Middle District of Florida

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Marina Tusca Brooks Stewart (61, Groveland) on an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud related to COVID relief. If convicted, Brooks Stewart faces up to 20 years in federal prison. In addition, she faces a forfeiture order of $10,000, which represents the alleged proceeds she obtained through this offense. 

According to court documents, during the COVID pandemic, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) offered Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advances that did not need to be repaid. The advances were for small businesses that were in low-income communities and received a reduction in revenue of more than 30% during an eight-week period. Between June 28 and 30, 2020, Brooks Stewart devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by electronically applying for an EIDL advance and providing false representations in her application. Afterwards, she fraudulently received a $10,000 EIDL advance.

An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 

This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joshua Fries (30, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons: a silencer (Count One) and machinegun conversion devices (Count Two). Fries faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

According to court documents, Fries provided a confidential informant with two auto sears (machinegun conversion devices) and a silencer, all of which he made himself. During their conversations, Fries disclosed to the informant that he was part of a local anti-government militia group and that he made silencers, auto sears, and other weapons for the militia. Contrary to federal law, none of these devices were registered to Fries in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record—a database maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force (ETTF) announced developments this week in four cases involving interstate transmissions of threats to election personnel and other victims.

Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to threatening a Colorado election official and making other threats to an Arizona election official, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents between September 2021 and July 2024.

Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison for sending messages threatening violence to election workers with Maricopa County Elections in Phoenix from Aug. 2-4, 2022, during and immediately following the Arizona primary elections.

Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, Florida, was charged on Monday for allegedly sending a threat on Feb. 9 to an election official in addition to already pending charges for threats made to three other victims based on their political commentary in 2019 and 2020.

John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, was charged on Monday for allegedly threatening on Sept. 6 to kill a representative of a Pennsylvania state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.

“As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department’s warning remains clear: anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer will face the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Over the past three and a half years, the Justice Department has been aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who threaten the public servants who administer our elections, and we will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. For our democracy to function, Americans who serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.”

“Threats to election workers are threats to our democratic process,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “No one should face violence or threats of violence simply for doing their job. The actions announced today make clear that we will not tolerate those who use or threaten violence in an effort to undermine our democratic institutions. To carry out their essential work, election officials must be free from improper influence, physical threats, and others forms of intimidation.”

“Our elections are made possible by the hard work and patriotism of election workers in communities across the country who are also our neighbors, relatives and friends, and they deserve to do this important work without being subjected to threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The fact that election workers need to be worried about their security is incomprehensible and unacceptable. While these four cases are examples of the kinds of threats election workers are unfortunately facing, these cases also represent the FBI’s dedication in holding accountable those who undermine our democracy with this conduct. The FBI and our partners on the ETTF will work tirelessly to charge and arrest those callous enough to make these threats and make sure they are held accountable. Free, fair, and safe elections are critical to our country and our democratic ideals.”

“These defendants made serious threats of violence against members of the election community. Threats like these strike at the very heart of our democracy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases announced today underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to defending our democracy, safeguarding our elections, and protecting all election workers. Through the ETTF, the Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute all criminal threats against members of the election community.”

The four cases were all brought by the ETTF. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work.

Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

United States v. Brockbank (District of Colorado)

According to court documents, Brockbank admitted to using three social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials between September 2021 and July 2024.

On Sept. 22, 2021, Brockbank posted the following message on social media:

“[Election Official-1] . . . needs to- No has to Hang she has to Hang by the neck till she is Dead Dead Dead. There will be accountability for these peoples actions in Communist Colorado and it won’t be judges and it won’t be weakmided cops that bring it!!! It will be Me it will be You it Will be every day people that understand that there life does not matter anymore with the future our country has laid out before it.”

As part of his plea, Brockbank also admitted to posting a message on Aug. 4, 2022, referring to election officials in Arizona and Colorado, saying: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.”

In addition, Brockbank admitted to posting a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021, saying: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?”

Brockbank further admitted to threatening federal law enforcement on July 13, posting: “I believe every single FBI agent deserves to go explain themselves to our creator right away!!!! I am more than willing to send any/All of you there.”

Finally, Brockbank admitted to illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition.

“The security and sanctity of the American election system is core to the foundation of our Democracy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “We will prosecute people who threaten elections, election officials, or election workers to the fullest extent of the law.”

Brockbank pleaded guilty today to interstate transmission of a threat. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case.

Acting Deputy Director Jonathan E. Jacobson of PIN’s Election Crimes Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Ogstad (District of Arizona)

According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through on or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening direct messages to a social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For instance, on or about Aug. 3, 2022, Ogstad stated: (1) “You did it! Now you are f*****.. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) F*** you! You are caught! They have it all. You f****** are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating m****** f******* . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are f****** stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You f******  are so dead.” On or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad also stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking stupid. Everyone knows you are lots, cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang f******!” In the course of his messages to the recipient, Ogstad transmitted an image of the character “Woody,” from the Toy Story film franchise, lying face down with an unidentified projectile in its back.

“In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”

Ogstad was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine, after pleading guilty on July 25 to one count of interstate transmission of a threat.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

United States v. Kantwill (Middle District of Florida)

According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Kantwill, a dentist, sent over 100 threats to various public figures via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information filed on Monday, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious leader, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. From April 2022 to April 2024, Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9, when Kantwill wrote: “You are a degenerate c***. and you are now the target of our own investigation. Take note because liberal t***s like you get raped in alleys, by really big black guys that serve our cause. So, you t*** are going to get raped by at least 5 n*****s, and do nothing. You are the number 1 target, you degenerate t***.”

“If you threaten someone with violence, we will take you at your word,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Law enforcement officers and members of my office will work together to hold accountable and federally prosecute individuals who threaten to injure or kill others.”

Kantwill is charged with four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado.

United States v. Pollard (Western District of Pennsylvania)

According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, Pollard sent threatening text messages to Victim 1, a resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1: (1) “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”; (2) “Your days are numbered, B****!”; and (3) “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”

“Threats of violence have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This is no less true when those threats of violence are directed at individuals associated with our electoral process — in this case, someone seeking to organize poll watchers. This conduct will not be tolerated in our district, and we will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to prosecute these offenses with the full weight of the law.”

Pollard was arrested on Monday and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia. He is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

*****

An indictment or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov/home. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Trequille Donte Rodreguez, Sr. (31, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, while executing a search warrant at the residence of Rodreguez on July 2, 2024, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department located a Ruger firearm and a firearm silencer inside a bag in one of the bedrooms.  Both the firearm and the suppressor had been reported stolen in a car burglary approximately one month earlier in Hendry County. Two latent fingerprints were lifted from the silencer. Both were later identified as belonging to Rodreguez. As a convicted felon who previously served time in Florida state prison for firearms and burglary offenses, Rodreguez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.    

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Henry Aguirre-Valois (36, Colombia) to 16 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Aguirre-Valois entered a guilty plea on May 24, 2024.

According to court documents, on November 20, 2023, Aguirre-Valois and his three co-defendants smuggled cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on board a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel, which is a closed hull boat built specifically for transporting bulk levels of narcotics. Members of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Waesche interdicted the defendants and their vessel approximately 170 nautical miles west of Ecuador, in international waters.

The United States Coast Guard seized 2,523 kilograms of cocaine from the vessel, which has an approximate wholesale value of $75 million.

Aguirre-Valois had previously been convicted and sentenced in 2019 for trafficking cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kyle Burbank (32, Belleview) has pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material. Burbank faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between January 5 and 17, 2024, Burbank received five video files over the internet from a 12-year-old child in another state. The videos depicted child sex abuse material. During a review of Burbank’s social media accounts, investigators identified a second victim, a 13-year-old child, also living in a different state. Burbank had received child sex abuse material from the second victim on September 26, 2023. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Clinton County (Indiana) Sherriff’s Office and the Rossville (Indiana) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Rose Esquilin Rios (34, Winter Haven) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Esquilin Rios faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Esquilin Rios that the United States intends to forfeit $368,207, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, Esquilin Rios secured a mortgage for a home she shared with her domestic partner, a trafficker of cocaine in the Middle District of Florida since at least July 2020. After agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration interviewed Esquilin Rios’s partner in March 2022, he closed his bank account, sold his house that he had paid for with drug proceeds, and transferred the proceeds of that sale to an account in Esquilin Rios’s name. During the summer of 2022, Esquilin Rios applied for a mortgage on a new home, claiming that she made $127,631 in a document sent to the lender. In a Uniform Residential Loan Application also sent to the lender, Esquilin Rios claimed a monthly income of $8,179.17 as a delivery driver. Both claims were false and Esquilin Rios knew them to be false because the source of the money was her partner’s sale of a house paid for with drug proceeds. The total loan amount Esquilin Rios secured through her false claims was $368,207.

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Anthony Davila (20, Cleburne, TX) with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and receipt of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Davila faces a mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the coercion and enticement count, and a mandatory 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material. 

According to court documents, Davila met a 12-year-old girl online while playing a video game. The two continued to communicate and exchanged sexually explicit photos. Davila later drove from Texas to Florida to pick up the child and engage in sexual acts with her. 

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

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Midway (Florida) Police Department and the Johnson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

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.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Daniel Michael Mohat (27, St. Cloud) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Mohat entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2024. He has been in custody since his arrest on January 5, 2023.

 According to the plea agreement, in August 2022, law enforcement engaged in an online undercover multi-agency operation based out of Nassau County, Florida, for the purpose of identifying and apprehending individuals using the internet to exploit juveniles for sexual activity. During the operation, Mohat contacted one of the undercover agents, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, via social media. Over the course of several days, Mohat engaged in a sexually oriented conversation with the undercover agent. On multiple occasions, Mohat requested that the “girl” create explicit videos and pictures to send to him including videos depicting herself masturbating.      

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Matias Sanchez Cardosa, Jr. (53, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Cardosa entered a guilty plea on June 10, 2024.  

According to court documents, on March 4, 2024, a confidential informant (CI) working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was in contact with Javier Alejandro Anaya-Leal about purchasing cocaine. Anaya-Leal directed the CI to meet him at his residence in Ruskin. Anaya-Leal informed the CI that the courier was on his way with the cocaine from Orlando.

A short while later, the courier, later identified as Cardosa, arrived at the home. The CI, Anaya-Leal, and Cardosa met inside of Anya-Leal’s residence. The CI later advised that he had observed Cardosa arrive with two bags. The CI recounted that one of the bags contained approximately three kilograms of cocaine and the other bag contained approximately one and a half kilograms of cocaine.

The CI departed from the residence and informed Anaya-Leal and Cardosa that he was going to retrieve money. The pair were later arrested by DEA agents.

Agents conducted a search of Cardosa’s vehicle. During the search, agents located a multi-colored bag in the trunk that contained approximately one and a half kilograms of cocaine. Additionally, on the front passenger floorboard, there was a blue bag that contained three brick-like packages of suspected cocaine. A DEA forensic chemist tested the substances recovered from Cardosa’s vehicle and opined that the substance was cocaine and weighed more than four kilograms.

Anaya-Leal previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 1, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, six counts of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Cid faces a minimum penalty of 2 years in federal prison on the count of aggravated identity theft, up to 20 years in federal prison on each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of access device fraud, up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, and payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendants defrauded. No sentencing date has been set.

According to court documents, Cid and his co-conspirators worked together to install skimmers on gas pumps to include gas stations in Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida, including the Florida Panhandle. The conspirators used the skimmers to illegally obtain credit and debit card account numbers involved with the purchase of fuel by customers at the gas pump. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they subsequently made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then, used them to purchase large amount of diesel fuel.

During the conspiracy, Cid and others drove vehicles that contained a fuel bladder system. This system allowed the conspirators to fake pumping gas into the vehicle’s gas tank when in fact the diesel fuel was being pumped into the fuel bladder system. Analysis by law enforcement of fuel purchases, vehicle tracker data, gas station video surveillance, and real time surveillance of the conspirators determined that Cid and other conspirators drove to multiple case stations throughout Northern Florida. After obtaining the gas, the conspirators offloaded the stolen fuel into 9,500-gallon tanker trucks at a fuel yard. The stolen fuel was then sold to a gas station associated with one of the co-conspirators.

The co-defendants, Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami), Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami), Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami), and Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville) are set for trial in January 2025.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Carnisha Maurica Rogers (30, Jacksonville) with four counts involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and four counts of false representation of a Social Security number involving a line of credit scheme and COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Rogers faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count involving wire fraud and up to 5 years in federal prison on each count involving the false representation of a Social Security number, payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded and forfeiture of $20,832, which is traceable to proceeds of the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud.

According to the indictment, Rogers and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the Social Security numbers (SSNs) of others. From February 2016 through September 2019, Rogers and others recruited individuals to obtain lines of credit at various businesses using the SSNs. After fraudulently obtaining the lines of credit, they obtained jewelry and other merchandise. They also attempted to obtain at least one luxury vehicle. Rogers and her co-conspirators resold some of the merchandise and lines of credit on social media platforms.

In May 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Rogers operated her own business. Throughout the loan application Rogers made multiple false statements regarding her purported gross income and expenses associated with operating her business. In support of her PPP loan application, she submitted a false IRS Form 1040 - Profit or Loss From Business. It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for her purported business. In truth, Rogers’s business did not exist. In reliance on the false statements in her loan application, her application was approved, and she received a PPP loan totaling $20,832.

After receiving the PPP loan proceeds in her bank account, Rogers began making withdrawals and spending the funds on personal expenses. In October 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the SBA that included multiple false representations. In the application, she falsely claimed that she spent more than $18,000 on payroll costs and that the PPP loan proceeds were only used for eligible purposes. In reliance on her false statements the SBA forgave the entire loan, plus accrued interest.

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

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington. 

A Florida man pleaded guilty today to evading the payment of more than $1.7 million he owed for tax years 2004 through 2014.

According to court documents and statements made in court, David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, owned and operated several furniture liquidations businesses in Florida, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher did not timely file his federal income tax returns or pay taxes. After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest and penalties against him.

To evade collection of these taxes, Fletcher concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, Fletcher used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls Royces. Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income and when interviewed by an IRS special agent, falsely represented the amount of income he earned.

A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. Fletcher faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Brandon Eugene Brooke (30, Debary) to 15 months in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license. Brooke entered a guilty plea on May 22, 2024.

According to court documents, between April 14 and October 10, 2022, Brooke purchased 69 firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs). Many of the firearms were identical and were purchased together or close in time to one another. On October 13, 2022, ATF agents questioned Brooke regarding his repeated purchases of identical firearms from FFLs. A search of Brooke’s phone revealed evidence of firearms dealing.

Following the interview, ATF agents served Brooke with a “Warning Notice of Unlicensed Firearms Dealing in Violation of Federal Law.” In the Notice, Brooke was advised that his firearm transfers constituted dealing in firearms without a license. Brooke signed the Notice, acknowledging receipt, and was given a copy to retain. Following his acknowledgment of the Notice, Brooke continued to deal in firearms without a license, in violation of federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Naples couple Richard Murtaugh (age 81) and Gail Murtaugh (age 77) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, beginning at least as early as September 2020, the Murtaughs engaged in a scheme to steal merchandise from big box retailers and grocers in Collier and Lee Counties, and to sell the stolen merchandise on their eBay store “dickandgail.” In 2021 and 2022 specifically, the Murtaughs were captured on store video surveillance stealing thousands of dollars worth of personal hygiene products, grooming supplies, nicotine products, teeth whitening and dental care supplies, over the counter medications, drill bits, and other merchandise from big box retailers and grocers in the Southwest Florida area. eBay records showed that between December 2020 and May 2022, the Murtaughs were paid $175,621.31 in profits by eBay for the sale of stolen goods. 

In April 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service executed a search warrant at the Murtaughs’ home on Isle of Capri in Naples, Florida. Inside the residence, postal inspectors located thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise appearing to be the same or similar to merchandise the Murtaughs had been observed stealing from various retailers. Additionally, the Murtaughs’ iPads were searched, which contained photos that matched the listing photos of stolen merchandise on the Murtaughs’ eBay store.

As part of their guilty pleas, the Murtaughs have agreed to forfeit $175,621.31, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. 

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling. 

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.   

According to the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s residence on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of child sex abuse material in his photo gallery. Regan admitted to agents that he had sent and received child sex abuse material using an online social media application. Regan also advised law enforcement that he is currently employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that he teaches chess club and music lessons. 

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

This case is investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Linda Davis to four years in federal prison for willfully failing to pay to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employment taxes that were withheld from employees’ paychecks. Davis was also ordered to pay $719,049.62 in restitution. Davis entered a guilty plea on November 9, 2023. 

According to court documents, Davis owned and operated a pavement maintenance company, known as Majestic Seals & Stripes, Inc. (Majestic), in Clearwater. As the owner of Majestic, Davis was responsible for withholding employment taxes from the Majestic employees’ paychecks and paying the taxes owed. Instead of paying these amounts to the IRS, Davis diverted the funds for her own personal use. Davis also failed to pay to the IRS the employer’s portion of the payroll taxes. Specifically, between June 2016 and December 2021, Davis failed to pay $557,249.62 in payroll taxes. 

Further, in February 2021, Davis applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Majestic. In support of the loan application, Davis submitted a false IRS Form. As a result of the application package, the PPP loan was approved and funded in the amount of $161,800.

“When you work somewhere, you trust that your employer will do the right thing,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Tampa Field Office. “For an employer to take advantage of their employees for their own personal gain in such a blatantly criminal way is downright shameful. My hope is that this sentencing will urge others to always do right by their employees.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany E. Fields. 

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mark Dennison, (45, Jacksonville) to six years and three months in federal prison for distribution of five grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Dennison entered a guilty plea on June 11, 2024. 

According to court documents, Dennison sold two ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on October 10, 2023. The methamphetamine was tested by a Drug Enforcement Administration chemist who determined that it was 95% pure. Dennison was arrested on October 24, 2023, when he arrived at a gas station in Macclenny to sell fentanyl to the confidential informant. Dennison has been detained since his arrest last year.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

Tampa, FL - United States Roger B. Handberg announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Frank Talbot will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Talbot has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Florida, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“It is essential to our democratic principles that every citizen be able to exercise their right to vote without interference or discrimination and that officials and staff responsible for facilitating that process be able to perform their duties without fear of intimidation, threats, or violence,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg.  “Anyone who has specific information about election discrimination, interference, or fraud should make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”        

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Frank Talbot will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (904) 301- 6284.

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

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at (800) 253-3931.      

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes (37, Orlando) with arson of a building that led to personal injuries. If convicted, Ramirez Reyes faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 7 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.

According to court documents and information provided during a hearing, Ramirez Reyes lit two flares and threw them into the crowd during a soccer match on February 24, 2024, at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The flares produced a larger fire that damaged the stadium and caused burns to a child attending the match.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orlando Police Department, and the Orlando Fire Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joseph Anthony Santopietro (46, Orlando) with receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Santopietro faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison on the receipt count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment on the possession count.  

According to the indictment, Santopietro received child sexual abuse material in November 2023. He was then found in possession of child sexual abuse material on September 18, 2024. 

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Nhan Pham (54, Orlando) with three counts of violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for receiving in interstate commerce and proffering delivery of an adulterated device, misbranding a device after its shipment in interstate commerce, and failing to register as a device manufacturer. If convicted, Pham faces up to three years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Pham that the United States intends to forfeit any adulterated or misbranded device, any property used to commit the violations, and any proceeds traceable to the offense.

According to the indictment, in October 2019, Pham received liquid silicone in interstate commerce and offered to inject the silicone into a person’s body for a gluteal augmentation procedure. Such use of injectable silicone has not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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

“Injectable silicone for body contouring is not FDA-approved and can cause serious injury and even death,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who place American consumers at risk.”

This case was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Alexander Thomas Daugherty (24, Ocala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Daugherty faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Daugherty was arrested on a criminal complaint on September 20, 2024. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. 

According to court documents, on September 20, 2024, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) posed undercover as a 13-year-old girl on an online social media platform. Daugherty contacted the undercover agent’s account and, after learning the child’s age, discussed engaging in sexual activity. Daugherty arranged to meet the minor for sex at a predetermined location in Marion County. Daugherty then traveled to the location and was arrested by law enforcement.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher O’Neal Houser (44, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Houser faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, on February 2, 2024, Houser sold a sawed-off shotgun to a convicted felon. At the time that he possessed and sold the shotgun, Houser had a prior felony conviction (July 2019) for possessing methamphetamine. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Houser also has prior convictions for committing sodomy in 2001, and for misdemeanor battery in 2019.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Matthew Allen Gahan (25, Summerfield) to 20 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Gahan will also be required to register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on June 13, 2024.

According to court records, between May 13 and 25, 2023, Gahan spoke with a minor living outside of the United States. Gahan coerced the minor to participate in video calls in which the minor engaged in sexual activity at Gahan’s direction. Gahan recorded these calls without the minor’s knowledge. On September 13, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Gahan’s home and found multiple videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young boys. Agents also discovered that Gahan had used the dark web to distribute and receive child sexual abuse material. 

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Alireza Baradaran Rafii (57, Tampa) with attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully and making false statements relating to his naturalization under oath. If convicted on all counts, Rafii faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Rafii falsely stated on his naturalization application and under oath during his naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that he had never served in, helped, or otherwise participated in a military unit, paramilitary unit, police unit, or militia, and that he had never received any type of military, paramilitary, or weapons training, when he knew that he had served in the Iranian military from November 1992 until February 1994 and had received military and weapons training.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Shawndell Johnson (32, Melbourne) to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Johnson to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used in the offenses. Johnson entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2024. 

According to court documents, Johnson twice distributed fentanyl to a confidential source in September 2022. Following his arrest on state fentanyl distribution charges in March 2023, a search of Johnson’s residence uncovered more than 600 grams of fentanyl, over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine, and over 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, agents located two loaded firearms. At the time of the search, Johnson had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including murder in the third-degree without design and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Julio Deleon (38, Brownsville, TX) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Deleon faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. Deleon is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2024.   

According to court documents, on January 25, 2024, officers from the Bradenton Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle in which Deleon was the passenger. Once the vehicle stopped, Deleon fled, but he was quickly apprehended. During a search of the vehicle officers located a backpack with just under five kilograms of cocaine, which was on the floor by the front passenger seat where Deleon had been sitting.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bradenton Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. 

Orlando, FL – United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Nikesh Ajay Patel (40, formerly of Windermere), and his ex-wife, Trisha Patel, (41, Orlando), for their roles in a financial scheme defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and others. On October 8, 2024, Nikesh Patel was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, which must run consecutive to a 25-year term he is already serving from the Northern District of Illinois. Trisha Patel was sentenced on September 18, 2024, to 51 months in federal prison. Both are required to pay restitution to the USDA and four other financial institutions.

According to court documents, Nikesh Patel was charged in 2014 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois for a $179 million fraud scheme. He was arrested and released on bond. For the next several years, Nikesh Patel claimed that he was cooperating with authorities and using his business skills to recover funds to repay the victims. In fact, Nikesh Patel had devised a new scheme against the USDA that netted him over $19 million. Nikesh Patel was planning to flee to Ecuador on a private jet and avoid sentencing in the Chicago case. Instead, FBI agents arrested Nikesh Patel at the Kissimmee airport on January 6, 2018, and arrested him for attempting to abscond. Nikesh Patel was subsequently returned to Chicago, where he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on June 6, 2018.

Thereafter, on December 18, 2019, a federal grand jury in Orlando returned a 13-count indictment against Nikesh Patel for stealing $19 million while he was on federal pretrial release in the Chicago case. On February 28, 2023, Patel pleaded guilty as charged to all counts in that indictment: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and eight counts of money laundering.

In the 2019 case, Nikesh Patel fabricated fraudulent loan documents and used a fictitious identity to perpetrate his conspiracy and scheme. He then applied to the USDA to guarantee the fake loans as part of their Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. Once the USDA agreed to guarantee the loans, Nikesh Patel sold the guaranteed portion to the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) and received $19,342,392. The FBI was able to recover $11,321,931 and Nikesh Patel was ordered to pay the remaining portion as restitution to Farmer Mac.

While Nikesh Patel was in federal custody for the 2019 case, he recruited Trisha Patel (his wife at the time) to perpetrate a third financial scheme. Between January 2021 and December 2023, Nikesh and Trisha Patel devised a more sophisticated scheme utilizing a commercial pump manufacturer in Houston, Texas. At the direction of Nikesh Patel, Trisha pretended to be a senior representative of the company and falsely claimed to USDA that they wanted to expand their business in rural Puerto Rico. The Patels then created a fake lender to pretend that it was loaning $8,540,000 to the business for the expansion. USDA guaranteed 80% of the fake loan, and the Patels then sold that guarantee to financial institutions and received $7,446,880. The FBI was able to recover $74,545 in currency and a 2022 BMW model X7. The defendants were ordered to pay the remaining portion to USDA and four other financial institutions as restitution.

For the third scheme, Trisha Patel and Nikesh Patel each pleaded guilty to an Information charging one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on May 21, 2024, and May 22, 2024, respectively.

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta and United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Ocala, FL – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has reached an agreement with Dr. Mark A. Nowacki, M.D. to resolve allegations that his medical practice, Mark A. Nowacki, M.D., P.A., violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide auxiliary aids and services to patients with communication disabilities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into Dr. Nowacki after receiving a complaint from an individual (complainant) who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL). The complainant alleged that in October 2021 she called to schedule a new patient appointment with Dr. Nowacki, an internal medicine specialist in St. Petersburg. During that phone call, the complainant requested an ASL interpreter be provided at the appointment in order for her to effectively communicate with Dr. Nowacki and his staff, but Dr. Nowacki denied her request. As a result of Dr. Nowacki failing to provide an ASL interpreter, the complainant was denied the opportunity to access his health care services.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Dr. Nowacki must: adopt a written effective communication policy that specifies his office’s obligations under Title III of the ADA; provide qualified interpreters when necessary to effectively communicate with patients—or their companions—with disabilities; implement effective communication training for all employees regarding their obligations under Title III of the ADA; maintain a log documenting all requests Dr. Nowacki receives for auxiliary aids and services, as well as how he handled those requests; report any complaints received alleging Dr. Nowacki violated Title III of the ADA to the United States; and pay the Complainant $1,000 in compensatory damages.

This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations, including professional offices of health care providers, to take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services. Auxiliary aids and services include, but are not limited to, qualified interpreters who appear on-site or through video remote interpreting (VRI) services. A public accommodation is required to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.

Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida by calling our Civil Rights Hotline at (813) 274-6095 or emailing us at USAFLM.Civil.Rights@usdoj.gov. To fill out our civil rights complaint form, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights-complaint-form.

The Attorney General is authorized to investigate alleged violations of Title III of the ADA and to bring a civil action in federal court if the United States is unable to secure voluntary compliance in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance. Ensuring that professional offices of health care providers do not discriminate against individuals with disabilities is an issue of general public importance.

For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (833) 610-1264 (TTY). Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state or local governments. All calls are confidential.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Joseph Rocco Quaranta (48, Dunnellon) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Quaranta faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Quaranta is currently detained pending the resolution of his case. 

According to court documents, on July 25, 2024, an undercover detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed online as a 13-year-old girl. Quaranta contacted the undercover detective and, after learning the minor’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. Quaranta arranged to meet the minor at a predetermined location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity. He arrived at the meeting location and was arrested shortly thereafter by law enforcement. After his arrest, Quaranta told deputies that he was volunteering as a local Little League baseball coach.  

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

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

The 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Thakur Sukhdeo (38, Lehigh Acres) with wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, Sukhdeo faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction count. The indictment also notifies Sukhdeo that the United States intends to forfeit a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace, 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 HD, and $414,000, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, beginning in approximately July 2021, Sukhdeo engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) by making fraudulent representations in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan documents about the use of EIDL funds. Sukhdeo’s false representations caused the SBA to fund a $414,000 EIDL for his company, J.R. Handyman Pro’s LLC.  Instead of using the EIDL proceeds for working capital, Sukhdeo used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment and the enrichment of others. This included the purchase of a luxury car for $68,984.61 and a truck for $93,994.42.   

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. On source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the expansion of an existing disaster-related program, the EIDL Program. The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky. 

Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Lester John Parker, Jr. (55, Lehigh Acres) on a 15-count indictment related to his alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Parker’s charges include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Parker faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of access device fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. The aggravated identity theft counts carry a mandatory penalty of 2 years in federal prison consecutive to any other penalties imposed.  

According to the indictment and court records, between 2020 and 2021 Parker devised a scheme to defraud the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and various SBA-approved lenders by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications which included forged bank statements and IRS records. PPP loans were one of the sources of economic relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Parker has been linked to dozens of fraudulent PPP loan applications which resulted in more than $3 million in fraudulent loan payouts in 2020 and 2021. 

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

This case was investigated by the United State Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/Combating Fraud. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Jamal Joseph Mala Leonardo (20, Kissimmee) to 30 months in federal prison for possession or transfer of a machinegun and dealing in firearms without a license.  The court also ordered Mala Leonardo to forfeit several machinegun conversion devices involved in the offense. Mala Leonardo entered a guilty plea on May 20, 2024.

According to court documents, Leonardo met with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) on multiple occasions between January and February 2024. During those meetings, Mala Leonardo sold the UC 17 machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) which can be used to convert a firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. Mala Leonardo also sold the UC two AR pistols, including one which was privately manufactured.

(AR pistols and MCDs sold by Leonardo)

Law enforcement officers later searched Mala Leonardo’s residence and recovered 25 additional MCDs from his bedroom. None of the MCDs were registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law, nor is Mala Leonardo a licensed firearms dealer. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan and Kara Wick.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jose Luis Lugo (40, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Lugo faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2024.

According to court records, Lugo, a registered sex offender in Florida, was convicted of felony offenses in 2004, 2005, 2014, and 2022. On two occasions in July 2023, law enforcement officers observed Lugo possess and sell multiple firearms. As a previously convicted felon, Lugo is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the charging of six defendants with violations of federal firearms laws as listed below:

Name, Age, 

City of Residence

Charges

Maximum Penalties

Number of Firearms Involved

Angel Velazquez Delgado

34, Deland

• Firearms Trafficking
• Straw Purchasing

Jesus Hernandez

32, Deland

• Conspiracy
• Firearms Trafficking
• Straw Purchasing
• Making False Statement on Firearm Transaction Record

Edgar Jimenez

30, Deland

• Straw Purchasing

Jesus Paulino

27, Deland

• Straw Purchasing

Jonathan Borja

23, Deland

• Straw Purchasing

Jesus Andres

28, Deland

• Making a False Statement on Firearm Transaction Record

According to charging documents and other records filed in court, in May 2023, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating a firearms trafficking organization operating in the Middle District of Florida. The organization was comprised of at least six individuals and led by Angel Velazquez Delgado. These individuals purchased high-caliber firearms in the United States for resale to Mexican drug cartels. These cartels were and are criminal organizations engaged in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.

The firearms trafficked by the defendants included high-caliber, armor-piercing and anti-material weapons. For example, approximately 11 of the firearms trafficked by this organization were Barrett .50 caliber rifles, which can expel a very accurate, heavy, and fast-moving projectile that defeats all individually worn body armor, can penetrate and disable vehicles, aircraft, boats, and can also defeat some types of protection provided by armored vehicles. The organization also trafficked approximately 16 FN M249S rifles, which are sold in the United States as a semi-automatic weapon but are easily converted into a machinegun.

(photographs located in cellphone communications amongst defendants)

It is alleged that the firearms were purchased at the request of the cartels and transported to the cartels soon after purchase. None of the defendants possess a license to sell firearms. The defendants were paid in cash, illegal narcotics, or the profits of illegal narcotics sales, to purchase each of the firearms. All firearms were purchased in Florida or Georgia and transported to Mexico.

Using the eTrace Firearm Recovery Notification Program, Mexican authorities were able to confirm the presence of at least one of the trafficked firearms in Mexico. On March 22, 2023, Mexican State Police and Mexican Military Personnel were involved in a shooting with suspected cartel members in Michoacan, Mexico. Two individuals were killed during the exchange of gunfire. After the shooting, a Barrett .50 caliber rifle purchased by Jesus Hernandez on November 8, 2022, was recovered.

At some point during its operation, the trafficking organization began removing the serial numbers from the firearms to avoid tracing by law enforcement.

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

“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime continues to be one of the top priorities of my District,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “These defendants are alleged to have trafficked high-caliber, military-grade weapons into the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel members. Our law enforcement partners worked efficiently and effectively to hold the defendants accountable for their crimes and to stop them from continuing to jeopardize public safety.”

This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Volusia Bureau of Investigations and the Deland Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Noah Dorman.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Dana Hunter Calley (54, Cocoa) to 14 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing unregistered silencers. Calley was found guilty by a federal jury on June 10, 2024.

According to evidence presented at trial, on September 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Calley’s residence and seized four firearms, three silencers, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. On April 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a second search warrant at Calley’s residence and seized six silencers in various stages of production. At the time of the offenses, Calley was a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced German Altamirano-Hernandez (42, Mexico) to two years and six months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. Altamirano-Hernandez entered a guilty plea in June 2024.

According to court documents, Altamirano-Hernandez is a native and citizen of Mexico. He had been granted voluntary removal from the United States 10 times between 1999 and 2002 after it was determined he was illegally in the United States. In 2005, he was encountered by law enforcement in New Mexico and was prosecuted for illegal entry into the United States, then was deported to Mexico later that year. In 2013, he was encountered by law enforcement in Florida and was convicted of illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. He was deported to Mexico in 2015 after his release from federal prison. In 2019, Altamirano-Hernandez was encountered by law enforcement in Arizona, after having crossed the border illegally, and was prosecuted a third time for illegal reentry into the United States. He was again deported to Mexico in 2020 after his release from federal prison.

In March 2024, Altamirano-Hernandez was encountered by deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office when they conducted a traffic stop on the car he was driving. During the stop, Altamirano-Hernandez provided deputies with a false name and a fraudulent identification card. During a search of his car, deputies found multiple forms of fraudulent identification. After confirming Altamirano-Hernandez’s identity, he was arrested. Altamirano-Hernandez admitted to law enforcement that he had again unlawfully reentered the United States.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Ramon Ochoa (43, Mexico) to 18 months in federal prison, consecutive to another sentence Ochoa is serving in the Florida Department of Corrections, for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Ramon Ochoa entered a guilty plea on July 8, 2024. 

According to court documents, Ochoa is a Mexican citizen who entered the United States illegally in 2008 and again in 2014. He was removed from the United States on both occasions, most recently in May 2014. In 2017, Ochoa again entered the United States without permission from appropriate government officials, and he remained here until he was arrested in Polk County in May 2019. United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials were alerted to the fact that Ochoa was in custody in the Polk County Jail under the name Samuel Santana-Ortuno and was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine. Ochoa admitted to a Border Patrol agent that his true name is Ramon Ochoa and he did not have any documents allowing him to enter the United States. 

Ochoa was later sentenced in state court to seven years’ imprisonment for his state drug-trafficking offense. Judge Lazzara ordered that his 18-month federal sentence be served consecutive to his state prison sentence.

This case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

Tampa, FL – In the wake of the extreme devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg reminds residents that as with any major disaster, there are unscrupulous thieves who seek to take advantage of the environment to line their own pockets.

“As Florida continues to recover in the aftermath of the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Helene, it’s especially important to be vigilant against fraudsters who seek to profit from natural disasters,” stated U.S. Attorney Handberg. “Our office stands ready to assist in holding accountable individuals who would take advantage of disaster victims. We are committed to aggressively prosecuting those who commit this type of fraud.”

The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.

The NCDF was established in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. It is the national coordinating agency for all man-made and natural disasters. NCDF’s Gulf Coast headquarters is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, there is no indication that criminals will slow down their efforts to commit fraud on individuals already victimized by the storm. The following examples of disaster-related fraud are based on over 220,000 historical complaints submitted to the NCDF:

• Fake charities immediately soliciting donations using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster
• Individuals impersonating government officials and insurance company representatives advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number, and bank account information (name of financial institution, routing number, and account number)
• Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding, and making structures, such as homes, more resistant to future disasters by elevating structures to minimize future flood risks
• Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster, also known as price-gouging

In addition, based on the type of disaster, individuals are frequently victimized by theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster (either pre-disaster evacuation or to obtain living accommodations because of damaged apartments and homes).

Recommended measures to avoid becoming a victim of disaster fraud:

• Fake charities soliciting donations either using the names of well-known charities or appearing to be related to the disaster.
• Scammers impersonating government officials, offering disaster relief in exchange for personal information or money.
• Individuals posing as insurance provider representatives to collect payments or personal information.
• Fraudsters promising expedient home repairs requiring upfront or partial payment.
• Price-gouging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster.

Take these measures to protect yourself from disaster fraud:

• Donate only to well-known charities after verifying them through trusted sources.
• Do not respond to unsolicited requests for donations via email, phone, or text, and do not click on links in unsolicited messages.
• Do not assume that online or social media charity solicitations are legitimate.
• Use credit cards or checks for donations. Don’t send cash or use wire transfers or mobile payment apps.
• Remember that government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money or personal information via phone or email.
• Beware of contractors who knock on your door or make unsolicited contact, and/or make promises that sound too good to be true.
• Cautiously rely on recommendations from family and friends.
• Do not be forced into making repair decisions by a high-pressure contractor.

Individuals who have been targeted by fraudsters or been the victim of disaster-related fraud are encouraged to contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a two-count indictment charging Johnisaac Felix (22, Ocala) with interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of the robbery offense, Felix faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The firearm offense carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison which must be served consecutively to any prison term imposed for the robbery.  

According to the indictment, on June 16, 2024, Felix robbed an employee of gas station in Ocala using actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury to the employee. During that robbery, Felix also brandished a firearm.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Meggin Anne Evans (35, Middleburg) to 21 years and 10 months years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Evans has been in custody since her arrest on November 7, 2022. She entered a guilty plea on March 1, 2024.

According to court documents, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) initiated an investigation after receiving information about five files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that had been sent over a social media application. PCSO’s investigation revealed that the files were sent from within the Putnam County Jail.

PCSO connected the social media account to Brandon Paul Smolinski, Evans’s husband, who was working for a transportation company that does work inside the jail. The company provided Smolinski’s work schedule and confirmed that he was working in the jail on the dates and times the files had been shared from within the jail.

PCSO contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to request assistance, as Smolinski’s residence was located in Middleburg. CCSO investigators discovered that the internet service at Smolinski’s residence was also used to upload files of CSAM using the same social media application.

Detectives from PCSO and CCSO approached Smolinski in the parking lot at the Putnam County Jail. Smolinski admitted to distributing files of CSAM. He also told detectives that he had watched CSAM with Evans, and that he had sent Evans CSAM from the jail.

During a forensic review of Smolinski’s cellphone, law enforcement discovered multiple files of CSAM, including a video sent to Evans on June 27, 2022. In addition, they located several chat messages between Smolinski and Evans, during which they talked about exploiting children and their sexual attraction to children. On October 28, 2021, Smolinski and Evans discussed performing specific sex acts on children and made future plans to groom children for sex. Evans then sent Smolinski a photograph she had taken of a child to whom Evans had access, depicting child sexual abuse. 

Brandon Paul Smolinksi was sentenced in June 2023 to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse.

“The sentencing of Meggin Evans for production of child sexual abuse material, and her husband’s sentencing earlier this year for distribution, is a testament to the commitment of the detectives and special agents who work relentlessly to combat the sexual abuse of children,” said Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville. “Working alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, we remain committed in our resolve to identify and rescue child victims and bringing child sexual predators to justice.”       

This case was investigated by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Donnell Leeman Moore, Jr. (37, Lakeland) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and distributing methamphetamine and cocaine. The court also ordered Moore to forfeit a firearm, which was used in the conspiracy. Moore entered a guilty plea on July 17, 2024.

According to court documents, between June 2021 and September 2023, Moore conspired with several co-conspirators to distribute narcotics from Moore’s industrial garage in Lakeland. Moore distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other narcotics. As part of the investigation, agents identified the co-conspirators and seized hundreds of grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Agents also recovered a firearm and packaging materials in Moore’s garage. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy M. Berger has sentenced Mar’Kesie Williams (28, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for possessing a machinegun. Williams entered a guilty plea on June 28, 2024.

According to court documents, on March 6, 2023, a property manager at an apartment complex in Jacksonville reported that while cleaning a vacant apartment they discovered Williams inside, armed with a firearm. Officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s responded to the apartment complex, arrested Williams, and located the firearm on top of a mattress. Williams subsequently admitted to possessing the firearm, which was a loaded Glock pistol equipped with a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a device that converts a semi-automatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law prohibits the possession of machineguns and Glock switches.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard   has sentenced Matthew Junior Rice (43, Jacksonville) to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rice entered a guilty plea on April 11, 2024.

According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were on patrol when they observed Rice exiting his residence wearing a black bag across his chest. The officers were aware that Rice had an active warrant for his arrest and began to pursue him. Rice observed law enforcement, got on his bike, and went inside a convenience store. When Rice entered the store, he threw the bag he was wearing onto a shelf inside the store. The officers entered the store, arrested Rice, and retrieved the bag. Inside the bag was a loaded 9mm pistol, 32 small bags of Flakka, marijuana, and additional drug paraphernalia. Rice was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including narcotics sales and illegal firearm possession. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard   has sentenced Dondre Shauntrell Rosier (44, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rosier entered a guilty plea on February 27, 2024.

According to court documents, on January May 31, 2022, a confidential informant, along with undercover ATF agents, conducted a controlled purchase of a firearm from Rosier at his residence. Rosier sold a 9mm handgun to the undercover agents for $660. The firearm was loaded with 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition and had an extended magazine. Rosier is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marvin Fredrick Wagner, II (25, Oviedo) with one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of receipt of CSAM. If convicted, Wagner faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the attempted production offense and a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt offense. 

According to the indictment, the conduct underlying the attempted production offense took place between June 23 and October 11, 2023. Wagner received CSAM on October 11, 2023.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Elijah Noah Petit-Frere (24, Orlando) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Petit-Frere faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Petit-Frere is currently detained pending the resolution of the case. 

According to the indictment, on March 11, 2024, Petit-Frere possessed a firearm and ammunition. He was previously convicted of felony offenses, including carrying a concealed firearm, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Alan Ellis Gillespie, Jr. (31, Ocala) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Gillespie faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Gillespie is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. 

According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, on August 27, 2024, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle. Gillespie exited that vehicle through the passenger door and fled on foot. During the chase, Gillespie threw a backpack on the ground. Once Gillespie was apprehended, a search of his backpack revealed an AK-47 style pistol loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Gillespie had previous state felony convictions for battery – prior offense, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of cannabis more than 20 grams. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) with 10 counts of bank fraud. Yacoub faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Yacoub that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $181,540.51, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, from at least January 2021 until approximately February 2023, Yacoub made dozens of fraudulent deposits and withdrawals on behalf of his companies, Visionary Auto Body LLC, and Visionary Auto Care LLC, at financial institutions throughout the Middle District of Florida. Yacoub opened and maintained business bank accounts in the name of his companies and executed two primary fraud schemes.

In the first scheme, Yacoub deposited the same previously deposited checks into various business banking accounts that he controlled at different financial institutions, knowing that the checks had previously been deposited and paid, causing the victim banks to credit his accounts for the amount of the check.

In the second scheme, Yacoub drafted fraudulent business checks from closed business bank accounts and then deposit these checks into other active business banking accounts that he controlled, causing the banks to credit him with the amount of the fraudulent business check.

Under both schemes Yacoub attempted to withdraw, transfer, or otherwise spend the funds credited to his accounts before the financial institution realized that the checks were fraudulent.

Yacoub is currently in federal custody. On July 31, 2024, he was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for violating airport security requirements and attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft after bringing a Glock 19 and assorted ammunition into Tampa International Airport.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.