Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Brandon Eugene Brooke (30, DeBary) has pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Brooke faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between April 14 and October 10, 2022, Brooke purchased 69 firearms. Many of the firearms were identical and were purchased together or close in time to one another. On October 13, 2022, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) questioned Brooke regarding his repeated purchases of identical firearms from federal firearms license dealers (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 purchase and sell firearms to third parties, in violation of federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker today sentenced Judy Grace Sellers to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to submit false tax returns and defraud the U.S. Treasury, substantive counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, and filing a false lien against the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, followed by a consecutive four-year sentence for failure to appear. Sellers was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $23,264.08, representing the unrecovered loss from the tax counts. Sellers originally was indicted in December 2014. Her indictment was superseded to add a charge for absconding while on bond in February 2024. She was convicted on all counts by a federal jury on March 1, 2024.

According to evidence presented at trial, in 2008 and 2009, Sellers operated a website called commercialredemption.com on which she promoted the use of IRS Form 1099-OID to commit tax fraud. Sellers identified as a “sovereign citizen” and perpetuated the false premise that the U.S. Treasury maintains secret accounts attributed to every U.S. citizen that can be drawn on by filing a series of bogus documents with the Treasury and other government entities. 

As part of this fraud scheme, Sellers also promoted the use of IRS Form 1099-OID to fraudulently report to the IRS debts – including mortgages, student loans, credit card debts, and court judgments – as income, along with 100% withholdings of that “income” in informational returns to overcome the IRS’s internal controls and induce the IRS to issue refunds that were not owed. The proper use of the 1099-OID form is for companies such as brokers to report to the IRS income received by the purchaser of a discounted security. Sellers personally created and submitted to the IRS 1099-OID forms that were fraudulent on their face. After submitting the fraudulent 1099-OID forms, Sellers’s co-conspirators prepared and submitted fraudulent returns seeking massive refunds, in one case exceeding half a million dollars on a single return. All these refunds were based on non-existent 1099-OID “income” and withholdings. The conspiracy resulted in the submission of at least 22 returns requesting fraudulent refunds totaling at least $3.4 million from the IRS.

In 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida filed a civil action to enjoin Sellers from promoting her fraudulent scheme on her commercialredemption.com website. In retaliation, Sellers filed a false lien against the then-U.S. Attorney and a Department of Justice tax attorney who was leading the civil action.

In 2014, Sellers was indicted and arrested on charges of tax fraud and filing a false lien. In January 2015, she was placed on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor pending trial. In May 2015, Sellers was granted permission by her probation officer to leave her home to get her hair done in preparation for her pretrial hearing a few days later. The next day, Sellers cut off her GPS ankle monitor, flung it on the side of the highway, and absconded. 

The cut GPS ankle monitor

Sellers was located more than eight and a half years later in New Mexico. Prior to this, Sellers had pleaded guilty to failing to appear for her sentencing in her previous federal counterfeiting case in 2002. In her previous case, Sellers was apprehended living under a false name in Mississippi.

“Today's sentencing emphasizes our resolve in pursuing those who attempt to corrupt our nation's tax system,” said Lani Rosado-Espinal, Acting Special Agent in Charge, CI Tampa Field Office. “No one is above the law in this great nation. Our law enforcement partners are just as committed as we are to ensuring that those seeking to live above the law are brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly Milliron.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Michael Barrington Douglas (52, Winter Garden) to two years and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. As part of his sentence, Douglas also must pay restitution to the Florida Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Douglas entered a guilty plea on January 17, 2024.

According to court documents, Douglas was born in Jamaica and entered the United States on an immigrant visa in 1991. In 1999, an immigration judge ordered Douglas removed from the United States after he was convicted of felony firearm and drug offenses. Douglas, however, never departed the United States. Instead, he assumed the identity of J.M., a U.S. citizen, and remained in the United States.

On April 8, 2021, Douglas obtained a Florida driver license in J.M.’s name and date of birth. To obtain the driver license, Douglas falsely claimed he was a U.S. citizen and presented J.M.’s birth certificate and Social Security card.

Because Douglas was not authorized to work in the United States following his removal order, he used J.M.’s identity to apply for and obtain employment. Douglas worked at a hotel in Lake Buena Vista from 2012 to 2023. He was furloughed for a period during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he applied for and received unemployment insurance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits using J.M.’s identity.  

Douglas also used J.M’s identity to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which he received and spent at various locations in the Middle District of Florida.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro and Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mehdi Tazi (29, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and a substantive count of aggravated identity theft. Tazi entered a guilty plea on February 2, 2024. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Tazi to pay $1,070,647 in restitution, jointly with his co-conspirators who were previously sentenced for the below listed offenses.

Name (Age, City)

Charges

Sentence Imposed

Steve Aloysius Moodie Jr.

(36, Tampa)

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft

5 years, 10 months

Tyree Wingfield

(26, Dade City)

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and aggravated identity theft 5 years, 10 months

Melinda Sue Hernandez

(35, Sun City Center)

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and  aggravated identity theft 3 years, 6 months

According to court documents, from approximately June 2020 through April 2021, the conspirators obtained personal identifying information (PII) of others without their knowledge. Hernandez was employed as a medical assistant at a Tampa Bay area hospital and gained access to patient PII, which she shared with Moodie. Thereafter, Tazi, Moodie, and Wingfield used that PII and that of others to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to various state workforce agencies to obtain UI benefits. These UI benefits were then transferred to bank accounts or loaded onto debit cards issued in the names of others. Tazi, Moodie, Wingfield, and Hernandez then used the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs and for other personal items. Law enforcement calculated the total intended loss caused by the fraudulent UI claims to be between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

In March 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who were not ordinarily eligible for benefits.

On May 17, 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, among other methods, 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 https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that Pen Yu, also known as Ben Yu, 51, of Gibsonton, Florida, and Gregory Muñoz, 45, of Minneola, Florida, have each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently procure deeply discounted products from Massachusetts biochemical company Sigma-Aldrich Inc., doing business as MilliporeSigma, and export them to China using falsified export documents.

In addition, the Justice Department announced that it has declined the prosecution of MilliporeSigma after considering the factors set forth in the Department’s Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations and the National Security Division Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations (NSD Enforcement Policy). The NSD Enforcement Policy creates a presumption that companies that (1) voluntarily self-disclose to NSD potentially criminal violations arising out of or relating to the enforcement of export control or sanctions laws, (2) fully cooperate, and (3) timely and appropriately remediate will generally receive a non-prosecution agreement, unless aggravating factors are present. This is the first time that NSD has declined the prosecution of a company under the NSD Enforcement Policy.

“When a business uncovers criminal wrongdoing within its ranks, the company is far better off reporting the violation than waiting for the Justice Department to discover it,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “That’s exactly what MilliporeSigma did in the first-ever corporate declination under our National Security Division’s voluntary self-disclosure program. Because of MilliporeSigma’s timely disclosure and exceptional cooperation, a rogue company insider and his accomplice pled guilty to fraudulently diverting millions of dollars worth of biochemicals to China, and the company will not be prosecuted. As national security and corporate crime increasingly intersect, companies that step up and own up under the Department’s voluntary self-disclosure programs can help themselves and our nation.”

“When MilliporeSigma found evidence that one of its employees was diverting biochemical products to an unauthorized purchaser in China, they did not sweep the misconduct under the rug. Instead, the company made the early decision to cooperate with the Justice Department, resulting in the convictions of responsible individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcement reflects the value for companies like MilliporeSigma to quickly self-disclose potential criminal activity and reaffirms our commitment to work in partnership with the private sector to root out conduct that violates the law and jeopardizes our national security.”

“When company and university insiders abuse the trust that their institutions place in them, they will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Here, Millipore Sigma’s prompt disclosures led to the uncovering of this multimillion- dollar criminal enterprise, and enabled law enforcement to disrupt the scheme and stop further illegal exports to China. These disclosures led to the seizure of multiple illegal shipments to China and the conviction of two of the most culpable participants in the scheme. Millipore Sigma’s prompt and full cooperation was essential in obtaining this result.”

“Faking an affiliation with an academic research lab to obtain controlled biochemical materials, and then sending those materials to China, is not only wrong, but illegal,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “Today’s announcement provides yet another fact pattern for universities to beware of — the misuse of academic institutions by outsiders who seek to obscure the actual customer of controlled items.”  

According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2016 and continuing through at least May 2023, Yu ordered biochemical products from MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of multinational science and technology company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with help from Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma salesperson, by falsely representing that Yu was affiliated with a biology research lab at a large Florida university. This fictitious affiliation led MilliporeSigma to provide Yu over $4.9 million worth of discounts and other benefits, such as free overnight shipping, not available to the public. Yu gave Muñoz thousands of dollars in gift cards for facilitating these fraudulent discounted orders. When the products arrived at the university stockroom, a stockroom employee diverted the products to Yu, who repackaged them and shipped them to China. To avoid scrutiny, Yu made false statements about the value and contents of these shipments in export documents.

This scheme continued until MilliporeSigma compliance personnel identified certain orders as suspicious, prompting the company to retain outside counsel who voluntarily disclosed the misconduct to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division only a week later. MilliporeSigma made the disclosure well before its counsel had completed their investigation and understood the full nature and extent of the scheme. MilliporeSigma offered exceptional cooperation to the prosecution team, including by proactively identifying and producing documents to the Department that established probable cause to search residences and electronic devices of culpable individuals. MilliporeSigma’s cooperation allowed investigators to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the scheme, including Yu and Muñoz, and secure their felony guilty pleas. As a result of MilliporeSigma’s timely self-disclosure and extraordinary cooperation, MilliporeSigma will not be charged, despite the criminal wrongdoing committed by Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma employee.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases.

Note: View the information and plea agreement for Yu.
View the information and plea agreement for Muñoz.

View the declination letter here.

The Justice Department today announced that Pen Yu, also known as Ben Yu, 51, of Gibsonton, Florida, and Gregory Muñoz, 45, of Minneola, Florida, have each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently procure deeply discounted products from Massachusetts biochemical company Sigma-Aldrich Inc., doing business as MilliporeSigma, and export them to China using falsified export documents.

In addition, the Justice Department announced that it has declined the prosecution of MilliporeSigma after considering the factors set forth in the Department’s Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations and the National Security Division Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations (NSD Enforcement Policy). The NSD Enforcement Policy creates a presumption that companies that (1) voluntarily self-disclose to NSD potentially criminal violations arising out of or relating to the enforcement of export control or sanctions laws, (2) fully cooperate, and (3) timely and appropriately remediate will generally receive a non-prosecution agreement, unless aggravating factors are present. This is the first time that NSD has declined the prosecution of a company under the NSD Enforcement Policy.

“When a business uncovers criminal wrongdoing within its ranks, the company is far better off reporting the violation than waiting for the Justice Department to discover it,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “That’s exactly what MilliporeSigma did in the first-ever corporate declination under our National Security Division’s voluntary self-disclosure program. Because of MilliporeSigma’s timely disclosure and exceptional cooperation, a rogue company insider and his accomplice pled guilty to fraudulently diverting millions of dollars worth of biochemicals to China, and the company will not be prosecuted. As national security and corporate crime increasingly intersect, companies that step up and own up under the Department’s voluntary self-disclosure programs can help themselves and our nation.”

“When MilliporeSigma found evidence that one of its employees was diverting biochemical products to an unauthorized purchaser in China, they did not sweep the misconduct under the rug. Instead, the company made the early decision to cooperate with the Justice Department, resulting in the convictions of responsible individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcement reflects the value for companies like MilliporeSigma to quickly self-disclose potential criminal activity and reaffirms our commitment to work in partnership with the private sector to root out conduct that violates the law and jeopardizes our national security.”

“When company and university insiders abuse the trust that their institutions place in them, they will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Here, Millipore Sigma’s prompt disclosures led to the uncovering of this multimillion- dollar criminal enterprise, and enabled law enforcement to disrupt the scheme and stop further illegal exports to China. These disclosures led to the seizure of multiple illegal shipments to China and the conviction of two of the most culpable participants in the scheme. Millipore Sigma’s prompt and full cooperation was essential in obtaining this result.”

“Faking an affiliation with an academic research lab to obtain controlled biochemical materials, and then sending those materials to China, is not only wrong, but illegal,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “Today’s announcement provides yet another fact pattern for universities to beware of — the misuse of academic institutions by outsiders who seek to obscure the actual customer of controlled items.”  

According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2016 and continuing through at least May 2023, Yu ordered biochemical products from MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of multinational science and technology company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with help from Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma salesperson, by falsely representing that Yu was affiliated with a biology research lab at a large Florida university. This fictitious affiliation led MilliporeSigma to provide Yu over $4.9 million worth of discounts and other benefits, such as free overnight shipping, not available to the public. Yu gave Muñoz thousands of dollars in gift cards for facilitating these fraudulent discounted orders. When the products arrived at the university stockroom, a stockroom employee diverted the products to Yu, who repackaged them and shipped them to China. To avoid scrutiny, Yu made false statements about the value and contents of these shipments in export documents.

This scheme continued until MilliporeSigma compliance personnel identified certain orders as suspicious, prompting the company to retain outside counsel who voluntarily disclosed the misconduct to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division only a week later. MilliporeSigma made the disclosure well before its counsel had completed their investigation and understood the full nature and extent of the scheme. MilliporeSigma offered exceptional cooperation to the prosecution team, including by proactively identifying and producing documents to the Department that established probable cause to search residences and electronic devices of culpable individuals. MilliporeSigma’s cooperation allowed investigators to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the scheme, including Yu and Muñoz, and secure their felony guilty pleas. As a result of MilliporeSigma’s timely self-disclosure and extraordinary cooperation, MilliporeSigma will not be charged, despite the criminal wrongdoing committed by Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma employee.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases.

Declination letter Yu information Yu plea agreement Munoz information Munoz plea agreement

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Scott Fogg (37, Altoona) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Fogg faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the court records, Fogg has been convicted of eight felonies since 2008, including burglary, grand theft, and illegal drug possession. On August 28, 2023, Fogg approached his girlfriend who was seated in a truck with her minor children. Fogg entered the truck, took his girlfriend’s pistol out of the center console, pulled back the slide, and told her that was going to shoot all of them. Responding deputies subsequently took Fogg into custody and recovered the loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Fogg is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.  

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

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 Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Donald Plemmons (45, Clyo, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement and representation to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Plemmons faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the court records, in March 2023, Plemmons completed an ATF Form 4473 during the attempted purchase of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. On the form, Plemmons indicated that he was not subject to a protective order retraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening a child or an intimate partner or child of such partner. That statement was false in that, in January 2023, Plemmons was subject to a court order from the Superior Court for the County of Effingham, Georgia, which restrained him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or their family.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. 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 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Crystal Windham (41, Summerfield) has pleaded guilty to an information charging her with attempting to obtain a controlled substance (hydrocodone) by fraud. Windham faces a maximum penalty of four years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to court documents, between July 2020 and May 2023, Windham purchased more than 21,000 hydrocodone tablets from a pharmacy in Summerfield, Florida. Windham, a former practice manager for a veterinary clinic in Ocala, used forged prescriptions from two veterinarians to acquire the drugs. Many of the prescriptions were for deceased pets or for animals that had never been prescribed hydrocodone by the veterinary practice. On May 9, 2023, Windham went to the pharmacy and again attempted to fill a fraudulent prescription for hydrocodone. She was stopped before doing so. When subsequently interviewed by law enforcement, Windham admitted the scheme by which she had fraudulently obtained the hydrocodone tablets.   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Eric Evan Brown (57, White Springs) with interstate transmission of a threat to injure, threatening a United States Secret Service Protectee, two counts of forcibly assaulting a federal officer without use of a deadly weapon, and two counts of threatening a federal official. If convicted, Brown faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening a federal official, up to 8 years in prison for each count of forcibly assaulting a federal officer, and up to 5 years in prison for the transmission of a threat and threat against a U.S. Secret Service Protectee. Brown made his appearance in federal court on May 20, 2024, and was ordered detained.

According to court documents, on April 7, 2024, Brown posted on X/Twitter a threatening communication to kill the spouse of a former president of the United States. On May 9, 2024, while two U.S. Secret Service agents were conducting a follow up investigation regarding the threat against the Protectee, Brown threatened to assault and murder both agents.

 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 U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office, with assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Joshua Douglas Dodson (41, St. Cloud) to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity and possessing images and videos of children being sexually exploited. Dodson entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2023.

According to court documents, in November 2021, investigators received a cyber tip that Dodson had received child sexual abuse material on a social media platform. When the investigation became public knowledge, a child victim (“CV1”) came forward and told investigators that Dodson asked her to sit on his lap and attempted to touch her by putting his hands down her pants. CV1 stated that these events occurred in March 2020.

CV1 and her mother gave investigators authority to take over CV1’s phone and pose as CV1. During conversations with the investigators posing as CV1, Dodson sent multiple pictures of himself nude and a video of him masturbating.  The conversation continued with Dodson asking for “naughty pics” of CV1’s private parts in exchange. The conversation then turned to a meeting to have sex on a day that CV1 was supposed to be in school. Dodson joked that CV1 had him “...talking and feeling like I’m 15 again.” In their text exchanges, Dodson warned CV1 to be cautious and delete their communications.

A meeting was agreed to between Dodson and the law enforcement officer posing as CV1 for November 7, 2022. When Dodson arrived as scheduled, an arrest team swarmed his truck and seized his cellphone. The phone contained child sex abuse images that appeared to have been taken using a hidden camera.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman

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 the return of an indictment charging James Elliott Davis II (35, Ponte Vedra Beach) with 16 counts of bank fraud, 12 counts of wire fraud, and 1 count of money laundering and theft of mail. If convicted, Davis faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud, up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years in prison for the money laundering count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the theft of mail count, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded.  

According to court documents, from March 2018 through 2022, Davis ran a purported medical supply company named Medisale, Inc. By using false representations, Davis enticed individuals and business entities to invest over $7 million in Medisale. He falsely represented to victim-investors that Medisale was making significant profits on the sale of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). He claimed to have contact with CEOs at various hospitals and that Medisale had contracts with hospitals to sell large volumes of N95 masks and other PPE. As part of his sale’s pitch, Davis showed bank statement with large balances, claiming the money was from the sale of PPE.

In reality, Medisale had no such contracts and had no true revenue from the sale of PPE. Davis kited checks and conducted fraudulent ACH/wire transfers between multiple financial institutions to artificially inflate the apparent balances on his bank accounts. Utilizing victim-investor money, Davis paid off previous debts, paid other investors purported profits from the sale of PPE, and paid for personal expenses. This included Davis using victim-investor money to purchase a membership at a luxury club in Ponte Vedra Beach and spending more than $27,000 on custom clothing.

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 Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging five individuals with conspiracy, 4 counts of wire fraud, 15 counts of access device fraud, and 3 counts of aggravated identity theft. The following individuals have been charged in the indictment in connection with their participation in a multi-state gas pump skimming device conspiracy involving the theft of diesel fuel:

• Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami)
• Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami)
• Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami)
• Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville)
• Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa).

If convicted each faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of access device fraud, up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy count, a consecutive minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, and payment of restitution to the victims they defrauded.   

According to court documents, the individuals worked together, and with others, to place skimmers on gas pumps in the north Florida area and other states. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then used them to purchase primarily diesel fuel. Utilizing vehicles with a bladder/container to pump the fraudulently purchased diesel fuel into, the conspirators would offload the stolen fuel into containers at a fuel yard. The stolen fuel was then sold to a gas station associated with one of the co-conspirators.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Sulton Nuriev (39, Uzbekistan) to 19 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for transportation of child sex abuse materials (CSAM). Nuriev pled guilty on September 26, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 13, 2022, Nuriev left the United States from Orlando, Florida to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. On February 20, 2022, he flew from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Orlando, Florida. Upon Nuriev's reentry to the United States, an agent with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted a border search of Nuriev's cellphone and located child sex abuse images on the phone. Further forensic investigation revealed that while Nuriev was abroad, he was posing online as a 12-year-old boy and enticing minor females to produce sexually explicit images of themselves.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon Laurie and Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones.

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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Cameron Mosley (30, Tampa) to 10 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Mosley pleaded guilty on February 2, 2024.

According to court documents, on March 31, 2023, Mosley spoke on the phone with co-conspirator Enock Edouard and, using a codename, asked for methamphetamine. They also discussed what Mosley’s customers would do with the methamphetamine. Edouard and Mosley later agreed to meet at a restaurant in Tampa. Law enforcement conducted surveillance of the drug transaction and then attempted to pull over Mosley, who fled. Helicopter surveillance captured Mosley throwing an object from his car as he was fleeing from law enforcement. Mosley and Edouard spoke on the phone later that evening and discussed Mosley having to throw the methamphetamine from the car while trying to evade police. Law enforcement arrested Mosley the next day and recovered over 40 grams of methamphetamine from the spot where Mosley was seen throwing the narcotics. 

For his role in this case, Enock Edouard was convicted following a bench trial and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Rigoberto Albizar Martinez (56, Tampa) with making a telephonic threat to damage and destroy a building with an explosive. If convicted, Martinez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on May 1, 2024, Martinez called the District Office of a Member of the United States House of Representatives. During the call, Martinez threatened to place a bomb in the Congressional member’s Tampa office.

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 States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Stephen Jay Thorn (66, Pensacola) has pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of a threat to injure a Federal District Court Judge. Thorn faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on October 24, 2022, Thorn, unhappy with a judicial opinion that he had read about online, made an interstate telephone call to the District Court Judge’s chambers. Thorn left a vulgar, obscenity-laden voicemail threatening to harm the judge as well as members of the judge’s immediate family.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Darrell Hickox (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics, one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, and one count of tax evasion. Hickox faces a combined maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison for these offenses, including a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment for the drug distribution conspiracy. He has agreed to forfeit the money, firearms, and ammunition traceable to these offenses.

According to the plea agreement, while employed as a Nassau County Deputy Sheriff and designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hickox and a co-conspirator engaged in extensive corrupt activity from 2017 to 2023. These acts included the theft of money and illegal drugs that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations; providing illegal drugs (including fentanyl and cocaine) to others to distribute on his behalf; and hiding from the Internal Revenue Service more than $420,000 Hickox had received as a result of his criminal activities. Hickox and his co-conspirator stole more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from evidence and provided the drugs to others to sell on their behalf. They had covered up the theft by submitting falsified paperwork showing that the marijuana had been destroyed. Similarly, the conspirators stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and gave it to a drug dealer to sell for them.

When Hickox’s residence was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant on March 10, 2023, agents found approximately 263 grams of a powder containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine. Hickox intended to distribute these substances. Agents also found a rifle that Hickox had illegally modified to function as a machinegun, as well as four additional firearms that had been seized during law enforcement investigations and should have been entered into evidence or been lawfully destroyed. Hickox had drilled out and obliterated the serial number on one of these firearms. Agents also located more than $195,000 in cash proceeds from Hickox’s illicit activities. A search of Hickox’s workspace at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office revealed another 260 pills containing methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection wish to thank the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their cooperation during this investigation.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced James Battle, Jr. (29, Palm Harbor) to 10 years in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery. Battle entered a guilty plea on January 22, 2024.   

According to court documents, on the morning of June 9, 2023, Battle and Carlos Keanu Smith met for the purposes of robbing an armored truck. They followed the armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to eastern Hillsborough County before eventually reaching a gas station in Ellenton. Toll records from the Florida Department of Transportation show Battle’s vehicle following seconds behind the targeted armored truck that morning. Surveillance video showed the vehicle also following the armored truck to other locations before conducting the robbery at the gas station in Ellenton when the driver returned to his vehicle. Battle and Smith approached the victim with pistols pointed at him, forcing him to the ground. They stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck.

Smith pleaded guilty on December 14, 2023. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2024. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench. 

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, Florida – U.S. District Judge Katheryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Anthony Green (71, New Port Richey) to 15 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $163,379.76, the proceeds of the offense. Green entered a guilty plea on January 24, 2024.

According to court documents, Green’s mother, E.G., received Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). E.G. passed away in October 2014. At the time of her death, her benefits were being sent via U.S. Treasury check, and the VA continued to issue these checks on behalf of E.G. after her death. Green forged E.G.’s signature on each monthly benefit check and deposited the checks into a bank account he controlled. In total, Green knowingly and willfully stole or converted approximately $163,379 in VA DIC.

“This sentence should send a message that the VA Office of Inspector General will vigorously investigate those who would fraudulently exploit VA programs intended to benefit surviving family members of deceased veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”       

This case was investigated by the Veterans Affairs - Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that U.S. District Judge William F. Jung found Enock Edouard (37, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and criminal contempt, following a bench trial. Edouard faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Edouard was arrested on April 22, 2023, and ordered detained.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between 2021 and 2023, Edouard was part of a drug trafficking network that operated throughout the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, including California. Working with others, Edouard moved methamphetamine and fentanyl originating in Mexico, shipped to California in car tires, then shipped or transported the drugs to Orlando and Tampa. Edouard carried large amounts of cash to California to purchase the narcotics, then utilized various accomplices to hide narcotics in boxes and suitcases for distribution in Florida. At trial, one co-conspirator described Edouard as “the only person between me and the cartels,” and estimated that Edouard sold him over 300 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 10 months.

Edouard was arrested in Las Vegas. A search warrant executed at his apartment in downtown Tampa resulted in the recovery of additional fentanyl and a firearm. Law enforcement ultimately seized 15 firearms, 2 hand grenades, more than 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than $80,000 in cash from Edouard and his co-conspirators.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Diego F. Novaes.

An indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging seven men with racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in connection with their alleged participation in a large-scale gas pump skimming device organization.

According to court documents, the defendants, led by Eduardo Rodriguez, also known as Ogbe Bara, 40, of Fort Myers, Florida, allegedly installed skimming devices on gas pumps throughout the United States to fraudulently collect credit and debit card information from customers. From 2014 to April 2024, they allegedly used the stolen card data to create fraudulent credit and debit cards, which they used to purchase items including gift cards and electronics, to make ATM withdrawals, and to make cashback purchases from retail stores. Members and associates of the organization also used “fences” to sell the illegally obtained items for cash. The defendants also allegedly engaged in acts involving access device fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and the sale and receipt of stolen goods.

In addition to Eduardo Rodriguez, the following defendants have been charged in the indictment:

• Idalberto Rivero, also known as El Monstro, El Mostro, and Monster, 53, of Miami
• Anyelo Jesus Muino Ayala, also known as Justin Bieber, 26, of Miami
• Pedro Raul Zequeira Alvarez, also known as Yery Yery, 33, of Miami
• Raul Ferrao Pons, also known as Rauli and Ninja, 32, of Miami
• Jorge Enrique Fonseca Vazquez, also known as Ogberoso, 32, of Miami
• Luis Gustavo Diaz, also known as Ogberdi, 39, of Miami

The defendants are charged with one count of RICO conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan of the FBI Norfolk Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Norfolk, Miami, Tampa, New York, and Albany Field Offices and Ft. Myers Resident Agency; U.S. Secret Service; Virginia State Police; Northampton County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office; Norfolk Police Department; and Mooresville (North Carolina) Police Department are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Taylor and Clayton D. LaForge for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Florida, the District of New Jersey, and the Southern District of New York.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Antonio Jose Melean Reyes (29, Jacksonville) and Gabriel Daniel Pinnace (32, Jacksonville) each to six years in federal prison for smuggling firearms outside of the United States. On January 3, 2024, Reyes pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiring to use a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. On January 17, 2024, Pinnace pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and knowingly making a materially false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2021, Reyes and Pinnace attempted to smuggle 3 firearms and 57 rounds of ammunition from Jacksonville to Venezuela. Prior to that date, Reyes enlisted Pinnace to purchase the firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers with knowledge that the firearms would be sent to Venezuela. Pinnace purchased the firearms after falsifying ATF Forms 4473, which are required for all firearms purchases. After purchasing the firearms, Pinnace attempted to destroy the serial numbers on the firearms and provided them to Reyes, who then concealed the firearms and ammunition in a futon that he attempted to mail using a freight forwarding service. Employees from the freight forwarder observed the firearms during a routine x-ray of the parcel and contacted law enforcement. On May 22, 2021, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami seized the three firearms, which included a Glock 17 pistol and two Smith and Wesson M&P 15 rifles. Forensic technicians at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) restored the obliterated serial numbers, which allowed ATF agents in Jacksonville to trace the firearms back to Pinnace. On May 24, 2021, after learning law enforcement had seized the firearms, Pinnace reported the firearms as stolen.

Following Reyes’s arrest on unrelated state charges on August 11, 2023, federal agents from ATF, HSI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched Reyes’s cellphone and found conversations between Reyes and Pinnace discussing trafficking firearms to Venezuela. Agents also learned Reyes was involved in a murder-for-hire plot. Between July 12 and August 9, 2023, Reyes and others surveilled two intended victims at various locations around Jacksonville, including outside their home, to murder the victims over a $60,000 debt. Reyes had also asked Pinnace to hire a hitman for $15,000. Federal agents intervened and arrested Reyes on a criminal complaint.

On August 26, 2023, ATF, HSI and CBP agents conducted an undercover operation to purchase firearms directly from Pinnace. That morning, Pinnace met with an undercover agent and agreed to sell the agent three firearms. That afternoon, agents surveilled Pinnace as he drove to a gun store in Jacksonville, where he falsified another ATF Form 4473 and purchased two firearms. After leaving the gun store, Pinnace met with the undercover agent and sold the agent the three firearms and instructed the agent to destroy the serial numbers. Agents also arrested Pinnace on a criminal complaint. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.

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 unsealing of an indictment charging Lee Ann Roberts (42, Altamonte Springs) with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possession of unregistered machineguns and silencers. If convicted, Roberts faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers. The indictment also notifies Roberts that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms, silencers, and ammunition involved in the offense.

According to the indictment, Roberts is a four-time convicted felon. Despite knowing that she was a felon, on February 12, 2024, Roberts possessed a Savage Arms rifle and ammunition. As a convicted felon, she is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Roberts also possessed two AR-type machineguns and three silencers. None of the machineguns or silencers were registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

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 – Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, pleaded guilty to 25 felony counts in Florida federal court, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, seven counts of money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), four counts of violating the ECRA, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act.

According to court documents, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the U.S. Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, U.S. Navy Submarines, U.S. Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and U.S. Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.

To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and to U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. And, as Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a nearly identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.

In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer – and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States – Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and despite the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.

Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them – making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.

Senbol faces up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States offense and for each count of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate the ECRA, violating the ECRA and violating the Arms Export Control Act. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6. Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.

This case was investigated by the FBI; General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, pleaded guilty to 25 felony counts in Florida federal court, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, seven counts of money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), four counts of violating the ECRA, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act.

According to court documents, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the U.S. Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, U.S. Navy Submarines, U.S. Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and U.S. Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.

To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and to U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. And, as Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a nearly identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.

In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer – and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States – Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and despite the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.

Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them – making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.

Senbol faces up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States offense and for each count of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate the ECRA, violating the ECRA and violating the Arms Export Control Act. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6. Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.

This case was investigated by the FBI; General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Avinash Singh (42, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Singh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count. Singh has also agreed to an order of forfeiture in the amount of $57 million, as well to the forfeiture of two personal residences, which were purchased with the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme and involved in the money laundering offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Singh operated a company by the name of Highrise Advantage, LLC. From February 2013 to September 2020, Singh solicited and received more than $57 million from over 1,100 victims that was to be invested in retail foreign currency contracts (“forex”) through Highrise. To induce his victims to invest, Singh claimed that he had a proven track record of success as a forex trader, that he was going to use the funds for investments in forex, and that he would “guarantee” that his victims would not lose any funds for any trading losses. None of these representations were true.

Rather than invest his victims’ funds in forex trading as he had promised, Singh used funds from one investor to pay amounts owed to another investor. Singh did not invest the funds that he promised to invest. Instead, Singh misappropriated at least $45 million in the form of payments to other investors and millions of dollars in personal expenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the St. Cloud IRS Federal Financial Crimes Task Force, and the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda S. Daniels. The asset recovery is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.

Tampa, FL – Today, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-led joint task force, designed to bring justice to Tampa’s most violent drug traffickers, announced the results of a 5-month, concentrated law enforcement effort.  Roger Handberg, United States Attorney (USA) for the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) and Deanne Reuter, the DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge (SAC), joined Tampa Police Department (PD) Chief Lee Bercaw, and representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Tampa Field Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Tampa Field Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Tampa Regional Operations Center (TBROC), and the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) - 13th Judicial Circuit, to make the announcement this morning in Tampa, Florida. 

In 2022, DEA initiated Operation Overdrive, a data-driven, intelligence-led approach using national crime statistics and CDC data to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and overdose deaths across the country, in order to devote its law enforcement resources to where they will have the most impact: the communities where criminal drug networks are causing the most harm.  

Starting in October 2022 the DEA Tampa District Office-led team of local, state, and federal partners mapped, identified, arrested, and prosecuted more than a dozen drug-traffickers in three investigations under Operation Overdrive Tampa. Beginning in October 2022 through March 2023, investigators seized 2.1 kilograms of cocaine, 4.07 kilograms of fentanyl, 3.82 kilograms of methamphetamine, .05 kilograms of oxycodone, .65 kilograms of marijuana, and .82 grams of heroin.    

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime and overdose deaths in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “That goal cannot be accomplished without the hard work and dedication of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to make the Tampa Bay area safer for its citizens.” 

“Inherently, drug trafficking is linked to crime and violence, and no community, including Tampa, is immune. Operation Overdrive is an example of the important work we do together to keep our communities safe,” said Miami DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “These results are a testament to the dangerous and important work of law enforcement, and the critical role our local, state and federal partner play in supporting their communities.” 

"The success of ’Operation Overdrive’ is another example of the power of partnerships," said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. "By working together with our federal partners at the DEA, we were able to target the root causes of drug-related violence and overdoses in our community. The results of this joint initiative demonstrate our shared dedication to data-driven policing and our commitment to making Tampa safer, together." 

FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said, “Fentanyl continues to be one of the top threats facing Florida and our nation and FDLE continues to tackle the issue head-on.  We are committed to taking down entire drug rings and doing all we can to protect our Florida families.” 

“I commend our statewide and local law enforcement partners for working collaboratively to tackle the fentanyl crisis that is impacting so many of our communities,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez. “My office will vigorously prosecute drug dealers that are inflicting pain and suffering on families who have lost loved ones due to drug overdose. Together, we will continue to make meaningful strides toward reducing the number of fentanyl deaths and violent crime on the streets of Hillsborough County.” 

The DEA Tampa DO and Tampa PD led the Operation Overdrive Tampa investigations with substantial assistance from ATF Tampa, USPIS Tampa, and FDLE – Tampa Bay ROC.  The USAO MDFL and SAO – 13th Judicial Circuit handled the prosecutions.   

If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line at Submit a Tip | DEA.gov.  Concerns about prescription drug abuse or diversion can be reported to the DEA through this link: RX Abuse Online Reporting (usdoj.gov). 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh,” (25, Fort Myers) to 45 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. Harris, Jr.’s co-defendant, Latrel Jackson, aka “Kobe,” (26, Chicago, Illinois), is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2024, and faces a mandatory term of life imprisonment.

According to court documents, in November 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, Latrel Jackson and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals he believed had robbed a Fort Myers residence from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”

With the agreement to retaliate against Bucktown in place, Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon their arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in Fort Myers but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.

On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and, at close range, opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the residence via a gunshot wound of the head.

After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago area via commercial bus on November 3, 2019.

During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Expert testing and examination of the firearms by ATF confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with the assistance of the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

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 – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Jonnetric Devonte Ivey (30, Fort Myers) to 21 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Ivey to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed during the offense. Ivey pleaded guilty on January 23, 2024.

According to court documents, on March 22, 2023, Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a traffic stop on a scooter being driven by Ivey. Prior to complying with the deputies’ demand to stop the scooter, Ivey made a throwing motion. In the same area where the throwing motion was made, deputies located a loaded Taurus pistol. DNA evidence later linked Ivey to the loaded pistol.

Ivey is a convicted felon; therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Note: View the settlement here.

Tampa, FL – Baptist Health System Inc. (Baptist Health), located in Florida, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing its subsidiaries to offer discounts to patients to induce them to purchase or refer Baptist Health services reimbursed by federal health care programs. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Baptist Health took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government’s investigation.

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal healthcare programs from knowingly and willfully paying or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of, any item or services for which payment is made by the federal healthcare programs. The United States alleged that Baptist Health subsidiaries provided discounts of up to 50% or more on patient cost sharing obligation balances for certain categories of Medicare beneficiaries, chosen by Baptist Health, without regard to any financial need consideration, during the period from Jan. 1, 2016, through Aug. 15, 2022. The United States contends that Baptist Health subsidiaries provided these discounts in exchange for the beneficiaries’ purchase or referral of services by certain categories of Medicare beneficiaries from Baptist Health subsidiaries.

Baptist Health voluntarily self-disclosed this conduct to the United States. In addition, Baptist Health cooperated with the government’s investigation and took remedial measures, including discontinuing its discount policy, conducting an internal compliance review and providing the United States with a detailed disclosure statement and other supplemental information to assist the United States in its investigation.

“The department will continue to rely on the False Claims Act to address the use of prohibited remuneration to induce federal healthcare business,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We encourage providers to mitigate the consequences of prior improper conduct by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with our investigations and adopting enhanced compliance procedures.”

“This settlement is a great example of our office’s commitment to protecting and preserving taxpayer-funded healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Self-disclosures like this not only help crucial federal healthcare programs to recoup funds, but are also in the best interests of healthcare providers themselves.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.  

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Trial Attorney Michael Hoffman of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.

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

###

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Barrett Purvis (54, Tampa) guilty of wire fraud and money laundering. Purvis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering offense. Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2024. Purvis was indicted on March 30, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Purvis applied for and received a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2021. Although he applied on behalf of a legitimate small business he owned and operated, Purvis never intended to use any of the loan proceeds on working capital as required by the terms of the loan agreement. Instead, Purvis spent approximately half of the proceeds on gambling debt and the rest on other personal debt, including debt incurred on his girlfriend’s three credit cards. Within two weeks of receiving the loan, Purvis had used nearly all the proceeds on personal expenses, unrelated to any legitimate business.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

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. 

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Rovonte Lamar Daniels (29, Sanford) and Frederick Lee Brown (31, Sanford) each with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Daniels and Brown each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Brown and Daniels that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms and ammunition involved in the offense.

 According to the indictment, Daniels has previously been convicted of four felony offenses and Brown has previously been convicted of five felony offenses.  Despite knowing they were felons, Brown and Daniels each possessed a Canik firearm on December 13, 2023. As convicted felons, Brown and Daniels are 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

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, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of indictments charging Antonio Resendiz-Badillo (39, Mexico) and Erlin Maradiaga-Flores (30, Honduras) with aggravated identity theft, misuse of Social Security numbers, and making false statements regarding citizenship with the intent to engage unlawfully in employment. If convicted on all counts, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years, up to 12 years, in federal prison.   

 According to the indictments, Resendiz-Badillo and Maradiaga-Flores misused the names and Social Security numbers of others and falsely claimed to be United States citizens with the intent to engage unlawfully in employment.

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 (HSI), the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced William Daniel Leonard (55, Maryland) to 20 years in federal prison for using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The court also ordered Leonard to forfeit a cellphone which was used to commit the offense. Leonard was found guilty after a two-day trial on October 12, 2023.

According to evidence and testimony introduced during the trial and sentencing hearing, Leonard reached out to an undercover agent who was posing online as the father of a 13-year-old daughter. Leonard expressed interest in meeting the “child” for sex and spent the next three weeks planning his trip from Maryland to Florida. During the same time that he was making plans to come to Florida, Leonard was talking to two other minors online, a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl.

Leonard traveled to North Carolina on November 19, 2021, to see the 14-year-old girl after deciphering her address from a digital photograph that she had sent to Leonard. On December 7, 2021, Leonard arrived in Florida with two boxes of condoms to meet the notional 13-year-old girl, where he was met by law enforcement officers and arrested.

“This predator sought to betray the innocence of a child, and his sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Today's sentencing underscores HSI’s commitment to the relentless pursuit of those who threaten the safety and securing of our children.”           

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie McNeff and Amanda Daniels.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Bobby Peterson (41, St. Petersburg) guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and distribution of fentanyl. Peterson faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2024.

Peterson was arrested on February 18, 2022, and detained.

According to testimony, evidence presented at trial, and court records Peterson was a supplier of fentanyl and other controlled substances in Pinellas County. On May 12, 2020, Peterson distributed fentanyl to Jacqueline Schnieder who in turn distributed some of the fentanyl to a friend, M.G. A few hours later, M.G. died of fentanyl toxicity. On the same day, Peterson communicated with another individual, L.O., about the sale of fentanyl. Hours later, L.O. also died of fentanyl toxicity.

When Peterson was told about M.G.’s death, he expressed no remorse and instead responded, “they know what they’re doing.” After Peterson became aware that M.G. had died from the fentanyl he distributed, Peterson continued to sell fentanyl. On February 5, 2021, Peterson sold fentanyl to an undercover detective.

Jacqueline Schnieder previously pleaded guilty for her role in this case and is pending sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas Park Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation 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 Lauren Stoia.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Basilio Jim Diaz (Hernando, 64) to 14 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for destruction of evidence and accessing with intent to view child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Diaz to forfeit electronic devices, which were used in the commission of the offense, register as a sex offender, and pay $38,000 in restitution. A federal jury found Diaz guilty on January 10, 2024.  

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on March 9, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Diaz’s home seeking evidence of child exploitation. When the FBI announced their presence, Diaz refused to exit his home. FBI SWAT members used an armored vehicle to break through the front door and obtain a visual inside the home. The SWAT agents also deployed two drones to better assess the situation inside the home. After nearly an hour, Diaz had disabled one of the drones and was in the process of disabling the second drone when SWAT agents entered the home and detained Diaz. A search of the home revealed that Diaz had spent those 45 - 50 minutes destroying evidence. Despite Diaz’s efforts, the FBI used forensic tools to recover thousands of images and videos depicting the child sexual abuse and exploitation of children from Diaz’s laptop. Agents also recovered two child-like sex dolls.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and task force officers from the Tampa Police Department and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Ross D. 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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that five individuals have pleaded guilty to a total of 35 counts of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, concealment money laundering, and structuring in an international scheme to hide proceeds of computer fraud committed on victims throughout the nation. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of structuring.

Defendant

Date of Guilty Plea

Count(s) in Indictment to Which Defendant Pleaded Guilty

Scheduled Sentencing Date

Cristian Rodriguez Labour

2/21/24

1 (conspiracy)

5/22/24

Jihad William Morales

5/2/24

1 (conspiracy)

2-8 (money laundering)

9-11 (structuring)

 

TBD

Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez

4/9/24

1 (conspiracy)

12-14 (money laundering)

7/10/24

Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez

3/25/24

1 (conspiracy)

15-23 (money laundering)

24-29 (structuring)

7/10/24

Jorge Ivan Ortiz Buil

4/9/24

1 (conspiracy)

30-34 (money laundering)

35 (structuring)

7/10/24

 

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, Labour recruited Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil to incorporate fake businesses in Florida and open business bank accounts in Deltona and Orlando. Unnamed conspirators hacking into the computer systems of small businesses throughout the country would then direct wire transfers to the fake businesses in Florida. Once the transfers were received, Labour, Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil would immediately transfer the bulk of the funds to businesses in the Zhejiang, Weifang, Shouguang, Huzhou, and Hangzhou regions of China while withdrawing a portion as payment for their participation in the conspiracy. The transfers were designed to conceal the source of the fraud proceeds and the defendants further obscured their withdrawals by structuring them to avoid bank reporting requirements.  

Over a two-week period, in early March 2021, Labor and Morales laundered over $560,000 and attempted to launder another $200,000 using a single account in Deltona by sending the fraud proceeds to accounts in Zhejiang and Weifang and taking $80,000 in structured withdrawals as payment. Morales was captured on camera during one of the withdrawals (pictured below):

From June through November 2021, Labor and Vazquez used three different bank accounts in Orlando to launder $116,000 and attempted to launder $50,000 more. From August through December 2021, Labour and Gonzalez-Rodriguez used at least three different bank accounts in Orlando to launder over $1 million. Labour and Ortiz Buil attempted to launder $1 million in one bank account in December 2021 before successfully laundering around $250,000 at four different banks from December 2021 through February 2022, which laundering included using other individuals that Ortiz-Buil recruited into the scheme.

Overall, members of the conspiracy successfully laundered $3,323,941 to offshore accounts in China and unsuccessfully attempted to launder another $6,145,877, all of which were the proceeds or attempted proceeds of computer fraud and cyber intrusions on small businesses throughout the United States.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Chad Allen Pease (48, Fort Pierce) with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Pease faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Pease that the United States intends to forfeit assets which were used in commission or are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to court documents, on February 3, 2024, Pease, a registered sex offender, began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. On February 4, 2024, Pease traveled to the prearranged meeting spot. He was later arrested.  

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 (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert Jones IV aka “Klout” (24, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Jones entered a guilty plea on January 18, 2024.

According to court documents, in February and March 2023, Jones sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. During each of the transactions, Jones hid the methamphetamine inside the gas cap of his vehicle. He then drove to a pre-determined meeting location in St. Petersburg, where the drugs were retrieved as Jones remained inside his vehicle.

During a search of Jones’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered assorted drug paraphernalia, including a digital scale, plastic resealable bags, a heat seal, and distribution quantities of methamphetamine. Jones later admitted to selling drugs from his home and took ownership of the methamphetamine found in the residence.   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Timothy Neal (46, Boston, MA) has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. Neal faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on April 26, 2022, Neal’s co-defendant, Haley Eaton, sold two bags of fentanyl to Neal. The next day, Neal purchased an additional three bags of fentanyl from Eaton. Neal consumed the fentanyl he had purchased from Eaton, along with A.C., at his residence. On April 28, 2022, at around 2:00 a.m., Neal awoke to find A.C. unresponsive. A.C.’s minor daughter called 911 and emergency responders arrived on scene and pronounced A.C. dead.

During a search of Neal and A.C.’s residence, law enforcement officers found an empty bag that had previously contained fentanyl. The bag was the same kind that Eaton had sold to Neal, and it was found on A.C.’s dresser in a plastic container. Neal confirmed it was the same bag he had purchased earlier from Eaton, which he had used with A.C. A laboratory analysis confirmed that the bag contained fentanyl residue. 

Eaton previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 25, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces return of an indictment charging Alex Jones (31, Pinellas County) and Jhakheem Smith (24, Pinellas County) with Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence during the commission of the robbery. If convicted of the robbery offenses, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each charge. If convicted of the firearm offense, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the indictment and court hearings, on November 8, 2023, Jones and Smith robbed a convenience store in the Clearwater area. During the robbery, they brandished a firearm. They also used the firearm to strike the victim, a store clerk, in the back of the head. Jones and Smith then forced the victim at gun point to the back of the store before they fled the scene.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Allen R. Jenkins (68, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Jenkins, a United States Railroad Retirement (USRRB) disability annuitant, was actively working in multiple capacities throughout the period he was receiving USRRB disability benefits and failed to report any of that work as required. Specifically, Jenkins was listed as a Registered Agent/Officer of at least 22 businesses, maintained five real estate broker’s licenses, and was licensed and working as a Community Association Manager. Jenkins failed to report this work activity, despite receiving annual reminder notices to report all work activity, and provided false, incomplete, and misleading answers on the one occasion he was directly asked about his work activity by the RRB. Jenkins was also buying and renovating properties for profit, which he did not report. Based on Jenkins’s failure to make the required reports, USRRB overpaid him approximately $271,124 in disability benefits.

This case was investigated by the Railroad Retirement Board, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gordon.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Richard Welbourne (67, Port Charlotte) to 51 months in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Welbourne was also sentenced to 15 years of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Welbourne pleaded guilty on January 12, 2024.

According to court documents, from August 7, 2022, through November 15, 2022, Welbourne knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child sexual abuse material that he had searched for, downloaded, and viewed from the internet. 

In June of 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received four cybertips from an Electronic Service Provider reporting that Welbourne was involved in the possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).    

On November 15, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Welbourne’s residence in Port Charlotte, Florida and Welbourne’s computer was seized. In addition, agents spoke with Welbourne, who admitted that he would click on links that contained CSAM. Welbourne admitted that he would save the links to his “favorites” in the web browser so he could easily access the sites in the future. Welbourne said that he did not save any of the images or videos to his computer.  Welbourne also admitted that he had seen girls as young as 4 or 5 years old on the CSAM sites that he visited and to accessing the internet to view CSAM for approximately 20 years.    

A subsequent forensic examination of Welbourne’s computer revealed child sexual abuse material.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Tyrone Jose Beltran Lugo (27, Orlando) with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, Beltran Lugo faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to court documents, a federal search warrant was executed at a residence used by Beltran Lugo. At the residence, agents located over 20 kilograms of cocaine, approximately $96,000 in currency, nearly 85 grams of heroin, and two loaded handguns with extended magazines.

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, with valuable assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Paul Lesslie Thompson (70, Anthony) has pleaded guilty to receipt of stolen government property. Thompson faces up to 10 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $1.16 million, which represents the proceeds of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on January 26, 1983, Thompson applied for United States Veterans Affairs (VA) Disability Compensation based on a loss of vision. Between May 1993 and December 2022, Thompson exaggerated the impairment during his VA vision examinations. Based on his false representations to the VA, he eventually received 100 percent disability compensation. Despite his claims to the VA, however, Thompson maintained a Florida driver license and passed multiple associated vision examinations with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Based on his exaggerated visual impairment, Thompson fraudulently received $1,169,327.54 from the VA in disability compensation.

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a complaint charging Jordanish Garcia-Torres (28, Orlando) with carjacking resulting in death. If convicted, Garcia Torres faces a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.

According to the complaint, on April 11, 2024, Garcia-Torres carjacked a woman at gunpoint in Winter Springs, Florida, and forced her to drive to a location in Osceola County where she was murdered by gunshot and burned while in her vehicle.

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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Cloud Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie McNeff and Michael P. Felicetta.

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 – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced John Alton Knight, Jr. (58, Port Charlotte) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Knight entered a guilty plea on April 26, 2023.

According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Knight was arrested by deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after he was found in possession of over 2,700 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 49 grams of fentanyl. Deputies located evidence showing Knight’s intention to distribute those drugs including a scale, plastic baggies, a drug cutting agent, and vacuum sealed bags.

This case was investigated by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging George Andrew Pherai-Bogeajis (35, Orlando) with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and the seizure of numerous kilograms of methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl and cocaine, pressed pills, firearms, and drug proceeds. If convicted on all counts, Pherai-Bogeajis faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.   

According to court documents, a federal search warrant was executed on April 9, 2024, at two residences – one in Orlando and one in Ocoee – used by Pherai-Bogeajis. At the Orlando residence, DEA agents located approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100,000 pressed pills in the garage.     

   

In Pherai-Bogeajis’ bedroom, agents recovered 3 kilograms of cocaine. They also found four firearms and over $700,000 in drug proceeds.

  

   

         

At the residence in Ocoee, agents found several thousand pressed pills, 10 kilograms of marijuana, and two vehicles with hidden compartments commonly used for concealing narcotics. Pherai-Bogeajis was not present at either premises but was later apprehended and is now in federal custody.

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Oviedo Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Angel Gabriel Hernandez (29, LaBelle) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on August 9, 2023, Hernandez sold a Beretta 9mm handgun to an undercover ATF agent. As a convicted felon who previously served time in Florida state prison for burglary, Hernandez is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.       

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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

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