United States caused shipments of the computers and related equipment, as well as the payments for same, to travel to and from the United States and Iran through the United Arab Emirates.  Similarly, payments for Talley’s support services were wired through the UAE.

On July 11, 2012, Hajian and three of his companies, RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC, pleaded guilty to charges involving the same conspiracy to violate the Iranian Embargo. Hajian and his companies also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. On October 18, 2012, Hajian was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

On September 12, 2013, two Iranian nationals, Mahmood Akbari, a/k/a John Wasserman and Reza Hajigholamali, and three UAE front companies, Patco Group Ltd., Managed Systems and Services (FZC), and TGO General Trading LLC, were indicted in connection with the same conspiracy. Charges against those parties included a conspiracy to violate the International Economic Powers Act, and a conspiracy to commit international money laundering. According to the superseding indictment in that case, Hajian was selling the sophisticated computer equipment and services at issue to Akbari.

If convicted, Akbari and Hajigholamali face a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison.

On April 24, 2014, Michael J. Dragoni (48, Riverview, FL), and two companies controlled by him, Fortis Data Systems, LLC (“FDS”) and Greencloud LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Dragoni faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

According to plea agreements filed in the case, from about August 2009 through at least August 2011, Dragoni, along with Randy Dale Barber, using Dragoni’s companies FDS and Greencloud, conspired to defraud Hitachi Data Systems (“HDS”) by making materially false statements to HDS in order to purchase computer equipment for resale to Hajian, who in turn resold the equipment to his client, Akbari, and UAE company Patco.  By late 2009, Dragoni, Barber and Hajian knew that HDS refused to sell computer equipment to Hajian, and his customers Akbari and Patco, because HDS believed that the equipment was being diverted to unauthorized end users. In order to deceive HDS and purchase the computer equipment, Dragoni and Barber made false statements regarding the purchaser, end user, and location of installation of the equipment that they were purchasing, including by using front companies to make equipment purchases on their behalf. Dragoni and the conspirators then caused the equipment to be shipped to Dubai.

On February 28, 2014, Barber also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with making false statements to HDS. Barber is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2014, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

“Engaging in a conspiracy to export sensitive United States technologies to prohibited countries like Iran is a serious crime that threatens our national security,” said Shane Folden, acting special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “HSI is committed to investigating those who seek to steal our country’s critical technology and to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these illicit procurement networks.”

"Protecting our national security is a top priority of the Office of Export Enforcement," said Robert Luzzi, Special Agent In-Charge of the of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement Miami Field Office.  "Today's sentencing proves that those who conspire to violate U.S. export controls by illegally diverting sensitive technology anywhere in the world will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini and Trial Attorney Mariclaire Rourke of the Counterespionage Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Robert L. Wimbush to 3 years and 9 months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Wimbush to forfeit $9,530 which is traceable to proceeds of the offense.  Wimbush pleaded guilty on January 21, 2014.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at sentencing, Wimbush used prepaid debit cards issued in the names of other individuals to make cash withdrawals from ATMs in the Tampa area. The withdrawn funds were largely the result of refunds from fraudulently-filed federal income tax returns that had been deposited onto the cards. For example, on October 31, 2012, Wimbush drove to an ATM at a credit union in Tampa, used a prepaid debit card issued in the name of another individual (“W.G.”), and withdrew $490 from the ATM. W.G. was a victim of identity theft and was not aware that a debit card had been obtained in her name.  She had not authorized Wimbush or anyone else to obtain a debit card in her name. Between June 30, 2012 and December 10, 2012, more than $6,300 was withdrawn from the account associated with that card.

Wimbush received the fraudulent debit cards from Brian E. Simmons and Wimbush’s aunt, Tressa V. Guy.  Simmons and Guy were charged in a related case. On February 27, 2014, U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington sentenced the pair for their involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme. Simmons was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison.  Guy was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison. Wimbush’s sister, Ashley Guy, previously pleaded guilty in a separate stolen identity refund fraud case.  She was sentenced last week to 7 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Demis Ulises Mokay-Fong (31, Orlando) to 19 and one-half years in federal prison for drug trafficking charges and illegally re-entering the United States after deportation. Mokay-Fong pleaded guilty to the offenses on November 21, 2013.

On December 18, 2013, Carlos Armando Castro-Medina (40, Orlando) was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Another co-conspirator, Irvin Gutierrez (26, Orlando), was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment on February 25, 2014. Jesus Emmanuel Corrales (34, Las Vegas, Nevada), was also sentenced to 3 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. 

According to court documents, Mokay-Fong and his co-conspirators distributed twelve pounds of methamphetamine (“Ice”), over 11,000 pounds of marijuana using tractor trailers, and kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were obtained through Mokay-Fong, who acted as the Sinaloa Cartel’s contact for the supply of the narcotics that were transported from Mexico, through the Southwestern United States, into Central Florida. The investigation revealed conversations between the conspirators discussing the cartel’s use of hit men and kidnappings of family members to help collect drug debts incurred by others during the course of the conspiracy, as well as the cartel’s attempts to lure debtors to Mexico to face the cartel. In addition to their activity in Central Florida, Mokay-Fong and Gutierrez traveled to Philadelphia for the cartel, and stole a tractor trailer containing 8,000 pounds of marijuana that had been inadvertently delivered to the wrong truck depot.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Upper Allen Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found James Fidel Sotolongo (48, Port Orange) guilty of one count of conspiracy and eleven counts of bank fraud. The jury found Stephanie Musselwhite (52, Daytona), a title agent in Orlando, guilty of one count of conspiracy, nine counts of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.  Realtor Ramara Garrett (35, Port Orange) was acquitted of conspiracy and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.  Sotolongo and Musselwhite each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment on each of the remaining counts. In addition, both face fines of $250,000 and a five-year term of supervision.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014.

Sotolongo and Musselwhite were indicted on April 24, 2013.

According to testimony and exhibits presented at trial, Sotolongo and Musselwhite were part of a scheme that recruited straw buyers with high credit scores to apply for and obtain 11 mortgages (first and second mortgages were obtained) totaling approximately $10 million.  The purpose of the scheme was to obtain the properties with no money down and no money at closings, rent the properties, and then sell the properties for a profit. To carry out the plan, Sotolongo enlisted the straw buyers and told them that they did not need to bring a deposit or cash to the closing, and that they only needed to be involved in the loan application process.  The straw buyers testified that the loan applications submitted in their names contained false information, including the use of the property as a primary residence, their income, their assets, and their liabilities.  For example, the monthly income was stated as being $35,000 to $48,000, when the straw buyers’ monthly income ranged from $3,000 to $10,000. Other false information included grossly inflated checking and savings account balances. 

  Mortgage broker Christopher Mencis (53, North Carolina) previously pleaded guilty for his involvement in this case.  According to his plea agreement, he prepared the loan applications and submitted them through his brokerage company, Real Estate Mortgage Professionals (REMP).  REMP has since gone out of business. Mencis also used a former bank branch manager at SunTrust bank, at the direction of Sotolongo, to falsely verify the incomes and assets for the straw buyers. The loan applications were sent off to several lenders, all of whom testified that they would not have funded the loans had they known that the information contained in the loan applications was false and grossly inflated.

After the loans were approved, the title agent prepared settlement statements listing closing costs and payments to a company called American Signature Homes, which was partly owned by Sotolongo. Musselwhite, who owned Orlando Title and Abstract of Florida, Inc., would wire lender money to American Signature Homes, and Sotolongo would use a portion of the lender money to finance the deposit and closing costs that Musselwhite would collect after the closings. The banks did not know that they were actually funding 100% of the loans on the multi-million dollar homes.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Financial Services, and the City of Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Davis Wilson and Shawn P. Napier.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced eight individuals in a cocaine trafficking investigation, dubbed Operation Sooner or Later, which has spanned more than three years. In the latest round of prosecutions, Chief Judge Conway sentenced Rodrigo Cantu Morales, Carlos Uriostegui-Nunez, Mario Ginorio, and Willie Brooks, IV to 10 years’ imprisonment; Monte Washington to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison; Isaias Ochoa to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison; Deonte Dallas to 5 years’ imprisonment, and David Ruvio, III to 3 years in federal prison.  These individuals were sentenced for their respective roles in an international cocaine conspiracy that spanned from Mexico, McAllen and Mission, Texas, and into Ocala and Jacksonville, Florida.

According to court records and trial testimony, these drug trafficking groups were based in Guerrero and Tamaulipas, Mexico.  From early 2007 until late 2011, they were responsible for importing several hundred kilograms of cocaine into the Ocala area.  During the investigation, Jesus Lozano Alvarez and Rodrigo Cantu Morales were identified as working with a Mexican cocaine source of supply known as “El Nino” in Tamaulipas, Mexico.  They shipped loads of cocaine via transport vehicles and couriers from south Texas to the Ocala area. When the loads of cocaine reached Ocala, Carlos Uriostegui-Nunez, Jesus Lozano Alvarez, Mario Ginorio, and Tavaries Norris worked together to redistribute the cocaine to other large scale dealers in the Middle District of Florida and South Carolina.  The cocaine was re-sold to other kilogram level dealers, a portion of which was converted into crack cocaine and sold on the streets of Marion County. 

As a result of this multi-year investigation, 55 individuals were indicted in the Ocala and Jacksonville Divisions of the Middle District of Florida.  Forty-nine of the individuals were arrested and have pleaded guilty, or were convicted at trial. One individual is deceased, and five remain at-large. During this investigation, the United States seized $1.1 million in United States currency, more than $900,000 worth of real property, vehicles valued at more than $220,000, and 50 firearms.

These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Gainesville Resident Office and Jacksonville District Office. They are the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.

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Orlando, FL – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell yesterday sentenced Dale Matthews Clar (47, Apopka) to 30 years and one month in federal prison for two counts of bank robbery with assault, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  The court also ordered Clar to serve a two-year term of supervision, following his prison sentence, and to forfeit a 9mm Glock pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition, which were used in the commission of the crimes.

A federal jury found Clar guilty on February 6, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 4, 2013, April 3, 2013, and September 6, 2013, Clar robbed the Chase Bank in Apopka, at gunpoint.  He stole a total of approximately $18,000 in the three robberies.  During each robbery, Clar rushed into the bank wearing a full ski mask.  He pointed his gun at bank employees and customers, demanding cash from the tellers.  When Clar fled the bank, he covered his license plate to avoid being caught. 

On September 6, 2013, Clar covered his license plate with a temporary registration tag associated with his car.  He also attempted to further avoid suspicion by placing a Domino’s Pizza delivery sign on the top of his car.  Police located Clar and arrested him near his home.  A subsequent search of Clar’s car revealed Clar’s disguise, a Glock 9mm handgun, and thousands of dollars in cash that he had just stolen from the bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

Orlando, Florida –Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Benjamin William Mejias (43, Orlando) to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for impersonating a DEA agent. The court also ordered Mejias to forfeit a Glock .40 caliber pistol and ammunition that he possessed.  Mejias pleaded guilty on February 12, 2014.

According to court documents, Mejias appeared at nightclubs in Orlando dressed in clothes that identified him as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Mejias wore authentic-looking DEA badges, carried a firearm and reportedly told several people that he was a DEA agent. He also posted photos of himself on social media websites wearing DEA paraphernalia, and a firearm. In September 2013, local police officers conducted a traffic stop on Mejias and he displayed a fake DEA badge and credentials to get out of the ticket. During a later search of Mejias’s residence, agents found a loaded semi-automatic firearm.

Mejias was convicted of three separate felony burglaries in 1994, 1995, and 1996, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan sentenced Daniel Richard Bakaley (23, Middleburg) to 33 months in federal prison for possessing images and videos of child pornography.  Bakaley was also sentenced to a 10-year term of supervision and to register as a sex offender, following his incarceration. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit certain computer equipment traceable to the offense.

Bakaley pleaded guilty on October 17, 2013. 

According to court documents, an undercover agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) determined that a particular computer was hosting images of child pornography using an Internet file sharing service. Further investigation traced the Internet Protocol (IP) address used by that computer back to Bakaley’s residence in Middleburg. A subsequent federal search warrant was executed at this residence. During an interview, Bakaley told agents about printed hard copy photos of child pornography hidden in a video game box in his bedroom that he had previously “found” in the printer connected to his desktop computer. The agents seized five computers and 22 printed images of child pornography from Bakaley’s residence. Subsequent forensic analysis revealed that three of the computers contained a total of 312 videos and 93 images depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Jorge Luis Alomar-Baello (43, Orlando) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to import heroin. Judge Antoon previously sentenced Alomar’s co-defendant, Carla Michelle Alvarado (34, Kissimmee), to serve 2 years in prison. As part of their sentences, the court also entered a money judgment against each, in the amount of $10,000, the proceeds of the heroin that they smuggled into the country. Alomar pleaded guilty on December 19, 2013 and Alvarado pleaded guilty on January 3, 2014.

According to court documents, Alomar paid Alvarado, a Jet Blue flight attendant, $10,000 to smuggle heroin, on Jet Blue flights, from Cali, Colombia. In September 2013, Alvarado was given a body suit containing one kilogram of heroin. She wore the suit under her uniform on a flight from Cali to Orlando. When Alvarado arrived in Orlando, she delivered the heroin to Alomar. Alomar then sold it to his customers on the streets.

Two weeks later, on September 27, 2013, after landing on a flight from Bogota, Alvarado was selected for inspection by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The officers discovered the heroin hidden inside the body suit that Alvarado was wearing underneath her uniform. Agents identified Alomar as the intended recipient of the heroin. The next day, agents arranged a meeting with Alomar, who was arrested after taking possession of a bag he believed to contain the heroin.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S Ambrose.

Orlando, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Dewarren Antoine Lewis, a/k/a “Fella,” (28, Orlando) to 35 years in federal prison for two counts of bank robbery with assault, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Lewis to serve a 3-year term of supervision, following his prison sentence, and to forfeit a Jimenez Arms .380 pistol and six rounds of ammunition, which were used in the commission of the crimes. A federal jury found Lewis guilty on January 14, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 9, 2013, Lewis robbed the Wells Fargo Bank in Orlando, at gunpoint, before fleeing with over $9,000.  On March 20, 2013, Lewis robbed the Regions Bank in Orlando. As he did in the Wells Fargo robbery, Lewis rushed into the bank, covered from head to toe, wearing a stocking over his face. He then pointed his gun at bank employees, forced his way behind the teller line, and filled his bag with the bank’s money.  After fleeing the bank, a witness saw Lewis take off his disguise and drive away from the scene. Lewis then led police on a high speed chase through the streets of Orlando, before bailing out of his car and running away on foot. When Orange County Deputy Sheriffs finally apprehended him, Lewis was carrying a bag filled with over $23,000 that he’d just stolen from the Regions Bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that on April 23, 2014, a federal Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Xavier Francisco Villanueva, a/k/a “X,” Keith E. Romby II, a/k/a “P” and “PJ,” Jose Carmona, a/k/a “Hood,” and Ashley Nicole Barnett, a/k/a “Snow,” with the sex trafficking of a minor. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life in prison.

The indictment alleges that from on or about January 17, 2013, to on or about January 25, 2013, the above-named individuals conspired to engage a minor in a commercial sex act, and aided and abetted each other to engage a minor in a commercial sex act. According to court records, Villanueva and Barnett were part of the “Blood” street gang and gave the minor drugs, and used threats of violence, to coerce the minor into prostitution for their own financial gain and benefit. On January 25, 2013, the minor was able to escape and was rescued by a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with the assistance of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen Gable and 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 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Clive S. Nelson (23, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking. Nelson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Nelson enticed and recruited a 15-year-old female to engage in commercial sex acts for him. Nelson advised the child that she could earn up to $600 per day working for him, if she would permit him to advertise her on the Internet. Nelson then took photos of the child wearing lingerie and posing provocatively. He used these photos to compile advertisements for sex with the child on various Internet advertising sites. Nelson also rented local hotel rooms in Jacksonville and transported the child to these hotels. She engaged in commercial sex acts, at the hotels, with customers who responded to the ads and were willing to pay money to have sex with the child. When potential customers arrived to have sex with the child, Nelson would engage in surveillance from the hotel parking lot, to ensure that the offenders were not the police. Once the offender and the child completed the commercial sex act, Nelson would collect the money from the child. 

Nelson prostituted the child in this fashion from November 29, 2013 through December 15, 2013, when police officers from a specialized patrol unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office located Nelson and the child in a hotel parking lot.   

This case was investigated by a joint task force of investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Damion Rashaad Carder (36, Cocoa) to 3 years in federal prison for violating his supervised release. Carder was under supervision of the court as a result of a cocaine conviction in 2006. Carder was found guilty of violating his supervised release on March 11, 2014. On April 17, 2014, U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced Carder in another federal drug case.  He was sentenced to 18 years and 9 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. Judge Antoon ordered that the 3-year sentence be served consecutive to the 18-year sentence.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Carder was on supervised release as a result of his 2006 conviction in federal court for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Despite being under supervision, Carder sold heroin from his home, which was approximately one block away from the Joe Lee Smith Park and Recreation Center, which has a children’s playground, baseball field, basketball court, gymnasium, and community center. Carder would deal heroin when the Center was open. After thinking he was going to be arrested by law enforcement, Carder placed two firearms and ammunition in a car with two children, approximately 8 and 10 years old, and told the driver to leave the area.  Law enforcement stopped the driver and recovered the firearms shortly before arresting Carder with more than 200 grams of heroin.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent A. Citro.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Bernadette Demps today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.  She faces a mandatory minimum of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, in 2011, Demps received more than $43,000 in income tax refund checks into a business bank account which she controlled. All of these deposits were in the names of other individuals. The direct deposits were all the result of fraudulent tax returns, which had been filed a short time earlier with the IRS, using the names and personal identification information related to those persons. Demps withdrew the funds from her account almost immediately, either via ATM cash withdrawals or other means.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Tiki Simone Dennis to six years and two months in federal prison for tax fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The court also ordered Dennis to pay $222,767.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $222,767.00, which constitutes the proceeds from the tax fraud.  Dennis pleaded guilty on January13, 2014.

According to court documents, from an unknown date prior to January 6, 2011, through and including May 18, 2011, Dennis used stolen identities to electronically file more than 116 fraudulent federal income tax returns in order to obtain refunds to which she was not entitled.  The value of the refunds that would have resulted from 116 of the returns fraudulently filed by Dennis totaled approximately $364,113.  Although some of these returns were rejected by the IRS, 67 of them were accepted.  The IRS paid out approximately $176,984 in tax refunds to debit cards under Dennis’s control.  In addition, Dennis provided information to a co-conspirator who filed an additional 36 2010 tax returns requesting approximately $65,659.  IRS accepted 25 of these returns and paid out $45,783 in tax refunds to debit cards under the control of Dennis. Altogether, the total number of fraudulent 2010 federal income tax returns that Dennis is responsible for filing or having filed is more than 152, requesting at least $429,772 in refunds.  The total amount paid out on those requests to debit cards controlled by Dennis was at least $222,767.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Senior Litigation Counsel, Donald L. Hansen.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Martin E. Lyons (46, St. Petersburg) to 15 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Lyons pleaded guilty on December 12, 2013.

According to court documents, Lyons has multiple prior felony convictions for armed robbery and burglary. In July 2013, he sold Hydrocodone and crack cocaine to an undercover St. Petersburg Police Department detective, on multiple occasions. After advising the undercover detective that he could procure additional narcotics and firearms, Lyons sold him a loaded handgun and prescription pills. As a previously convicted felon, Lyons was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

It 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 Julie Leon, 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 and improve the quality of life in communities where law enforcement efforts are focused.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Michael J. Charniak (50, Seminole) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for transporting and receiving child pornography over the Internet. Charniak was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, following his incarceration, and to register as a sex offender.  The sentence was imposed consecutive to the 15-year sentence Charniak is currently serving in the Florida Department of Corrections for a 2009 sexual battery conviction. Charniak pleaded guilty to the federal offense on January 23, 2014. 

According to court documents, Charniak traded numerous videos and images of child pornography from multiple email addresses between 2002 and 2009. In October 2009, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Charniak’s residence.  During an interview, he confessed to downloading and transporting child pornography. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It is another 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Alan Gregory Ender (58, Melbourne) to 50 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography.  He was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and ordered to comply with Sex Offender Registration and Notification.  He pleaded guilty to the charges on November 14, 2013.

According to court documents, this investigation began when an Internet website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was engaged in downloading child pornography.  Law enforcement determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Ender.  Ender admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography for a period of two to three years.  He also admitted to producing child pornography.  In order to produce the child pornography, Ender lured two six-year old neighborhood girls to his home with candy.  He then took explicit photographs of the girls on his bed. 

Following the execution of a search warrant, Ender’s computers and cameras were seized and searched.  A forensic examination of the computer revealed 151 image files and 1 movie file depicting pornographic images of the two young girls, which Ender produced using his cameras.  The forensic examination further revealed an additional 477 movie files and 102 image files of child pornography.  

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Orlando Regional Operations Center.  It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Corey A. Coley, Sr. to seven years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Coley was a Probation Officer for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.  As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $671,022.99, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Coley pleaded guilty on January 15, 2014.

Coley’s co-conspirators, Albert E. Moore, Jr., Tigi Moore, and Mattie Philon previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case.  Albert Moore, Jr. was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. Tigi Moore, who worked as a data integrity specialist at Tampa General Hospital, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.  Philon was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for her part in the scheme.

According to court documents, the co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the government by submitting fraudulent tax returns and then using the resulting tax refunds for their own benefit and the benefit of others.  Coley obtained identities used in the scheme from the information in the records of his former employer, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.  Tigi Moore also obtained identities used in the scheme from the information in the records of her former employer, Tampa General Hospital.  In total, the conspirators received $671,022.99 of fraudulently obtained tax refunds and filed fraudulent returns requesting more than $1.8 million of tax refunds.

"Mr. Coley misused his position as a Juvenile Probation Officer to steal identities of people.  These stolen identities were then used to file false tax returns in their names.  Coley's brazen abuse of trust is reprehensible and inexcusable," said James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  "Coley's sentence today to 87 months in federal prison holds Mr. Coley accountable for his criminal actions.  Individuals such as Albert Moore, Tigi Moore and Mattie Philon who commit identity theft and refund fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.  IRS-Criminal Investigation and its partners in the Tampa Bay Alliance, will continue to investigate those individuals is perpetrate this criminal conduct."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Charles Keith Rolfe (60, Heyburn, Idaho) with distribution of child pornography.  If convicted, Rolfe faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  The indictment also notifies Rolfe that the United States intends to forfeit two cells phones which are alleged to have been used in the commission of his crimes. 

According to the indictment and criminal complaint, in the summer of 2013, Rolfe began an online correspondence with an Orlando man.  The two men discussed their mutual interest in child pornography and began trading images of child pornography via their cell phones.  In October 2013, federal agents arrested the Orlando man for production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography, and took over the man’s online identities.  In January 2014, posing as the Orlando man, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations began communicating with Rolfe via a Mobile Messaging Application (MMA).  On February 28, 2014, as charged in the indictment, Rolfe sent an undercover agent images of child pornography through the MMA.  Rolfe also wrote to the undercover agents about attempting to molest a young child.  On April 2, 2014, federal agents arrested Rolfe in Idaho and transported him to the Middle District of Florida.   

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

This case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

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 (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 – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and unsealing of a fifteen-count indictment charging Roeshell Denise Williams, Sheree Peterson, and Yajaira Crespo, all of Clewiston, Florida, with conspiracy to make false claims to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for payment, and to embezzle and steal government funds. In addition, all three are charged with theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. Specifically, Williams is charged with one count of conspiracy and four counts of theft of government funds. Peterson is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of theft of government funds and six counts of aggravated identity theft, and Crespo is charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts of theft of government funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the theft of government funds counts. They also face 2 years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charges, to be served consecutive to the other sentences imposed. The indictment also notifies Williams, Peterson and Crespo that the United States intends to forfeit any assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.  

According to the indictment, between January 2012 and September 2012, Williams, Peterson and Crespo allegedly conspired with each other, and others, to file fraudulent tax returns in the names of individuals who did not authorize Williams, Peterson or Crespo to do so. The refunds from the fraudulent tax returns were then deposited into bank accounts controlled by Williams, Peterson or Crespo. The three then converted the funds for their personal use. 

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

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Kenneth Dempsey (52, Port Richey) has been charged in a criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Dempsey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Dempsey was arrested on April 21, 2014 and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo. A bond hearing is scheduled for April 24, 2014, at 2:00 p.m.

According to the criminal complaint, between August 2013 and April 2014, Dempsey used the Internet to send and receive multiple images of child pornography from his residence.

A criminal complaint is merely an informal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the 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 Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that five individuals pleaded guilty today to theft from an employee benefit plan. James McCall (32, Orange City), Ian Chase Dove (26, Orange City), Jason Wesson (37, Deltona), Michael Giesinger (36, Deltona), and Shane Riley (31, Deland) each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for July 16, 2014.

According to court documents, Angela Deleon worked at Advance Administration, Inc. (AAI), which was the third-party administrator of an employee benefit plan for the Ironworkers Local 808. As the third-party administrator for the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund, AAI was responsible for processing members’ payment applications, paying the Fund’s bills, and speaking with union members. Deleon’s duties at AAI included data entry and the processing of payments.

  Over a period of about fourteen months, Deleon wrote forty-six checks from the Fund, totaling over $427,000, to individuals who were not members of the Local 808 or participants in the Fund, including McCall, Dove, Wesson, Giesinger, and Riley.  All five cashed the checks provided to them by Deleon and, in most cases, split the stolen proceeds with Deleon. 

Deleon was previously sentenced to two years in federal prison for her participation in these crimes, ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund, and sentenced to a one-year term of supervision, following her incarceration. The restitution amount includes more than $427,000 that Deleon stole from the Fund, plus the amounts spent by the Fund to audit and reconstruct the records that were impacted by the scheme.

Four other individuals have been charged by indictment with conspiracy and theft from an employee benefit plan. Three of those individuals, Brandon Alfonso (28, Orange City), Marta Blackmer (70, Orange City), and Phillip Simmons (50, Orange City), are scheduled to begin trial in June 2014. Another, Jason Ferrari (33, Orange City), has not yet been arrested. If convicted, these defendants face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count.

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

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Ashley C. Guy (30) to 7 years in federal prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also entered a money judgment against Guy in the amount of $309,895, the proceeds of the wire fraud and identity theft scheme. Guy pleaded guilty to the offenses on January 27, 2014.    

According to court documents, Ashley C. Guy, a/k/a “Ashley C. Gay,” devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the United States out of tax refunds by using stolen identities to electronically file false federal income tax returns. During the execution of a search warrant at Guy’s residence, federal agents uncovered lists containing more than 200 names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, as well as at least 15 prepaid debit cards in the names of others. The search also revealed documents containing information on the filing of false tax returns, $1,500 in U.S. currency in a small safe located in the living room, and $642 in U.S. currency seized from a purse in Guy’s master bedroom. In addition, agents found a trash can on the back porch of the residence that had been used for burning documents related to the fraud. From the trash can, agents were able to recover a list of personal identifying information that had not been completely burned.

Between January 2012 and April 2013, approximately 100 false federal income tax returns were filed from Guy’s house, claiming $560,713 in tax refunds. Another 112 false returns, claiming $801,011 in refunds, were filed from different locations, but were linked to Guy based upon the stolen identities and prepaid debit cards found in her house. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was able to stop many of these fraudulent refund claims. Out of the total 212 returns claiming roughly $1,361,724 in refunds, the IRS was ultimately defrauded into paying $309,895.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that North Port residents James Dee Jaeger (62) and Lora Anne Jaeger (50) each pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of filing a false claim for tax refund. Each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2009, James Dee Jaeger and Lora Anne Jaeger electronically filed a joint federal income tax return with the IRS falsely claiming a refund in the amount of $344,672. The false refund amount was based on a bogus theory that the U.S. banking system maintains “Remic Trust” accounts for U.S. citizens and that taxpayers can gain access to the accounts by issuing 1099-OID forms to the IRS. Under this theory, the taxpayer first files a false Form 1099 Original Issue Discount (OID), to justify a false refund claim on a corresponding tax return. In this case, the IRS did not issue the fraudulent tax refund claimed by the Jaegers. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Lombardi of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Marikevies McNichols (29, Naples) to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for an armed bank robbery of the Florida Community Bank located at 5240 Golden Gate Parkway, in Naples, Florida, on November 28, 2012. McNichols’ co-defendant, Doodley Nazaire (24), also of Naples, received an identical sentence on September 30, 2013. Nazaire was arrested on November 29, 2012. McNichols was subsequently arrested on June 12, 2013. 
Both men were originally indicted on January 23, 2013. Nazaire pleaded guilty to the offense in June 2013. McNichols pleaded guilty on January 8, 2014.

According to court documents, on November 28, 2012, at approximately 7:54 AM, McNichols and Nazaire robbed the Florida Community Bank on Golden Gate Parkway, as the bank was preparing to open. Nazaire and McNichols forced their way into the bank and held two bank employees at gunpoint, while they robbed the bank. Nazaire and McNichols ordered the bank employees to give them money from different locations within the bank, while Nazaire kept the employees at gunpoint. After the money was gathered, as directed by McNichols and Nazaire, the employees were ordered into an office and directed to lie on the floor. McNichols and Nazaire fled the bank with a sum of money, attempted to bury the money nearby, and continued their flight. Law enforcement later located and recovered the majority of the money, where it had been partially buried. 

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found Linell Devon Lowe (22) and Latavis Deyonta Mackroy (20) guilty of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and the brandishing of a firearm during the commission of the robbery.  Both men face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the robbery, plus a mandatory minimum, consecutive sentence of 7 years, up to life in prison, on the firearm offense. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014. 

Lowe and Mackroy were indicted on December 11, 2013.  A third person, who acted as lookout during the robbery, pleaded guilty on February 24, 2014.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on May 23, 2013, Lowe and Mackroy, armed with a firearm and a hammer, robbed the Value Pawn and Jewelry located at 2200 E. Semoran Boulevard, in Apopka, Florida. During the course of the robbery, they made death threats and intimidated two employees and a customer.  Mackroy repeatedly hit a customer with a hammer, and then stole approximately 100 pieces of gold and diamond jewelry, while Lowe pointed a gun at the manager, and stole the cash from the registers.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department, with assistance from both the Winter Garden Police and Orlando Police Departments.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alper Erdogan (35, a Turkish citizen residing in Baku, Azerbaijan) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Erdogan faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Erdogan was originally indicted in September 2012.

According to the plea agreement, in September 2010, the United States Secret Service (USSS) learned that the computer servers of a hotel in San Diego, California had been hacked and that malicious software had stored credit card magnetic track data, which was then remotely accessed and eventually used at retail stores throughout the United States. In a series of prosecutions related to United States v. Chad Warner, et al., the government prosecuted and secured convictions against 17 individuals who used the stolen credit card numbers in the United States.

As the investigation progressed, agents learned that the conspirators in the United States purchased the stolen credit card account numbers from Erdogan, who was then located in Azerbaijan, and made in excess of $1.2 million in fraudulent credit card charges in about nine months, between June 2010 and the execution of federal search warrants in March 2011. During the course of the charged conspiracies, Erdogan provided individuals throughout the United States with thousands of stolen and hacked credit card numbers and the personal information of Americans. In doing so, Erdogan entered into a conspiracy with hackers located in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Erdogan perpetrated his offenses and communicated with his conspirators solely over the Internet, acting as a broker and providing the stolen and hacked information to individuals in the United States for the purpose of allowing them to commit fraud.

In February 2014, Erdogan was extradited from the Republic of Georgia, where he had travelled from Azerbaijan, to the United States to face the charges alleged in this case.

Dennis Ramos Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Orlando Field Office stated, “The Secret Service is committed to pursuing cybercrime cases.  There is no doubt that our economic vitality and national security depend on cyber security.  We are committed to these interests and will pursue cyber criminals regardless of where they may be physically located on the globe.” 

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging six individuals with conspiracy to defraud the government. Laura Wright (70, Lecanto), Tiffani Manning (30, Jacksonville), Silvester Bowens (48, Jacksonville), Christopher Wyant (38, Morristown, TN), and Tabatha Dubois (33, Morristown, TN) were all arrested on April 15, 2014. Chad R. Heins was arrested this morning. Heins, Manning, Bowens and Dubois also face charges of theft of public money and aiding and abetting the theft of public money. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The theft of public money counts each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, as well.            

According to the indictment, the above named individuals agreed, combined and conspired with each other and inmates Ronald Rodgers, a/k/a “Ronnie” and “Arthur Pellerin,” John Wright and others to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by obtaining and attempting to obtain the payment of false federal income tax refunds. The amounts claimed on the federal income tax returns included expected income tax refunds ranging between $5,762 and $24,794. It was part of the conspiracy that inmate Ronald Rodgers and other persons would cause the IRS to send fraudulently obtained income tax refunds via direct deposit, into several accounts opened and controlled by some of the conspirators, including Heins, Manning, Bowens and Dubois. The intended losses totaled approximately $6.8 million.  
 

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

The case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections.  Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase is handling the prosecution of this case.

Click HERE for indictment.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alejandro Matos (43, Riverview) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire, mail, and bank fraud. Matos faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Matos worked as a mortgage broker and loan processor for a company in Tampa, Florida. In that capacity, he assisted in the preparation of loan documents and documentation to various mortgage lenders on behalf of clients. In October 2007, Matos assisted two clients in purchasing a residence at 2304 West Flora Street, Tampa, Florida. Matos assisted in the preparation and submission of a Uniform Residential Loan Application in aid of that purchase, which contained numerous false and fraudulent representations related to the purchaser’s place of employment and income. Matos submitted those statements to HSBC Mortgage Corporation in connection with that mortgage application.

In November, 2007, a Uniform Residential Loan Application was submitted to Washington Mutual Bank, N.A. (“WAMU) in support of an application by the same client, who was seeking to obtain financing for the purchase of a condominium unit at the Arbors, in Carrollwood. In support of that application, a number of false and fraudulent representations were made to the lender. At or about the same time, Matos also aided in the submission of other false or fraudulent documents to WAMU, in support of an application by another company client to purchase another condominium unit at the Arbors.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that following a 14-day trial, a federal jury yesterday found Ronald John Heromin (58, Brandon) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and dispense Oxycodone and Alprazolam, not for legitimate medical purposes, and not in the usual course of professional practice. Heromin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, the forfeiture of his Florida Medical License, his DEA Registration and money seized during the investigation. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 24, 2014.

Heromin was indicted on October 26, 2011.

According to evidence presented at trial, from late 2009 through October of 2011, Heromin was the prescribing physician at several pain management clinics in the Tampa Bay and Miami areas, including Gulfshore Pain Management on Habana Avenue, the Tampa Bay Medical Center on Himes Avenue, and the Tampa Bay Wellness Centre on Martin Luther King Boulevard, in Tampa; the Hope for Life Wellness Center in Miami, and the St. Mary’s Medical Institute in Hialeah, Florida. During that time, Heromin issued thousands of prescriptions for very large doses of Oxycontin, Oxycodone and Alprazolam, to drug addicts and members of doctor shopping organizations who often traveled hundreds of miles from as far away as Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee to obtain the prescriptions. Over 500,000 Oxycodone pills and 230,000 Alprazolam pills, prescribed by Heromin during that time, were filled at a single pharmacy (“VIP Pharmacy”) on Martin Luther King Boulevard, in Tampa. Owners and operators of the Tampa Bay Wellness Centre and the VIP Pharmacy have previously been convicted of federal conspiracy and money laundering charges.  

This case was investigated by a Joint Task Force, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Franklin County Sherriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathy J.M. Peluso.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Quem Stephen Clive Dixon (24, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement to a firearms dealer, three counts of transferring a firearm across state lines, and one count of selling a firearm to a convicted felon. Dixon faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment on each false statement count, 5 years in prison on each count of transferring a firearm to a nonresident, and 10 years’ imprisonment on the single count of selling a firearm to a convicted felon.

Dixon was indicted on February 5, 2014.

According to court documents, Dixon purchased firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) between the dates of October 18, 2012 and November 1, 2013.  During these purchases, Dixon lied on multiple Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forms (ATF Form 4473) so that he could obtain firearms for a convicted felon residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands, whom had recently been released from jail following a manslaughter conviction. Dixon mailed these firearms from Orlando to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Orlando, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Virgin Islands Police Department and Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher LaForgia.
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 Julie Leon, 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 and improve the quality of life in communities where law enforcement efforts are focused.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell yesterday sentenced Damion Rashaad Carder (36, Cocoa) to 18 years and 9 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. The court also ordered Carder to abandon any interest he had in firearms and ammunition recovered when he was arrested.

Carder pleaded guilty on December 20, 2013.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Carder was on supervised release as a result of his 2006 conviction in federal court for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Despite being under supervision, Carder sold heroin from his home, which was approximately one block away from the Joe Lee Smith Park and Recreation Center, and has a children’s playground, baseball field, basketball court, gymnasium, and community center on the property. Carder would deal heroin when the Center was open. After thinking that he was going to be arrested, Carder placed two firearms and ammunition in a car with two children, approximately 8 and 10 years old, and told the driver to leave the area. Law enforcement stopped the driver and recovered the firearms shortly before arresting Carder, with more than 200 grams of heroin.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent A. Citro.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced Steven George Higbee (52, Debary) yesterday to 7 ½ years in federal prison for firearm and drug offenses, including possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence protection order, attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Higbee pleaded guilty on January 24, 2014.

According to court documents, on September 6, 2013 and September 12, 2013, in a store parking lot in Seminole County, Higbee possessed and sold a total of four firearms to another individual. Higbee also told this individual that he was interested in trading firearms for cocaine. On October 1, 2013, Higbee met this same individual a third time and gave him four firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, in exchange for approximately four ounces of cocaine. Shortly after receiving the cocaine, Higbee was arrested and the cocaine and firearms were recovered. During an interview following his arrest, Higbee admitted to law enforcement that he intended to sell the cocaine to individuals in Pennsylvania and New York.
At the time of these offenses, there was a valid domestic violence protection order issued against Higbee. As such, he was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle. 

It 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 Julie Leon, 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 and improve the quality of life where law enforcement efforts are focused.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment against Vincent Hudson, a/k/a “Goldie,” (44, Stockton, CA), Patricia Poulson, a/k/a “Moët Diamonds,” (22, Stockton, CA),  and Jessica McCrary, a/k/a “Amber Snow” (20, Stockton, CA).  Hudson is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, transporting a minor to engage in prostitution, and two counts of commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender.  Poulson and McCrary are charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.  If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

All three individuals were arrested in the Eastern District of California and will make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Sacramento, California.

According to the indictment, between on or about November 8, 2013 and December 18, 2013, the above named individuals recruited, enticed, and transported “Minor A” from Orlando, Florida to Louisiana and, ultimately, California for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. The indictment further alleges that Hudson committed the offenses after being required to register as a sex offender.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the 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 Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

(Download Factual Basis )

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Juan Miguel Ruiz and Roberto Bisono with conspiracy and theft of government property in connection with the cashing of numerous federal income tax refund checks that were issued on false and fraudulent tax returns.  The conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison, and each of the 17 theft counts carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The indictment also notifies Ruiz and Bisono that the United States intends to seek a money judgment of approximately $711,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, between November 2011 and April 2012, Bisono obtained U.S. Treasury checks that were mailed to bogus taxpayers in New York, based on false and fraudulent tax returns. The indictment alleges that Bisono then furnished 111 such checks to Ruiz. The indictment further alleges that Ruiz, who operated a check cashing business on Beach Boulevard, deposited the checks into his business bank account in Jacksonville. Ruiz then took proceeds from the deposits by making cash withdrawals and by writing checks payable to cash. He also allegedly wrote checks to Bisono and other persons associated with Bisono.

On April 15, 2014, Bisono had an initial appearance and arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel B. Toomey and was released on bond.  On March 19, 2014, Ruiz made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt and was released on bond. A trial has been scheduled for June 2014 before United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard.

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

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale R. Campion.

(Download Factual Basis )

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Otto Biltres (42, Tarpon Springs) to ten years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and identity theft.  As part of the sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $2.7 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.  Biltres pleaded guilty on November 25, 2013.

According to court documents, during a three-year period, Biltres, the owner of Biltres Staffing of Tampa Bay, LLC (Biltres Staffing), a temporary employee staffing company, submitted a series of false and fraudulent invoices to TempPay Inc., an Ohio based factoring company. “Factoring” is a financial transaction in which a business sells its accounts receivable (invoices) to a third party (the factor) at a discount.  The factor advances a percentage of the face amount of the invoice to the business and collects the full amount from the customer in due course.  The factor then pays the balance to the business minus the factor’s commission and other fees. The invoices in this case purportedly related to four companies to which Biltres was supplying temporary employees.  In truth, Biltres’s company had no business relationship with those entities.  In order to create the illusion that the bogus invoices were genuine, Biltres opened post office boxes, bank accounts, e-mail accounts and websites in the names of the purported client companies. He gradually increased the amounts of the fraudulent invoices over time, and used proceeds obtained through later fraudulent invoices to repay earlier fraudulent invoices.  When the scheme was detected, TempPay suffered a loss in excess of $2.7 million.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Mosakowski.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that a federal grand jury last week returned an indictment charging Christopher Richard Cloonan (44, Jacksonville) with three counts of using a minor to produce images depicting child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography, and three counts of committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.  As a result of his prior child sex convictions, Cloonan faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison on each of the four production counts, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession count, and additional terms of 10 years in prison for each of the sex offense counts.

Cloonan was arrested for his current offenses on March 12, 2014, at his residence in Jacksonville, and has been in custody on related state charges since that time.    

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 until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C., the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

(Download Factual Basis )

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced Andre Aldain Flemming (23, Brooklyn, NY), Jim Lee Jean (21, Margate), and Harry Cancel-Velez (24, Kissimmee) for their roles in an access device fraud conspiracy. Flemming was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment, Jean was sentenced to a term of 2 years in prison and Cancel-Velez was sentenced to 1 year in prison. All three individuals pleaded guilty between December 2013 and January 2014.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Flemming, Jean, and Cancel-Velez participated in a conspiracy that involved the production of counterfeit credit or debit cards using account numbers belonging to other individuals, which were obtained online. Flemming acted as the leader of the conspiracy and produced the counterfeit cards using compromised account numbers. Once Flemming produced the counterfeit cards, he provided them to Jean, Cancel-Velez, and other co-conspirators. The individuals then used the cards to make fraudulent purchases at retail stores. The co-conspirators provided the fraudulently purchased merchandise to Flemming.  Flemming then paid them a fee and then sold the merchandise on the street for a profit. 

On April 3, 2014, three other indicted co-conspirators, Nicholas Aaron Brown, Donald Napoleon, and Renington Javier Noa were also sentenced to federal prison as part of this investigation. Brown and Napoleon were both sentenced to 2 years in federal prison. Noa was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.  

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Aaron Edwin Remaley (39, Riverview) and Michael Allen Babiarz (42, Sarasota) with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, from at least August 2012 through April 2014, Remaley and Babiarz conspired with each other, and with others, to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana in Sarasota, Hillsborough and Polk Counties.

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 until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Patrick Scruggs.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Mario Javon Heatly (32, Jacksonville) with human trafficking, drug, and firearms offenses. If convicted on all counts, Heatly faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  The indictment also notifies Heatly that the United States intends to forfeit three firearms recovered by law enforcement.

According to the indictment, between March and November 2013, Heatly used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause a female victim to engage in commercial sex acts. The indictment also alleges that on different occasions, in 2013 and 2014, Heatly used local hotel rooms for the purposes of manufacturing, distributing, and using controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.  It further alleges the he unlawfully possessed firearms during his stays at the Jacksonville-area hotels.  Heatly was previously convicted of eight separate felonies in Duval County, and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

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

This case was investigated by a joint human trafficking task force comprised of investigators from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

Tampa, Florida — April 6 marks the beginning of National Crime Victim’s Rights Week. This year’s theme—30 Years: Restoring the Balance of Justice—presents a perfect opportunity to salute the Tampa Bay area law enforcement and victims’ services community in their long-term commitment to aid crime victims. As part of this week’s nationwide activities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida today hosted a forum bringing together federal, state, and local law enforcement experts and victims’ services providers to educate members of the community on human trafficking and domestic sex trafficking. The half-day forum included a victim’s perspective, a law enforcement investigative and prosecutorial overview, an insight into the forensics interview process, and resources for assisting victims of human and sex trafficking.  U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III opened the forum by discussing human and sex trafficking in Florida and highlighted ways in which federal, state, and local public safety agencies, along with the greater community can work together to raise awareness and help combat the issue.

“Human trafficking takes many forms,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “In order to tackle this problem, we must collaborate with our partners on all fronts – from education and prevention, to enforcement, prosecution and the recovery of victims.”

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined U.S. Attorney Bentley in addressing the need for greater collaboration among stakeholders. Since 2013, the Office of the Florida Attorney General has been engaged in a statewide initiative to educate Floridians on the dangers of child exploitation through its “From Instant Message to Instant Nightmare” campaign. The initiative is dedicated to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking and elicits the cooperation of parents, businesses, and citizens.

"I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Bentley for his leadership in bringing together everyone who has a role in assisting human trafficking victims,” said Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I am dedicated to eradicating human trafficking in Florida, and by opening the lines of communication among federal, state and local agencies, we can enhance our efforts to end this horrific crime."

According to reports compiled by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice-led federal investigations and human trafficking charges have increased in recent years. Since 2008, the Middle District of Florida has prosecuted several notable cases, resulting in significant prison sentences for offenders involved in sex trafficking:

• United States vs. Weylin O. Rodriguez – Life imprisonment
• United States vs. Ian Sean Gordon – Life imprisonment
• United States vs. Marvin Madkins – 50 years
• United States vs. Eric Bell – 30 years
• United States vs. Andrew Fields - 34 years
• United States vs. Tyrone Townsend – 26 years and 8 months
• United States vs. Ruel Brown – 15 years and 8 months

Only 30 years ago, crime victims had virtually no rights and no assistance. Today, our nation has made dramatic progress in securing rights, protections, and services for victims. Every state has enacted victims’ rights laws and all have victim compensation programs. More than 10,000 victim service agencies now help people throughout the country. In 1984, Congress passed the bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which created a national fund to ease victims’ suffering. Now, once-hidden crimes, like domestic and sexual violence, hate and bias crimes, bullying, and sex and labor trafficking, among others, are receiving greater attention and additional resources.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be held April 6–12 in communities throughout the nation. OVC encourages widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. For more ideas on how to volunteer to help crime victims, visit the Office for Victims of Crime website, www.ovc.gov.