Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Daniel Acevedo-Mayen (28) to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography.  He was also sentenced to serve a 5-year term of supervision, following his incarceration, and ordered to register as a sex offender. 

Acevedo-Mayen pleaded guilty on September 10, 2013. 

On May 7, 2013, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, along with agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Acevedo-Mayen’s residence.     A forensic review of Acevedo-Mayen’s computer and thumb drive revealed that he used a peer-to-peer program to download over 60 videos of children, as young as three years-old, involved in sexually explicit conduct with adults.

“Child pornography, when released onto the Internet, lives on forever. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification," said Shane Folden, deputy special agent in charge of HSI Tampa, which oversees the agency’s Orlando office that conducted this investigation. "Working together with our law enforcement partners at the state and local level, we are able to put more of these predators behind bars."

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

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 (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.

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that Charles Robert Lester (49, Ocala) pleaded guilty late yesterday to unlawful possession of six machineguns. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Lester was indicted on July 31, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2013, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Lester’s Ocala residence, after learning that he might be in possession of illegal firearms. During the search, deputies recovered five rifles from Lester’s private office that had been illegally modified, by Lester, to fire as fully automatic machineguns. Deputies also discovered two firearm silencers, drug paraphernalia, numerous other firearms, assorted ammunition, and a video showing Lester firing the illegal machineguns.  When interviewed, Lester falsely told deputies that he had a federal permit to build the machineguns. Incident to his arrest, a search of Lester himself revealed that he had another fully-automatic handgun and a stolen pistol on his person.

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

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  Acting 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.

This collaboration is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy - an effective method in reducing violent crime and improving the quality of life in communities.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Juan Gonzalez-Castro to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison for healthcare fraud.  The court also ordered Gonzalez-Castro to forfeit $2,543,951.28, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Gonzalez-Castro pleaded guilty on August 7, 2013.

According to court documents, from at least in or around 2006, until at least in or around February 2010, Gonzalez-Castro knowingly and willfully conspired with others, including Dixan Barcelo-Castro, Jose Fresco, and Alfredo Barcelo-Rodriguez, to defraud Medicare Part C health plans.  The co-conspirators, including Gonzalez-Castro, operated four clinics, all at the same location (2137 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa, Florida). Each clinic supposedly performed the same procedure (Endovenous Vein Ablation) on its patients.  None of the conspirators are licensed medical professionals or has any experience operating a legitimate medical clinic.

The four clinics involved in the scheme were: (a) Palmetto General Health Care, Inc. (Palmetto); (b) United Healthcare Center, Inc. (United); (c) New Imaging Center, Inc. (New Imaging); and (d) Lord Physical Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (Lord Rehab).  Gonzalez-Castro helped establish and operate the clinics and was listed as the President and Registered Agent of United and the Vice President and Secretary of New Imaging corporations.

All of the clinics operated at the same physical address, at the same time, and billed Medicare Part C HMOs for the same procedures on the same patients.  They then billed Medicare Part C plans for those procedures.  In reality, the procedure for which they billed, primarily Endovenous Vein Ablation, was never performed at these clinics.  For example, various Part C plans would be billed for up to ten instances of Endovenous Vein Ablation in a single year for a single patient, when performing that number of procedures on a single person would be medically impossible.  When interviewed, none of the "medical professionals" who worked at the clinics or any of their supposed beneficiaries provided or received medical treatment at the clinics or had any procedures that, when described, resembled vein ablation.  The co-conspirators submitted or caused to be submitted multiple fraudulent claims for the same or similar patients using different entity names, simply by whiting out the letterhead and replacing it with another clinic's name.

The patient beneficiaries were complicit in the scheme and allowed themselves to be enrolled in several Medicare Part C plans to maximize the fraudulent billing.  Once one plan was billed for a single patient to have this sham procedure, the beneficiary was re-enrolled in another Part C plan to repeat the fraudulent billing. 

The co-conspirators used the four clinics to bill eight different Medicare Part C plans, which are healthcare benefit programs as defined in 18 U.S.C. 1347.  The total intended loss identified to date is approximately $4,872,239, and the actual loss is approximately $2,543,951.28.
Dixan and Barcelo-Rodriguez remain fugitives. Fresco has pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme is scheduled for sentencing in December 2013.

This case was investigated by HHS-OIG. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville, (DEA) Miami Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge David Dongilli, (DEA) Philadelphia Field division announce the arrest and unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Dr. Olivia Bolles, a/k/a “MDPro,” (32, Newark, Delaware) with the illegal distribution of controlled substances.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Bolles was arrested at her Delaware residence today. She will make an initial appearance in U.S. Federal Court later today, in the District of Delaware.

According to the criminal complaint, between March 2013 and October 2, 2013, Bolles, a licensed medical doctor in Delaware, operated as the vendor “MDPro” on the underground website known as Silk Road, a sophisticated Internet marketplace.  Silk Road operated as an online criminal marketplace designed to enable its users to buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services anonymously, outside the reach of law enforcement.  The website provided a sales platform for vendors and buyers to conduct transactions online.

Between June 13, 2013, and August 20, 2013, DEA purchased Oxycodone, Diazepam, Xanax, Adderall, Hash Oil, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Vyvanse from “MDPro,” on the Silk Road website.  The investigation determined that Bolles shipped the controlled substances, which were purchased from “MDPro,” from Delaware to Central Florida.  The investigation also found that Bolles used her personal bank accounts to purchase items which were used to further her illegal drug dealing business, including packaging and laboratory materials.  More than 600 sales of controlled substances are alleged to have been mailed, by Bolles, to individuals in more than 17 different countries. 

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Orlando, Florida and Wilmington, Delaware Offices), with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Yugool Persaud (61, Guyana) and Desmond Wilson (54, Guyana) guilty of two counts of violating the U.S. Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Persaud and Wilson face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  Their sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2014. 

Persaud and Wilson were indicted on September 5, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship WAVE KNIGHT observed a suspicious fishing vessel, the MISS TIFFANY, transiting a known drug trafficking corridor in the Caribbean Sea.  When the WAVE KNIGHT called over the radio, the MISS TIFFANY began evasive maneuvers, while jettisoning white bales overboard.  U.S. Coast Guard boarding teams recovered 1,265 kilograms of marijuana from the jettison fields, boarded the MISS TIFFANY, and detained Persaud and Wilson. Both men were turned over to special agents from Panama Express Strike Force.        

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Meyer and Assistant United States Attorney Shauna Hale. 

Panama Express Strike Force (PANEX) is a federally approved Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  Operation Panama Express currently targets South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for smuggling drugs to the United States and elsewhere for distribution.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Tampa resident Thomas Crouch (66) to one year, and one month in federal prison for theft of government funds. The court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $124,944.00, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. 

Crouch pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment on August 28, 2013. 

According to court documents, Crouch’s Aunt (Naomi Page) had been a recipient of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (“VA”) Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (“DIC”) benefits, which she received based upon her husband's military service, up until her death on January 25, 2010. The VA periodically sought to verify Page’s continued right to receive benefit payments and, in the process of doing so, sent marital status questionnaires to Page to determine her continued eligibility, attempting to verify that she had not remarried.  The VA did not receive a response from Page, which prompted a suspension of her benefits.  After finally receiving a response from Page, shortly before her death, the VA subsequently reinstated Page's benefits. Page died on January 25, 2010. 

On January 26, 2010, when reinstating Page's benefits, the VA mistakenly sent Page a check in the amount of $122,636.00. Upon discovering the error, the VA promptly sent out a letter on February 12, 2010, asking for the check to be returned or that a personal check be sent back to the VA. The VA investigated the matter and determined that the VA check had already been negotiated, purportedly with Page’s signature on the back of the check. Further investigation revealed that Page had died before the check had been issued, thus could not have contained her signature.  Additionally, not having received notice of Page's death, the VA also sent Page two other checks, in the amount of $1,154.00 each. These checks, which also appeared to contain Page's signature, were negotiated after her death.

A VA investigation revealed that Crouch, Page’s Power of Attorney, had forged Page's signature after her death and negotiated the $124,944.00 check, to which neither he nor Page was entitled.  When questioned by law enforcement, Crouch initially denied that Page had ever received paper checks from the VA, but later admitted that he had forged Page's signature on the checks and spent the money on a boat, a van, a motorcycle and a truck, and had given family members some money.  Crouch also acknowledged that he received letters from the VA about the overpayment, but had ignored the letters and spent the money.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

Tampa, Florida– U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced David P. Lawrence (26, Bradenton) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Previously, on November 6, 2013, co-defendant Mark Alan Finehout (37, Sarasota) was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Lawrence and Finehout were indicted on June 12, 2013. Both men pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2013.

According to court documents, on April 17, 2013, Lawrence and Finehout purchased a .40 caliber Taurus pistol from another man.  During the transaction, Lawrence and Finehout took pictures of the Taurus pistol, and a Norinco model SKS rifle that they were interested in purchasing.  A search warrant executed on Lawrence’s cellphone recovered pictures of the Taurus pistol, the SKS rifle, and text messages sent to an individual regarding the potential re-sale of both the Taurus pistol and the SKS rifle. Lawrence and Finehout are previously convicted felons and prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  Acting 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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Porscha Williams to four years in federal prison for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $9,116.00, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

            Porscha Williams was found guilty on September 17, 2013.

            According to court documents, Williams engaged in stolen identity tax refund fraud from at least as early as March of 2011.  She was responsible for the filing of more than 30 fraudulent tax returns and refunds totaling in excess of $175,000.

            Porscha Williams’ sister, Nikia Williams, was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for her role in the scheme on June 4, 2013.  Another co-defendant, Quincy Wimberly, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2013.

            This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Amanda L. Riedel.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Dwaine Charles Idleman (66, Jacksonville) to 5 years in prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet.  Idleman was also ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release, following his incarceration, and to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an undercover operation to identify persons using the Internet to receive and share child pornography.  The agent identified a host computer using a particular Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing images of child pornography on a file sharing network.  Further investigation revealed that the subscriber for this IP address was Dwaine C. Idleman, located at a residence in Jacksonville, Florida.

In June 2012, HSI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Idleman’s residence.  During an interview, Idleman stated, among other things, that he had come across pornography sites with people that were too young but that he got out of it.  When told that the agents knew that he was downloading child pornography files into his residence and that he was sharing it back out of the residence, Idleman stated, I know I got a problem and if this escalates into an arrest, my life is over.  Idleman further stated that he would type in certain keyword searches and usually downloaded files from the file sharing program when he was alone in his home. 

A subsequent forensic analysis of Idleman’s laptop computer revealed that it contained at least four images and one video depicting child pornography, along with other files containing titles indicative of child pornography.  The analysis also showed that several videos were downloaded by Idleman using the file sharing program on the morning of June 28, 2012, just before the arrival of the HSI agents.
This case was investigated by ICE-HSI and the Jacksonville 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that William Deboris Gordon, III (41, Ocala) today pleaded guilty, in two separate criminal cases, to charges of attempted possession of five kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of firearms affecting commerce by a convicted felon, and theft of government property by filing false income tax returns.  He faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years, up to life in federal prison on the drug offense and a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the firearm and theft offenses.  A sentencing date has yet to be set. 

According to the plea agreements, Gordon met with an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent in Marion County, Florida, on March 18, 2013.  During the recorded meeting, Gordon described his extensive network for distributing cocaine and his need to acquire kilograms of cocaine in order to supply his customers.  When the agent and Gordon met again several days later, the agent showed Gordon five kilograms of cocaine.  Gordon immediately agreed to purchase the drugs and was arrested.  A search of Gordon’s vehicle revealed more than $60,000 in cash that Gordon had intended to use to purchase the cocaine.  A subsequent search of his home revealed two loaded firearms, marijuana and assorted drug paraphernalia, including a cocaine press. 

According to court documents, Gordon had a prior felony conviction for a state cocaine distribution offense, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.  A separate financial investigation also showed that Gordon had obtained more than $763,900 in fraudulent refunds through the filing of false income tax returns from November 2011 through March 2013.  

This case was investigated by DEA; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; and the United States Secret Service.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., and Samuel D. Armstrong.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced that a federal jury in Jacksonville today has found Travis Rocky Dixon (35, Palatka) guilty of receiving and possessing videos of child pornography using the Internet.  Dixon faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years in prison on each of the two receipt charges and a maximum of 10 years in prison on the possession charge.  After the return of the jury’s verdict, Dixon was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 24, 2014.

Travis was indicted on March 28, 2012.

According to testimony and evidence introduced during the trial, during 2011, two different law enforcement officers downloaded videos depicting child pornography over the Internet from a host computer using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that resolved back to Dixon’s residence located at 2011 Locust Avenue in Palatka.  On January 18, 2012, a federal search warrant was executed at this residence.  FBI Forensic examiners entered the residence and discovered that Dixon’s computer was, at that time, actively downloading video files with titles indicative of child pornography.  During an interview, Dixon told agents, among other things, that he was the primary user of the computer, that he used a file sharing program to download video files of young girls, and that he had been looking at child pornography for about one year.  Dixon also stated that on the morning of January 18, 2012, he got on the file sharing program and “just started looking around.”  He stated that one thing led to another and he started downloading. 

A subsequent forensic analysis of Dixon’s computer revealed that it contained at least 64 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that at least two videos of child pornography were downloaded on the morning of January 18, 2012.     

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Daytona Beach, Miami and Jacksonville, the Clewiston (Florida) Police Department, and the Putnam County 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

United States Sues Four Other Companies and Two Individuals for Similar Violations

        WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that Ohio-based Basco Manufacturing Co. (Basco) has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by making false customs declarations to avoid paying duties on products imported from a Chinese manufacturer, and that it has filed a complaint against four other companies and two individuals based on similar allegations.  The defendants named in the lawsuit are California-based C.R. Laurence Co.; Florida-based Southeastern Aluminum Products Inc.; Texas-based Waterfall Group LLC; New York-based Northeastern Aluminum Corp.; Northeastern’s owner, William Ma; and Robert Wingfield, the U.S. representative of Chinese exporter Tai Shan Golden Gain Aluminum Products Ltd. (Tai Shan).

        “Companies that import products made abroad must comply with the law, including paying the import duties that protect domestic manufacturers and producers from unfair competition,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Stuart F. Delery.  “The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the law against those who fail to pay the government money it is owed, just as it will enforce the law against those who falsely claim government funds.”
      
        The government’s settlement and complaint involve allegations that Basco and the companies named in the lawsuit made false declarations to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection to avoid paying antidumping and countervailing duties on aluminum extrusions imported from manufacturer Tai Shan in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  Allegedly, these companies misrepresented that the aluminum extrusions, which are used in the manufacture of shower enclosures and other products, were imported from Malaysia.

        The Department of Commerce assesses, and Customs and Border Protection collects, antidumping and countervailing duties to protect U.S. businesses and level the playing field for domestic products.  Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies.  Imports of PRC-made aluminum extrusions have been subject to antidumping and countervailing duties since 2010.  No such duties are due on imports of such items made in Malaysia.

        “Circumvention of our country’s import laws causes substantive harm to U.S. businesses and our economy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III.  “These laws must be strictly enforced so that our companies can remain competitive in markets throughout the world.”

        Basco and the defendants named in the government’s lawsuit allegedly engaged in a scheme to avoid duties by shipping the aluminum extrusions manufactured by Tai Shan in the PRC through Malaysia – a practice called transshipping.  The U.S. government alleges that Basco and the defendants knew that the aluminum extrusions were merely repackaged in Malaysia and did not undergo a substantial transformation that may have justified changing the product’s country of origin from the PRC to Malaysia.

        “Antidumping and countervailing duties enforcement is a priority for Customs and Border Protection due to the significant role that it plays in the economic security of the United States,” said Director of Field Operations for Customs and Border Protection Vernon Foret.  “Customs and Border Protection is responsible for facilitating the legitimate flow of trade, while enforcing the laws against the evasion of duties intended to protect against unfair trade practices.”  

        The allegations against Basco and asserted in the government’s complaint were brought by whistleblower James F. Valenti Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.  The Act permits private parties to sue companies and individuals on behalf of the government who have falsely claimed federal funds or, as in this case, made false statements to avoid paying funds owed to the government.  The Act also allows the government to intervene in and take over a lawsuit, as it has done in this case, and entitles the whistleblower to receive a share of any funds recovered through the lawsuit.  Valenti’s share of the Basco settlement has not yet been determined.

        The investigation was handled by the Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. 

        The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Valenti v. Tai Shan Golden Gain Aluminum Products Ltd., et al., Case No. 11-cv-368 (M.D. Fla.).  The government’s claims against Basco, and against the defendants named in the government’s complaint, are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Thomas Frank Robeson (48, Potomac, Montana) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.  As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of more than $2.1 million, the proceeds of money laundering conspiracy.

Robeson was found guilty on June 4, 2013.

According to court documents, Robeson owned and operated Nomad Aviation, Inc. (Nomad), located in Sanford, Florida, and repaired avionics systems in military aircrafts.  Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) selected Nomad as the sole and prime contractor for a $43 million avionics integration contract for the T-44 Pegasus aircraft fleet.  On May 20, 2008, Nomad submitted an invoice for $5,075,907 pursuant to the terms of the contract.  In July 2008, the Administrative Contracting Officer assigned to the contract requested that the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) evaluate the $5 million invoice, known internally to the DCAA as Voucher NOM0028 (NOM0028).  On or about October 17, 2008, Robeson, and someone acting on Robeson’s behalf, provided the DCAA with four vendor invoices, including one for $2,171,621 from South Peck LLC, which was dated October 15, 2008.

Robeson created South Peck Aviation (SPA) and provided SPA invoices as if SPA was an unrelated, third-party vendor that had billed Nomad.  SPA or Nomad actually purchased parts from third-party vendors, “marked up” the costs of the purchases, and submitted the inflated amounts in NOM0028, as if Nomad had purchased the parts from SPA.  Robeson, and others acting at his direction, submitted the fictitious invoices via wire, specifically e-mail communication. SPA was actually a bakery that Robeson and his wife owned in Hawaii.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent A. Citro.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Gabriel N. Nervig (39, Millville, Utah) to 18 months in federal prison for bank fraud.  The court also ordered Nervig to pay restitution to SunTrust in the amount of $155,000 and to serve a four-year term of supervised release, following his release from prison. 

Nervig pleaded guilty on August 29, 2013. 

According to court documents, from January 2006 to January 2013, Nervig used his position as an Assistant Branch Manager at SunTrust Bank to steal over $274,000 in cash.  To conceal his thefts, Nervig prepared General Ledger Debit tickets to correspond with each theft of cash from the bank.  On those tickets, Nervig falsely represented that the cash was being used for legitimate SunTrust business purposes. To deceive SunTrust into believing that the proper policies were followed, Nervig made it appear that the General Ledger Debit tickets had been prepared by other employees and that they had been approved by him as the Assistant Branch Manager when, in fact, he had prepared the tickets himself.

Over a seven-year period, Nervig was successful in stealing over $274,000. His scheme was detected in January 2013 when SunTrust auditors found that a large sum of money was missing.  After that discovery, Nervig agreed to sign over his bank account and 401(k) account to SunTrust, in order to repay a portion of the amount that he stole.  On the date of his sentencing, Nervig made an additional payment towards his restitution.  In total, he has paid over $119,000 to SunTrust towards his restitution, leaving a balance of $155,000.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit today affirmed the convictions of James L. Robertson on charges that he had murdered two homeless men to further his position in the white-supremacist hate group known as “Blood and Honor.” The bodies of Alfred Williams and Richard Arseneau were found in 1998, in Tampa, after both had been severely beaten and died from head trauma. Although authorities were unable to identify the perpetrators of the crimes at the time, newly discovered evidence, in early 2005, revealed that, on the night of the murders, Robertson and three others had sought out the victims, beaten them severely, and left them for dead.

All three of the other participants in the assaults pleaded guilty to related charges and testified at Robertson’s trial. They all identified Robertson as the primary instigator of the attacks and that Robertson had bludgeoned the men with a tire iron or similar instrument, inflicting multiple blows to the victims’ heads and bodies.

On appeal, Robertson argued that the district court had erred by refusing to permit him to strike one of only three African-American members from the jury pool, that his prosecution should have been barred by an alleged immunity agreement with the United States, and that the government had failed to present sufficient evidence of his participation in the murders or of the connection with his membership in the Blood and Honor organization. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected each of these arguments, finding sufficient evidence that Robertson had attempted to strike the African-American jury pool member for an unconstitutionally discriminatory reason, approving of the district court’s finding that Robertson had not been promised immunity from prosecution, and finding ample trial evidence proving both Robertson’s participation in the murders and the murders’ connection to his membership in the Blood and Honor organization.

Robertson is currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office. The case was prosecuted in the district court by A. Lee Bentley, Acting United States Attorney, and former Assistant United States Attorney Laurel Moore Lee. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Linda Julin McNamara and David P. Rhodes.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Immanuel Lee Williams (28) and Cara Lee Williams (28), both of Tampa, have been arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to obstruct, delay, or affect commerce by robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery.  If convicted on all charges, each faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison. 

According to the criminal complaint, from December 5, 2012 to date, Immanuel Lee Williams and Cara Lee Williams conspired to rob thirteen federally-insured banks in the Middle District of Florida and two federally-insured banks in Alabama. To carry out the robberies, both are alleged to have worn disguises and used notes demanding money from the banks.  Additional details are set forth in the attached criminal complaint.

Both individuals made their initial appearances, in Tampa, earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony E. Porcelli.  A bond hearing is set for Cara Lee Williams on November 14, 2013 at 11:30 a.m.  Immanuel Lee Williams reserved on the matter of bond and is being held without bail.

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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Ocala Police Department.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday yesterday sentenced Jon Leslie Williams (55, St. Petersburg) to 5 years and 11 months in federal prison for failure to register as a sex offender.  Williams was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.

Williams was found guilty on July 24, 2013.

According to court documents and testimony, Williams was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan, in 1991. As part of that sentence, he was required to register as a sex offender.  Sometime in February 2013, Williams moved to St. Petersburg, Florida and failed to register as required. He remained there until April 4, 2013.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of a fourteen count indictment charging Deangelo Parker with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the seven counts of wire fraud and two years’ maximum imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft offense. Parker made his initial appearance in federal court, in Jacksonville, on Thursday, November 7, 2013 before U.S. Magistrate James R. Klindt. He was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond.

According to the indictment, Parker stole personal identifying information, including the names and social security numbers of multiple individuals who sought the tax consulting services of his company (Certified Tax Consultants).  From January 2012 through February 2012, Parker used this information to electronically file numerous fraudulent tax returns. The tax refunds were directly deposited into Certified Tax Consultants’ bank account. 

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Malisa Chokshi.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara sentenced J. Patrick Brester (41, Sarasota) yesterday to six years in federal prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and committing wire fraud affecting a financial institution.  The court also ordered Brester to forfeit $1,995,800, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense.  Brester was found guilty on June 4, 2013. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brester conspired with Michael Chadwick, Matthew Landsman, Joshua Unger, and others to engage in fraudulent cash-back-to-buyer mortgage transactions involving the 2007 purchase and sale of condominiums at Vintage Grand, a large condominium complex in Sarasota, Florida.  Each fraudulent transaction involved Brester first purchasing the unit from the development company, Sarasota 432, LLC, and then simultaneously flipping it to Michael Chadwick. Brester and his co-conspirators deceived mortgage lenders about the true nature of the transactions by inflating the purchase prices of the properties, and ultimately the amount lent by the mortgage lenders, to include fees that were falsely described as “management fees" payable to shell corporations under their control. 

In truth, the so-called “management fees” were actually the method by which Brester and his co-conspirators funneled cash back to themselves without the lenders’ knowledge.  In furtherance of the conspiracy, Brester and his co-conspirators caused interstate wire transfers of the proceeds of the loans obtained from the victim mortgage lenders into bank accounts held in the name of shell companies, including IGS, Inc. and Landwick I, LLC.  Evidence presented at trial showed that Brester made over $550,000 from his role in the conspiracy.  Mortgage lenders incurred a loss of over $1.2 million from the conspiracy.

For his role in the scheme, Chadwick was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, on October 19, 2010. Landsman was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment on August 19, 2011. Unger was ordered to serve a 15 month prison term on June 27, 2013. All four were ordered to pay restitution to the financial institutions in the amount of $1,266,156. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda L. Riedel and Matthew J. Mueller.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Ricky Muoio (Lakeland) guilty of distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2014.

Muoio was indicted on May 1, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on April 11, 2013, a confidential source (CS) working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) purchased two ounces of methamphetamine, for $3,000, from Muoio, at his Lakeland residence on Creekwood Run. On April 24, 2013, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence. In one of the bedrooms, they found and seized a total of approximately 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine, $3,500 in cash, and a digital scale.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathy J.M. Peluso.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Philip Leon (68, Altamonte Springs) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  Leon has also agreed to forfeit over $4 million in artwork and monies that are being held in various bank and trading accounts. These proceeds will be returned to the victims as partial payment towards the expected restitution in the case of over $16 million.  Sentencing has been set for January 23, 2014.

According to court documents, Altamont Global Partners, L.L.C owned or managed a series of investment funds.  Leon registered Altamont Global with the Florida Secretary of State in March 2009 and was a managing member of the company. 

The Matterhorn Fund, LLC was the first fund for which investors were solicited by Altamont Global.  Leon served as the Fund Manager for the Matterhorn Fund.  To induce individuals to invest, Leon and others falsely represented that the Matterhorn Fund had a long history of making profits, that Leon was a graduate of Stanford University, that he worked for Salomon Brothers as an institutional investment advisor, and that he had successfully traded worldwide investment vehicles for over three decades.  None of those representations were true.

In the first quarter of 2010, the Matterhorn Fund experienced significant trading losses.  Rather than accurately reflect those losses on the quarterly statements, Leon falsified the quarterly statements and the claim that the Matterhorn Fund was earning an above-market rate of return.

The false rates of returns that were claimed for the Matterhorn Fund were then used to induce individuals to invest in the McKinley Fund.  The McKinley Fund also lost money, and Leon again falsified quarterly statements for that fund.  Leon and others then used their alleged performance with the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund to solicit investments in two other funds: Midas Management Partners LLC and Binary Strategy One Fund, LLC.  In total, over 200 individuals invested more than $16 million in the four funds owned or managed by Altamont Global.

In June 2012, the National Futures Association (NFA) conducted a surprise examination of Altamont Global.  During that examination, the NFA discovered that the quarterly statements were being falsified to hide losses and that the net asset values of the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund were being inflated, to make it appear that trading had been successful. On July 16, 2012, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a complaint against Leon and others.  That same day, the District Court entered an emergency order freezing the assets of the defendants in that civil case.

Leon is the second individual to be charged and plead guilty in this case.  On August 22, 2013, one of Leon’s partners (John G. Wilkins, 63, of Chuluota, Florida) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.  Wilkins’ sentencing is set for November 21, 2013.

These cases were investigated by the United States Secret Service and the State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation.  They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division today announced the conviction of Andrew Blane Fields, 62, of Lutz, Fla., in the Middle District of Florida on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely Oxycodone, Dilaudid and Morphine, and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.  Fields faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison on each of the five sex trafficking convictions.

In a superseding indictment returned Aug. 22, 2013, a federal grand jury charged Fields with engaging in a sex trafficking scheme whereby he controlled his victims by supplying them with highly addictive controlled substances and by using their fear of withdrawal symptoms to force them into prostitution for his profit.  At trial, the government presented evidence that the defendant recruited vulnerable young women who were engaging in prostitution or performing at strip clubs and then rapidly escalated their drug use into full-blown addiction.  Other evidence included the testimony of five victims of the defendant’s scheme, quantities of narcotics seized from the defendant’s possession and images of the defendant surreptitiously distributing narcotics to a hospitalized victim.

During the execution of a federal search warrant, law enforcement officers recovered thousands of prescription pills from Fields' residence.  As a result, Fields was charged by criminal complaint on March 20, 2013 and by indictment on April 18, 2013.

“This defendant preyed on vulnerable members of our society--young women living in the shadows and on the margins, struggling to get by,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division.  “Using false promises to lure them in, he cruelly exploited them for his own profit, destroying them with drugs and selling them for sex, using highly addictive illegal drugs to hold them under his control.  Our Constitution guarantees freedom from involuntary servitude and slavery to all members of our society, and we will continue to enforce our human trafficking laws to restore freedom and dignity to victims of modern day slavery.”

“Today’s verdict provides a measure of justice for the vulnerable victims this defendant systematically forced into prostitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III.  “The United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division are committed to prosecuting all human trafficking, regardless of the form it takes.” 

“Sex trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes our special agents investigate and HSI is committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves”, said Susan McCormick special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “These cases are extremely difficult to investigate and prosecute and it would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our special agents and law enforcement partners.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Clearwater Police Department and members of the Clearwater Area Human Trafficking Task Force.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine W. Thomas and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan with the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

WASHINGTON – Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for hospice services provided to patients who were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, the Justice Department announced today.  HOTCI is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and provides hospice services to patients residing in Seminole, Osceola and Orange counties in Florida.

            “This settlement is a result of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to prevent the abuse of the taxpayer-funded Medicare hospice program, which is intended to provide comfort and care to terminally ill persons during the last six months of their lives,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery.  “We will pursue those who seek to misuse this important benefit for their own enrichment.”

            The government alleged that between December 2005 and December 2010, HOTCI engaged in practices that resulted in billing Medicare for patients who were not terminally ill.  Specifically, HOTCI allegedly directed its staff to admit all referred patients without regard to whether they were eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, falsified medical records to make it appear that certain patients were eligible for the benefit when they were not, employed field nurses without hospice training, established procedures to limit physicians’ roles in assessing patients’ terminal status and delayed discharging patients when they became ineligible for the benefit. 

            As part of this settlement, HOTCI has agreed to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides for procedures and reviews to be put in place to promptly detect and prevent future conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement.  In addition, HOTCI’s former Chief Executive Officer Robert Wilson has agreed to a three-year, voluntary exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs.

            “This settlement represents a fair and appropriate resolution of this troubling matter,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III.  “Hospice providers in our district should be on notice that our office will do what it takes to protect our citizens from this kind of misconduct.”

            “Hospice care is a sacred trust from which no provider should fraudulently profit,” said Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Daniel R. Levinson.  “Claiming tax dollars for people who are not terminally ill ─ and therefore ineligible for hospice care ─ cannot be tolerated.”

            This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $16.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $11.9 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

             The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a former HOTCI employee, Douglas Stone, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery.  Stone’s share of the recovery has not been determined.

            This matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.

            The case is United States ex rel. Stone v. Hospice of the Comforter Inc., No. 6:11-cv-1498-ORL-22-DAB (M.D. Fla.).  The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Kevin Porter (27, Melbourne) yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.  Porter was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence and must register as a sex offender.  The court also ordered Porter to forfeit his computer equipment.
Porter was found guilty on August 21, 2013.

According to court documents, in April 2012, Porter distributed child pornography over the Internet via a peer-to-peer file sharing program.  Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Porter’s home and found that he used his computer to possess images and movies of minor children being sexually abused and exploited. 

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

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 (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 – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Delmer Holmes Parrish (44) and Patricia Parrish (74), both of Naples, today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Delmer Holmes Parrish, a licensed pharmacist, and Patricia Parrish each face a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.  In addition, they have agreed to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $351,358.14.  As part of the agreement, Delmer Holmes Parrish has also agreed to voluntarily relinquish his pharmacist license to the State of Florida. A sentencing date has not yet been set.   

According to the plea agreement, from in or around February 2009 through in or about July 2012, Delmer Holmes Parrish and Patricia Parrish participated in a conspiracy to defraud federal health care benefit programs out of approximately $351,358.14.  Along with others, both used Sunshine Pharmacy and Sunshine Solutions to submit and cause claims to be submitted for reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE programs for prescriptions not filled or provided to beneficiaries and recipients. The claims included prescriptions for patients that had not been written or authorized by any duly licensed physician.  In addition, the co-conspirators submitted and caused claims to be submitted for reimbursement from these same programs for beneficiaries and recipients who were deceased. 

In carrying out the offense, the conspirators also used the means of identification of individuals who were enrolled in the Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE programs, without their knowledge or consent.  The members of the conspiracy also would and did perform acts and made statements to hide and conceal the scheme.  As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the government’s losses totaled approximately $351,358.14.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. They were assisted by the Naples Police Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Secret Service.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Tampa, Florida– Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Kenyon Lamont Williams guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false claims with the United States, and wire fraud.  In addition, Williams was found guilty on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  He faces a maximum penalty of forty-nine years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has been set for January 24, 2014.

Williams was first indicted on January 10, 2013.  Subsequently, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against him on April 18, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Williams worked in San Diego, California as a certified tax return preparer.  Between 2007 and 2010, he worked as a part-time seasonal tax preparer.  Around the beginning of 2011, Williams opened his own tax preparation service, which he operated out of his residence.

On January 25, 2012, Williams called his friend and fellow tax return preparer, Alesia Spivey, who lived in Tampa, Florida, and discussed the 2012 tax season and Williams’ desire to maximize refund amounts for his clients.  During this conversation, Williams solicited information from Spivey regarding methods used, in Tampa, to increase tax refunds.  Spivey and Carlista Hawls explained to Williams that individuals in Tampa were using a particular interest income scheme to file bogus tax returns with the IRS.  Spivey instructed Williams on how to fill out the tax returns by employing this interest income scheme. 

During several subsequent telephone conversations, Williams, Spivey, and Hawls discussed the interest income scheme being employed by them.  Between January 25 and July 19, 2012, Williams prepared 168 fraudulent tax returns for tax year 2011 using bogus interest income figures provided by Spivey and Hawls. In all, the 168 fraudulent tax returns accepted by the IRS requested approximately $670,513.00 in refunds, resulting in the payment of approximately $517,744.00 in tax refunds.

In addition, on March 2, 2012, Spivey and Hawls flew to San Diego, California to meet with Williams.  During that trip, Williams provided Spivey and Hawls with a list of names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, including a stack of Navy blood donor records, to be used in preparing fraudulent tax returns in Tampa.

Spivey pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme in January 2013. For her involvement in the scheme, Hawls pleaded guilty in February 2013. Both are currently scheduled to be sentenced in December 2013.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon Gaugush and Adam Saltzman.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal grand jury in Jacksonville has returned an indictment charging William Roland Baker (62, Jacksonville) with two counts of possessing child pornography.  If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 10 years, up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release for each count.  Baker was arrested in Jacksonville on November 4, 2013 and made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today. His arraignment is scheduled for November 7, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate James R. Klindt. 

The indictment alleges that on or about May 29, 2013, Baker was found to be in possession of visual images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, Baker is a registered sex offender who was previously convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 16 on November 22, 1995. 

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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Tampa, Florida – On October 30, 2013, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Ronald Mark Nixon, Jr. (22, St. Petersburg) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for carrying firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes. Nixon pleaded guilty to that charge on August 15, 2013. Judge Merryday also sentenced Kristopher Jamel Burgess (23, Pinellas Park), on October 15, 2013, to 7 years and 9 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and for carrying those firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes. Burgess pleaded guilty to those charges on August 1, 2013.      

According to court documents, on the evening of October 28, 2012, Burgess and Nixon fled from law enforcement, after officers attempted to stop the car in which they were traveling.  Burgess fled on foot and was eventually apprehended by the officers.  Nixon was apprehended in the car.  When the officers searched the car, they found two loaded firearms, distribution amounts of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.  Both Burgess and Nixon were convicted felons at the time of the incident.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  Acting 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.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Randolph St. Gourdin (38, Palm Bay) guilty of receiving child pornography. St. Gourdin faces a minimum penalty of five years, up to a maximum of twenty years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 17, 2014. 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, St. Gourdin downloaded videos of child pornography using a file sharing program.  After viewing the videos, he deleted them using a software program to wipe his computer clean.  However, computer forensic agents from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force located the videos previously deleted from his computer.  The jury heard St. Gourdin’s recorded confession stating that he searched for the child pornography because of his sexual curiosity for those types of videos.

This case was investigated by ICE-HSI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Davis Wilson.

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.  

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Raymond Kugler (59, North Port) today pleaded guilty to making a false statement.  Kugler faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2013, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Florida Department of Law Enforcement interviewed Kugler, who was the captain of the Desoto County Jail in Desoto County, Florida.  The interview was conducted to investigate an allegation made by inmate “J.H.” regarding the violation of his civil rights by individuals acting under the color of law, while “J.H.” was an inmate at the Desoto County Jail on or about May 25, 2013.

Kugler was questioned by agents regarding his knowledge of the events of May 25, 2013.  Specifically, he was asked about his knowledge of the request to transport, and decision not to transport, inmate “J.H.” to Desoto Memorial Hospital (DMH) for medical treatment on the evening of May 25, 2013.  Kugler denied his knowledge of a request to transport inmate “J.H.” to DMH, knowing that his statements were false.  In fact, Kugler was aware of the request to transport the inmate and willfully and deliberately denied such knowledge to the agents. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Department of Justice Attorney Douglas Kern.

Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Norman V. Charlton was indicted yesterday on tax fraud charges.  The thirteen-count indictment charges Charlton with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. He is also charged with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of theft of government property, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Charlton faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud offense, 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of theft of government property, and 2 consecutive years for the aggravated identity theft offenses. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of nearly $15,000 in U.S. currency seized on March 21, 2012, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of the proceeds of the fraud, which is alleged to be at least $412,000. Charlton previously made his initial appearance in federal court on September 30, 2013, after being arrested and detained in federal custody on a federal complaint alleging theft of government property. 

According to the indictment, beginning as early as August 2011 and continuing through at least June 4, 2012, Charlton and co-conspirators used stolen names and social security numbers to electronically file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled. A record of those filings was kept in a detailed ledger. The fraudulent refunds were deposited onto reloadable debit cards in others’ names and/or disbursed in U.S. Treasury checks and were mailed to addresses controlled or directed by Charlton and others. The indictment alleges that Charlton and his co-conspirators used and directed the fraudulent tax refunds to obtain cash and goods for their own benefit and the benefit of others.

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 and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced David Lahn (60, Orlando) yesterday to 8 years in federal prison for distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography.  Lahn is also required to register as a sex offender and to serve a 20-year term of supervision, following his release from prison.  The court also ordered Lahn to forfeit his computer equipment.  Lahn pleaded guilty on June 26, 2013.

According to court documents, on September 6, 2011, Lahn emailed images of child pornography to an individual in Australia.  Later in 2011, the Queensland Police Service in Australia arrested the recipient of Lahn’s child pornography and informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Lahn’s email.  Lahn later admitted to special agents that he sent the September 6, 2011 email and the attached images of child pornography.  Law enforcement officers conducted a forensic examination of Lahn’s computers and found that he possessed more than 1,000 images and at least five videos depicting children and infants being sexually abused and exploited.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

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 (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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that John Charles Stevenson (45, Rincon, Georgia) pleaded guilty to receiving videos and images depicting child pornography.  Stevenson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.  Stevenson has been in custody since his arrest.  A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to court documents, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation to identify individuals in Jacksonville who were trading images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet.  The agent determined that a computer using a particular IP address, in Jacksonville, was hosting child pornography.  The agent was able to download several videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct from this host computer.  Further investigation revealed that the subscriber information for this IP address resolved to a residence in Jacksonville, where Stevenson was living.   

On January 31, 2013, FBI agents and other officers executed a federal search warrant at the Jacksonville residence and seized two laptop computers.  During an interview, Stevenson stated, among other things, that he had been viewing and downloading child pornography for at least three years.  He described his activities with child pornography as "interesting, curious, and novel," and stated that he downloads and watches child pornography for his “personal use.”  Subsequent analysis of Stevenson's laptop computers revealed a total of at least 24 videos and 51 images depicting child pornography.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case 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 Freddie L. Mitchell, II to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to file a false tax claim with the government. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the offense on March 8, 2013.      

According to court documents, on November 30, 2009, the Internal Revenue Service determined that a fraudulent 2008 Form 1040 claiming a $1,968,288 tax refund had been filed in the name of a professional athlete (“A.G”).  Agents soon learned that A.G. had been introduced, by Mitchell, to former IRS employee Jamie Russ-Walls.  A.G. had been told by Mitchell that Russ-Walls could help A.G. get extra money back from the IRS.  Mitchell also falsely assured A.G. that Russ-Walls already had helped him receive a $1 million refund.

At the end of July 2009, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls flew to Orlando and met with A.G. and Mitchell.  Jamie Russ-Walls indicated that she and her husband worked in the tax preparation business.  After providing copies of his tax records to the couple, A.G. was told that he could get additional money back from the IRS because of "grey areas" in his tax returns.  A.G. eventually made a $100,000 down payment to Mitchell towards the tax preparation fee, which Mitchell deposited it into his bank account.  Mitchell eventually split the fee with Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls.

Without A.G.'s knowledge, Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls then electronically submitted a fraudulent 2008 Form 1040, in A.G.'s name, to the IRS.  The form included false business losses totaling $5,367,775, resulting in a fraudulent refund of $1,968,288.  A.G. never had any involvement in these businesses and never had provided the information on the tax schedule to Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls, or Richard Walls.  The false return also included paperwork asking the IRS to directly deposit the refund into the bank accounts of Mitchell and Jamie Russ-Walls.  A.G. subsequently learned of the fraudulent activity when the IRS rejected his regular tax return that was filed on October 14, 2009.  The IRS was then able to cancel payment on the fraudulent return.
During the investigation, agents also discovered five other false 2009 returns totaling $2,264,005 that had been submitted by Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls.  Each of these claims had been accompanied by false W-2 forms showing wages in the millions of dollars from Chameleon Enterprises, LLC.  Mitchell had incorporated this business in 2003, listed himself as the manager, and opened a mailbox in Kathleen, Florida to receive correspondence.  When contacted by the IRS about the wages allegedly paid to these five individuals, Mitchell falsely verified their employment and income.  Records checks later revealed that Chameleon actually had been dissolved as a corporation by the State of Florida in 2007 and therefore did not pay any wages in 2009.

Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case.  On February 1, 2013, Jamie Russ-Walls was sentenced to five years of probation.  On February 14, 2013, Richard Walls was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Carlos Luis Alomar-Baello (43, Davenport) and Carla Michelle Alvarado (33, Kissimmee) with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. If convicted, Alomar and Alvarado each face a minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to the indictment and other court documents, on September 28, 2013, Alvarado, a Jet Blue flight attendant, tried to smuggle almost one kilogram of heroin through U.S. Customs at the Orlando International Airport.  After landing on a flight from Bogota, Colombia, Alvarado was selected for inspection by Customs officers.  The officers discovered the heroin hidden inside a 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 thought contained the heroin. Agents searched Alomar’s home and found more heroin that he had hidden there.

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 Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Ambrose.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Charles Lee Gorish (67, St. Augustine) pleaded guilty to transporting images and videos of child pornography from Florida to Canada.  Gorish faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison. Gorish has been in custody since his arrest in St. Augustine on September 7, 2012.  A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Gorish, using a fake name, sent a package by FedEx from St. Augustine to an individual in Ontario, Canada. The package was intercepted by Canadian law enforcement officers.  It contained, among other things, two micro SD media cards with more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography, and thousands of images of child erotica.  Canadian officials notified the St. Johns County Sheriff=s Office (SJCSO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations regarding the seizure of this package.  Further investigation revealed that Gorish is a registered sex offender.  He was convicted in Hillsborough County, Florida on February 24, 1992, for lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor child. 

On September 7, 2012, FBI agents and SJCSO personnel executed a federal search warrant at Gorish=s residence in St. Augustine.  During an interview, Gorish admitted, among other things, that he downloaded the files depicting the sexually explicit images of young boys on the SD cards from the Internet, over a period of years.  Gorish was subsequently arrested.

This case was investigated by the Canadian Border Services Agency, Ottawa Police Services, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  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.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Benjamin William Mejias (41, Orlando) with impersonating a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted on all counts, Mejias faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. 

According to court documents, Mejias has three previous state felony convictions, each for burglary of a dwelling, any one of which precludes him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This investigation revealed that Mejias had been telling people, including Orlando police officers, that he had been a DEA agent for over twenty years and had allegedly collected a $2,000 donation from an Orlando businessman on behalf of an agents’ association. Agents also learned that Mejias had posted photos of himself with a variety of firearms on social media sites. When agents executed a search warrant at Mejias’ home on October 11, 2013, they found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and he was arrested. Mejias has remained in custody since his arrest.

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 Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Ambrose.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of a superseding indictment charging Edwaldo Louis Oliveiri (22, Tampa) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance, theft of government property, aggravated identity theft, and nine counts of wire fraud.  If convicted, Oliveiri faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the drug charge, 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearm charge, 10 years’ imprisonment for the theft of government property charge, up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge, and a consecutive two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense.  The superseding indictment also notifies Oliveiri that the United States intends to forfeit any assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.

According to the superseding indictment, Oliveiri was involved in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine from 2012 through September 11, 2013.  In addition, he is charged with possessing a firearm on September 4, 2012, while then being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  The indictment alleges that Oliveiri committed a theft of more than $1,000 from the United States Department of Treasury on or about May 29, 2013, by stealing a fraudulently issued federal income tax refund.  While committing the federal income tax refund theft, Oliveiri unlawfully used the name and Social Security number of another person.  He is also charged with wire fraud in connection with the filing of nine separate false tax returns in April 2013. 

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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Zeljko Causevic (39, Jacksonville) with conveying false or misleading information.  Causevic was arrested on a federal warrant while in state custody and faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Causevic entered Jacksonville International Airport on October 1, 2013, and stated that he was in possession of a bomb.

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 FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Transportation Security Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Tressa V. Guy (41, Tampa) yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Guy also agreed to forfeit $790,421.28 to the United States as proceeds of the offense.  Guy will be sentenced on January 9, 2014, and faces up to twenty-two years in prison.

According to the plea agreement, Guy and her co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme to defraud the United States Treasury by causing fraudulent federal income tax returns to be filed using stolen identities, soliciting personal identifying information and addresses from co-conspirators in Florida and Georgia for use in the scheme, and coordinating the withdrawal of fraudulently-obtained tax refund amounts from prepaid debit cards.  The identities used to file the fraudulent tax returns in this scheme belonged to individuals living in various states across the country.  As part of the conspiracy, at least 322 federal income tax returns for tax year 2011 were filed from nine IP addresses claiming refunds of $2,701,844.00 and resulting in a loss to the IRS of $790,421.28.

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

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of a fourteen-count indictment charging Ashley C. Guy with multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of unauthorized access devices, and destruction of records in a federal investigation.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison on each wire fraud count; twenty years on the destruction of records count; and 10 years in federal prison on the access device count, all to be followed by two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count.

According to the indictment, Guy devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the United States Treasury by causing federal income tax returns fraudulently claiming tax refunds to be filed with the IRS.  Guy directed the refunds claimed on these tax returns to be electronically deposited onto prepaid debit cards that were issued in the names of third parties without the third parties’ knowledge.  The indictment further alleges that as part of the scheme, Guy destroyed and attempted to destroy documents, records, and tangible objects containing the means of identification of third parties with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence a federal investigation.

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 and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Orlando, FL – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne Conway sentenced Ross Littlefield (48, Kissimmee) and Linda Littlefield (41, Kissimmee) yesterday for money laundering.  Ross Littlefield was sentenced to four years in federal prison.  Linda Littlefield was sentenced to five years in prison.  As part of their sentence, the court also entered a restitution order in the amount of $2,888,418.05 and a money judgment in the amount of $155,739.93.  The Littlefields pleaded guilty on June 11, 2013. 

Linda Littlefield, a former attorney, formed The Littlefield Law Group, P.A which ultimately matured to specialize in Medicaid planning.  In 2007, Ross Littlefield, Linda Littlefield, and others created a non-profit organization called the JNN Foundation, Inc.  and represented that a JNN Special Needs Asset Preservation Pooled Trust could shelter a client’s assets and not affect the beneficiary’s Medicaid or Social Security Income eligibility.  Ross Littlefield served as the trustee.

Between 2007 and 2010, Ross and Linda Littlefield fraudulently induced approximately 27 clients to contribute more than $4.7 million to the JNN Foundation.  Once the client funds were received by the foundation, the Littlefields transferred the money to other accounts under their control.  The Littlefields used the money for their own personal benefit.  They purchased property, vehicles, and made personal loans to their other business.  As part of their fraudulent scheme, the Littlefields sent false quarterly statements to their clients showing fictitious balances. Consequently, the Littlefields stole more than $2.8 million from their clients. 

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

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Carlos Manuel Cruz (40, Daytona Beach) to five years and six months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  Cruz pleaded guilty on April 15, 2013.

According to court documents, the 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 distributing child pornography.  Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Cruz.  During the interview, Cruz admitted that he downloaded and viewed child pornography.  Search warrants were executed upon computers located at Cruz’s home, revealing that Cruz possessed more than 27 images and 6 videos containing visual depictions of sexually exploited children.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It is being 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, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced that on October 15, 2013, Anthony Simms (37, formerly of Riverview) pleaded guilty to seven counts of passing forged Treasury checks, seven counts of theft of government property, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Simms faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison for each of the passing forged Treasury checks and theft of government property counts, plus two consecutive years in prison on the aggravated identity theft counts. The government is also seeking a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of the proceeds from the offenses. His sentencing hearing has been set for January 13, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge James D. Whittemore.

According to court documents, from November 9, 2011 through January 25, 2012, Simms deposited fifty-seven third party tax refund Treasury checks and eight tax refund cashier’s checks into his business account at SunTrust Bank, through various ATMs located in the Tampa area.  Simms was the sole signatory on the business account and the only one who used the ATM card for these deposits. Simms knew that the signatures of the payees on the back of the checks were forged and that he was not authorized or entitled to deposit or cash these checks. The payees on the checks did not know or have any dealings with Simms, his business, and did not authorize a check in their name to be deposited into Simms’ account.  Other payees on some of the Treasury checks were deceased.  The total amount of money deposited into Simms’ account from all of these tax refund checks was $449,689. 

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 2, 2013, James Daniel Kasper (29, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to using a minor to produce images of child pornography.  Kasper faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison.  Kasper has been in custody since his arrest on March 20, 2013.  A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in February 2013, law enforcement officers in Tennessee arrested a registered sex offender on child pornography charges, and an FBI agent accessed the individual=s email account.  The agent discovered that several hundred emails had been exchanged between the arrested individual and others, many of which contained images and videos depicting child pornography.  Another email account contained correspondence between the individual and numerous other email accounts, including one identified as the Aghostt4891" account.  Further investigation revealed that the “ghostt4891” account belonged to Kasper and that Kasper had sent images of child pornography to others via email and had uploaded them over the internet to a website whose server is outside of the United States.

According to court documents, on March 20, 2013, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Kasper=s apartment on Sunbeam Road in Jacksonville.  During the search, agents seized a laptop computer and a thumb drive.  Agents also contacted Kasper at his place of employment. When interviewed, he stated, among things, that while babysitting a 9-year-old minor child, he used his smart phone to produce sexually explicit photos of the child.  After taking the photos, Kasper uploaded the images over the internet to a particular website and sent them to others via email.  Kasper also stated that he used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to search for child pornography on the internet. 

According to court documents, the thumb drive seized at Kasper’s residence contained at least 49 images of child pornography produced by Kasper that depicted the minor child. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 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 – On October 15, 2013, U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. sentenced Raymond Edward Braun (40, Wimauma) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Braun pleaded guilty on July 2, 2013.

According to court documents, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint on March 20, 2013, that Braun was in possession of a rifle. Deputies arrived at Braun’s residence and eventually recovered the rifle.  The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition.  Prior to this incident, Braun was previously convicted of a number of felonies.  As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  Acting 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.

Fort Myers, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 3, 2013, former Lee County Commissioner Tammara Ann Hall, a/k/a Tammy Hall (53, Cape Coral), pleaded guilty to wire fraud.  She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 13, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, Hall was a Lee County Commissioner running for re-election in the November 2010 general election.  Between November 2009 and November 2010, Hall diverted and embezzled approximately $33,756 of donor contributions to the Tammy Hall campaign fund, and used the money for personal expenditures unrelated to the campaign.  Hall completed Florida Department of State campaign fund quarterly reports and failed to disclose that she had diverted campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses.  She falsely represented the nature of the expenditures, which she made for personal purposes, or omitted certain campaign contribution checks from the quarterly reports.  Hall stole from her campaign fund by transferring funds electronically from the campaign bank account to her personal bank account.  She wrote checks from the campaign bank account and then deposited the checks into her personal bank account.  She also deposited certain donor campaign contribution checks directly into her personal bank account.  Hall used interstate wires to accomplish the electronic transfer of funds from her campaign account to her personal account at Wachovia Bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 10, 2013, a federal jury today found Charlie Vernon, Jr. (Tampa, 53) guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute more than an ounce of crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Vernon faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2014. Vernon was indicted on February 28, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, officers from the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at Vernon’s residence on February 1, 2013.  They recovered two ounces of crack cocaine, various quantities of powder cocaine and marijuana, and paraphernalia to package and distribute those drugs, including scales, baggies, crack pipes, and cutting instruments.  In addition, officers also found four firearms and more than 800 rounds of ammunition.  Prior to February 2013, Vernon had previously been convicted of three felonies for drug trafficking offenses and, as such, was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.     

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Jackson and Natalie Adams.

Tampa, Florida – On October 7, 2013, U.S. District Judge William J. Castagna sentenced Alexander Shevgert, an inmate at Coleman Federal Prison and former resident of Sarasota, to an additional 19 years in federal prison for a murder for hire scheme in which he attempted to murder three family members. Shevgert pleaded guilty on July 12, 2013.

According to court documents, between July 2011 and May 2012, Shevgert, while incarcerated at Coleman Federal Prison, solicited others to effect the murders of three family members identified herein as G.K., V.K. and GK.  At the time, Shevgert was serving a 25 year prison sentenced for conspiracy to travel across state lines with intent to kill, injure, and harass another person, and traveling across state lines with intent to kill, injure an harass another person. Two of the three individuals that Shevgert wanted murdered were victims from the previous case.  Shevgert believed that if he was able to effect the murders of the victims he might have a greater chance of success during an appeal of the previous case.  He thought it would be more believable that he was not guilty of harming the victims in the first case if the victims were harmed again while he was incarcerated.  Further, Shevgert wanted to ensure that the three victims, G.K. V.K. and G.K were not available to testify at any further proceedings.

After soliciting other inmates to help arrange for the murders, law enforcement was notified, and an investigation was conducted.  An undercover detective, posing as a “hit man,” exchanged phone calls, emails, and met with Shevgert. During the exchanges, Shevgert discussed and arranged the murders of the victims.  As payment for the murders, Shevgert provided the hit man with detailed information regarding a friend of his, identified herein as J.S. Shevgert believed “J.S.” had a substantial amount of valuable personal property at his home.  Shevgert instructed the the hit man to commit a robbery of J.S. He told the “hit man” to steal his property and sell the stolen items as payment for the murders.  Shevgert advised the hit man that it did not matter to him if J.S. was murdered during the robbery.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Albert Thompson, III (31, Deltona) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The court also ordered Thompson to forfeit three firearms as part of his sentence.  Thompson pleaded guilty on July 23, 2013.

According to court documents, on October 23, 2012, officers from the Sanford Police Department responded to a residence in Sanford to investigate a shooting incident.  The responding officers located Thompson at the residence along with other individuals.  Further investigation led to the discovery of Thompson’s rental vehicle on the premises.  Officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered two loaded firearms and an assortment of controlled substances including marijuana, oxycodone pills, crack/cocaine, and cocaine as well as a narcotics cutting agent and two scales suitable for weighing narcotics.  Forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Thompson’s DNA was present on one of the seized firearms and that his fingerprints were located on the exterior and interior of the rental vehicle.  

Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.          

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the Sanford Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.  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.  Acting 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.