Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Christopher Leo Daragjati, (Middleburg) to five years in federal prison on two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft of government property over $1,000. The court also ordered him to pay $363,099 in restitution. Daragjati pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, and has been detained since his appearance in federal court on March 28, 2023.

According to court documents, Daragjati obtained the personal identifiable information (PII), including the Social Security numbers, of multiple victims. In July 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into an unknown individual, later identified as Daragjati, using stolen identities to commit fraud. Daragjati opened up commercial lines of credit with Sunbelt Rentals using the PII of victims. After renting thousands of dollars of equipment from a rental company, he pawned or stole the equipment. Daragjati’s actions caused a felony arrest warrant to be issued for an innocent victim.

The Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, with assistance from other members of law enforcement, determined that Daragjati fraudulently obtained numerous genuine Florida driver licenses and identification cards. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also determined that Daragjati used two fraudulently obtained Florida identification cards to apply for three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the identity of two victims. Unsuspecting lenders approved the three loan applications and Daragjati received approximately $150,000 in PPP loan proceeds.

An investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed that Daragjati submitted eight fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities of six victims. The IRS approved one such tax refund causing Daragjati to receive a refund of more than $3,000 in the identity of the victim.

“Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to identity thieves who prey on taxpayers,” said Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent In Charge, Lani I Rosado-Espinal. “IRS-CI will thoroughly investigate and bring to justice corrupt actors in order to preserve the integrity of the United States tax system.”

“The Clay County Sheriff’s Office takes any attempts to defraud or scheme our citizens’ out of their hard earned money very seriously,” said Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook. “We appreciate the cooperation that we have with our law enforcement partners to hold these suspects accountable. We will continue to diligently work to identify and arrest any individuals who are engaged in fraud.” 

“Using other people’s identities to scam the tax code and take money you are not entitled to makes you a thief. Period,” said HSI Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI, alongside all of our law enforcement partners, will diligently seek out those hiding behind stolen identities and stop them from robbing unsuspecting victims of their personal information and financial security.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, with valuable assistance provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jesus Andres Villapudua, a/k/a “Chik” (35, San Luis, Arizona), and Noel Alfredo Garcia, (34, Las Vegas, Nevada) with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the indictment, beginning on an unknown date and continuing through February 22, 2024, Villapudua and Garcia knowingly and willfully conspired with each other and other persons to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

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 and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.

Tampa, Florida–United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Gregory Allen Williamson a/k/a “Vlad Vlad” (58, North Port) guilty of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, three counts of production of child sexual abuse material, three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Williamson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is not yet set. Williamson was indicted on November 3, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Williamson isolated and groomed a minor victim, a recent immigrant from Eastern Europe, to engage in sexual activity when she was 12 years old. Using the alias, “Vlad Vlad,” Williamson began to send the victim anonymous, sexually explicit emails, including ones that contained child sexual abuse material. Williamson later gifted the victim two cell phone chargers that contained hidden cameras and used them to produce sexually explicit images of the victim when she was naked in her bedroom.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Tampa Division−Sarasota Resident Agency and the North Port Police Department, with substantial assistance from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Lindsey Schmidt.

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, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gerard Eric Beasley (50, Tampa) has been found guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle. Beasley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12, 2024. Beasley was indicted on April 19, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, Beasley was stopped by officers from the Tampa Police Department for driving without his headlights on and for a partially opened trunk. During a search of Beasley’s vehicle, police officers discovered marijuana, crack cocaine, and a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol loaded with one round of ammunition. Beasley admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics during an interview with the officers. 

Beasley had previously served over 11 years in a Florida state prison for attempted first-degree murder and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition 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 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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Shauna S. Hale.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Chief Judge Timothy Corrigan today sentenced Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel (21, Sarasota) to six months in federal prison for transmitting an interstate threat to injure. Patel pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2023, Patel left a threatening voicemail at a Jewish organization in New York City identifying himself by name and screaming, among other expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.” Patel also admitted that he had called a synagogue in Temple Terrace, Florida the same day, and left a voicemail threatening voicemail laced with expletives. As part of a hate crimes penalty enhancement, Patel agreed that he intentionally selected Jewish and/or Israeli individuals as the objects of his threat based on their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity. 

“No one should live under the threat of violence or intimidation because of their religion, race, ethnicity or beliefs,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners at every level to investigate and prosecute those who threaten harm to any citizen as we stand united against hate.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. Senior District Judge James Moody, Jr. has sentenced Sandu Boris Diaconu (31, Moldova) to 42 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit access device and computer fraud and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. Diaconu pleaded guilty on December 1, 2023.       

According to court documents, Diaconu developed, published online, and conspired with others to manage the operations of the E-Root Marketplace, a series of websites that operated for years and was used to sell access to compromised computers worldwide, including servers belonging to companies and individuals in the United States. The E-Root Marketplace operated across a widely distributed network and took steps to hide the identities of its administrators, buyers, and sellers. Buyers could search for compromised computer credentials on E-Root, such as usernames and passwords that would allow buyers to access remote computers for purposes of stealing private information or manipulating the contents of the remote computer. Buyers could search for credentials by desired criteria, such as price, geographic location, internet service provider, and operating system. The Marketplace also used Perfect Money, an online payment system, in order to help conceal buyers’ payments, and it offered its illicit cryptocurrency exchange service for the purpose of converting Bitcoin to Perfect Money and vice-versa. This exchange was also seized.

Based on evidence obtained during the investigation, authorities believe that more than 350,000 credentials were listed for sale on the Marketplace. The victims span the globe and all industries, as well as at least one local government agency in Tampa. Many victims were subject to ransomware attacks, and some of the stolen credentials listed on the Marketplace were linked to stolen identity tax fraud schemes.

Diaconu was arrested while attempting to leave the United Kingdom in May 2021, at the request of the United States, and extradited to the United States on October 13, 2023.

This U.S. investigation was led by the IRS – Criminal Investigation Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C) and the FBI – Tampa Division. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS – Criminal Investigation (Tampa Field Office), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, IRS-CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, the United Kingdom’s National Extradition Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Service (Tampa Field Office). The criminal investigation was overseen at various stages of the prosecution by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and Adam J. Duso. Asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Sam David Harris, Jr. (38, Middleburg) to 25 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse images, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered Harris to pay $65,500 in restitution to the victims of his offenses. Harris pleaded guilty on September 21, 2023. 

According to court documents, in February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into a Cyber Tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) being uploaded to a particular site of an electronic services provider. This investigation led law enforcement to Harris and his residence.

On April 20, 2023, HSI Jacksonville special agents and task force officers executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence. During the search, a thumb drive was discovered concealed in the bottom portion of a small box located in the top drawer of a bedside nightstand. Also found in the top drawer was a prescription medicine container bearing Harris’s name. An onsite forensic preview of the thumb drive led to the discovery of numerous videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additional analysis of the thumb drive revealed more than 100 images that appeared to have been produced by Harris. Harris’s hand, arm, and forearm were visible in several of the files. One of the females in the images was subsequently identified as a child to whom Harris had access.

This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTECEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington and former Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Karase.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Marc Arthur Eliassaint to 21 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Eliassaint entered a guilty plea on November 16, 2023.

According to court documents, Eliassaint prepared and filed false tax returns for himself for tax years 2016 through 2019 by claiming false fuel tax credits, itemized deductions, business losses, and misstating his income and federal income tax withholding amounts. Eliassaint also owned and operated a tax preparation business named 360 Tax Services, LLC, and filed 35 false tax returns on behalf of other individuals for tax years 2016 through 2020. These tax returns similarly claimed false fuel tax credits, itemized deductions, business losses and profits, and misstated income and federal income tax withholding amounts, which fraudulently inflated the amounts of the individuals’ tax refunds.

“Today’s sentencing highlights the determination IRS-CI Special Agents have when they pursue tax preparers who exploit the tax system,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal. “The dishonesty and complete disregard exhibited by individuals like Eliassaint not only undermines the trust in our tax system but also violates the expectations that all Americans are supposed to adhere to. IRS-CI is leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to combat fraudulent return preparers and will persist in safeguarding taxpayer funds.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Hu, Jennifer Harrington, and Ranganath Manthripragada.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Elias Xavier Rosario Torres (26, Tampa) and Veronica Estefania Rodriguez Pinuela (23, Tampa) guilty of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition, Rosario Torres was also found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 35 years, up to life, in federal prison. Rosario Torres and Rodriguez Pinuela were indicted by federal grand jury on October 25, 2022.

According to evidence presented at trial, Rosario Torres and Rodriguez Pinuela were stopped on March 8, 2022, by Tampa Police Department officers after a traffic infraction. During the traffic stop, officers located two backpacks in the defendants’ possession containing nearly a kilogram of cocaine, 16 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 23 handgun, two loaded magazines, and additional ammunition. The Glock 23 was modified with a chip that converted the handgun into a machine gun. At the time of the offense, Rosario Torres was a convicted felon, having been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Chang, James C. Preston, and Samantha E. Beckman.

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 the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Marcus Pratt (38, Crestview, Florida) with three counts of mailing threatening communications and three counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal judge. Pratt faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Pratt that the United States intends to forfeit any assets alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the charged offenses.

According to the indictment, Pratt sent a handwritten letter through the U.S. Postal Service dated August 2, 2023, addressed to the federal courthouse in Miami, threatening that his associates would kill a certain United States District Judge. Pratt sent another hand-written letter dated September 23, 2023, threatening that Pratt’s associates were going to kill the judge and whoever was at his house when they got there. Finally, Pratt sent a handwritten letter dated October 10, 2023, telling the judge that the defendant’s associates would kill him very soon. All letters were signed by Pratt and threatened to kill the judge due to the performance of his official duties and with the intent to retaliate against the judge on the account of the performance of his official duties.

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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Kirwinn Mike.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Henry L. Adams today sentenced Amit Patel (31, Jacksonville) to six years and six months in federal prison for committing wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. As part of his sentence, the court entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $22,221,454.40, the proceeds of the wire fraud charge. Patel was also ordered to pay full restitution to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the victim of his offense and his former employer. Patel pleaded guilty on December 14, 2023.        

According to court documents, Patel operated a fraud scheme through which he embezzled approximately $22,221,454 from the Jaguars. Specifically, Patel used his role as the administrator for the team’s virtual credit card (VCC) program to make hundreds of purchases and transactions with no legitimate business purpose. Then, to hide and continue to operate the scheme, rather than accurately report his VCC transactions, Patel created accounting files that contained numerous false and fraudulent entries and emailed them to the Jaguar’s accounting department. Patel used a variety of methods to hide his illicit transactions by omitting them from the files, while still having the total dollar amount of VCC expenditures match the balances paid by the Jaguars for the VCC program line of credit. For example, to hide his fraudulent VCC transactions, Patel identified legitimate reoccurring VCC transactions, such as catering, airfare, and hotel charges, and then duplicated those transactions; he inflated the amounts of legitimate reoccurring VCC transactions; entered fictitious transactions that sounded plausible, but that never actually occurred; and moved legitimate VCC charges from upcoming months into the month of the accounting file that was immediately due to the accounting department.

Patel’s fraudulent transactions began in September 2019 and continued until he was fired by the Jaguars in February 2023. He used the proceeds of this scheme, in whole or part, to place bets with online gambling websites, to purchase a condominium in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to pay for personal travel for himself and friends (including chartering private jets and booking luxury hotels and private rental residences), to acquire a new Tesla Model 3 sedan and Nissan pickup truck, to pay a criminal defense law firm, and to purchase cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, electronics, sports memorabilia, a country club membership, spa treatments, concert and sporting event tickets, home furnishings, and luxury wrist watches. Patel did not report any of this illicit income on his tax returns.

“This case exemplifies the FBI’s relentless effort to protect American companies and their customers,” said Mark Dargis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Amit Patel knowingly and wittingly created a deceptive scheme to fund a lavish lifestyle at his employer’s expense, and today’s sentencing is a warning to other scam artists: the FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue corporate fraud investigations to protect consumers from bearing the costs associated with criminal activity.”

“Today, the IRS intercepted Patel’s playbook and achieved justice for the American public. Patel deceived the Jacksonville Jaguars and used his position of trust to steal from the team, gamble on games and fund a lavish lifestyle,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal. “IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to provide the financial expertise to unravel sophisticated fraud and money laundering schemes.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brenna Falzetta and Michael J. Coolican. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer Harrington.

Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer (26, Wisconsin) guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, robbery interfering with commerce, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which resulted in death, conspiring to kill persons in a foreign country and a violation of the Neutrality Act. Zwiefelhofer faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2024.    Zwiefelhofer was indicted on December 4, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, on April 10, 2018, two individuals, S.L., Jr. and D.L., were found dead in Estero, Florida from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. Further investigation revealed that the couple had traveled to Estero from Brooksville, Florida to complete the purchase of several firearms from an individual who had listed them for sale on a website known as Armslist. As a result of the investigation, Zwiefelhofer was identified as one of two individuals who was believed to have murdered the couple during the course of an armed robbery of the $3,000 that the couple intended to use to purchase the firearms. 

Zwiefelhofer, who had previously fought in Ukraine in 2017 after going AWOL from the U.S. Army, pursued a plan to fight the Venezuelan government and committed the robbery of S.L., Jr. and D.L. to obtain money to fund his travel to Venezuela.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jesus M. Casas and Michael V. Leeman.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marcus Lutrell Walden (36, Winter Haven) has pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine and p-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue). Walden faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.  

According to the plea agreement, on February 14, 2024, Walden agreed to sell what he believed was methamphetamine and fentanyl, which he described in communications as “ice cream” and “mashed potatoes” to a confidential source in Winter Haven, Florida. Walden agreed to meet the confidential source at a motel in Winter Haven to conduct the sale. An analysis of the fentanyl by the DEA Laboratory revealed that it was para­-fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl. Later that day, Walden sold a Taurus .22 caliber pistol to the confidential source.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Winter Haven Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Efrain Rivera Matos (45, Tampa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl charges. Rivera Matos pleaded guilty on December 8, 2023.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired to ship approximately 560 grams of pressed fentanyl pills to Tampa. On August 31, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired with others to distribute a parcel containing two kilograms of fentanyl powder that was concealed within an air fryer. Co-conspirators distributed fentanyl from a gas station car wash in Tampa, Florida.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman. 

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

 

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Christopher Jorge Ponce (37, Naples) to 6 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Ponce to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Ponce pleaded guilty on November 22, 2023.

According to court records, on December 30, 2022, a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a gas station in Lehigh Acres and observed what appeared to be a sleeping man sitting in the driver’s seat of vehicle parked at a gas pump with a six-inch long clear glass pipe and lighter sitting in his lap. The male was later identified as Christopher Ponce, and when his vehicle was searched, deputies found quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as a loaded Smith and Wesson firearm which was linked to Ponce. As a convicted felon who previously served time in federal prison for a firearms offense, Ponce is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.       

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

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

Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Maverick Maher (42, Pensacola), Brandon Welch (36, Milton), Joshua Williamson (39, Live Oak), and Scott Marshall (48, Port Richey), guilty of violent crimes in aid of racketeering charges. Maher, Welch, Williamson, and Marshall were indicted on July 1, 2021.

Defendant

Conviction Offense(s)

Maximum sentence

Maverick Maher

a/k/a Saxon

Assault in aid of racketeering (3 counts)

Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering

(3 counts)

Threats in aid of racketeering

Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering

Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering

Threats in aid of racketeering

20 years in prison

(per count)

3 years in prison

(per count)

5 years in prison

3 years in prison

3 years in prison

5 years in prison

20 years in prison

20 years in prison

Brandon Welch

a/k/a Scumbag

Assault in aid of racketeering

20 years in prison

Joshua Williamson

a/k/a Chaingang

Assault in aid of racketeering

20 years in prison

Scott Marshall

a/k/a Solo

Kidnapping in aid of racketeering

Assault in aid of Racketeering

Life in prison

20 years in prison

           

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members of the “Unforgiven,” a white supremacy prison gang started in the Florida Department of Corrections. Since its founding, the enterprise has grown to include members inside and outside the department of corrections. The Unforgiven has a written “constitution” which described the means of gaining membership—by committing an extreme act of violence—and calls for violence against members who commit “violations.”

Members organized for meetings to discuss Unforgiven business. During these meetings, members in bad standing were discussed and their membership voted upon. In addition to in-person meetings, the Unforgiven Council used the Marco Polo messaging application to discuss and vote on violations, which included “patch takings” or the involuntary removal of the gang’s tattoo. The evidence at trial established assaults on five members of the Unforgiven who were attacked and mutilated.

On January 2, 2019, Welch and Williamson stabbed fellow Unforgiven member J.T. in the Columbia Correctional Institution. Welch and Williamson attacked J.T. to gain or maintain membership in the Unforgiven. Testimony and evidence established Welch and Williamson stabbed J.T. twelve times and caused significant injuries requiring J.T. be transported via helicopter for medical care.

On January 19, 2019, Maher confined and defaced C.L., a member of the Unforgiven, to maintain membership in the Unforgiven. Testimony of witnesses established Maher sat on C.L. while he forcibly tattooed over numerous existing tattoos on C.L.’s body.

Maher also aided or abetted two additional attacks. In July 2020, members of the Unforgiven attacked C.S. in his home in Lake City, Florida, and struck C.S. with a shotgun before slicing open his back to deface his “patch.” Testimony established Maher sent the group from a church meeting in Satsuma, Florida to enforce a vote taken by members.

Testimony and evidence also established that Maher targeted W.H., a member of the Unforgiven. Unforgiven members attacked W.H. in his living room within Pasco County in June 2020 and forcibly tattooed over W.H.’s Unforgiven tattoos.

In November 2019, Scott Marshall and two other Unforgiven members lured R.S. to a home in Pasco County. The men held R.S. against his will and forcibly covered R.S.’s Unforgiven tattoos. Parts of the attack were videotaped by one of the assailants and shared with Unforgiven members over Marco Polo.

Maher conspired with others over the Marco Polo application to assault a number of Unforgiven members, as well as “grey boys” and “race traitors” in response to perceived disrespect to the enterprise.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Beckman and David Sullivan 

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

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dovontate James Wright (26, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wright faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on September 2, 2022, Wright was the front seat passenger of a silver Nissan Altima driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road in Sarasota, Florida. Sarasota Police Department officers stopped the vehicle and Wright fled on foot into a discount auto parts store. Inside the store, Wright ran behind the service counter, into the back of the store, where he tripped and fell into a product bin when he attempted to pull an object from his waistband. The object was a fully loaded Smith and Wesson model 40C .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber. 

In an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wright admitted to possessing the firearm and being a convicted felon. Wright had previously served three years in a Florida state prison for committing aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and grand theft of a motor vehicle. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

An analysis of the DNA recovered from the firearm matched Wright’s DNA.   

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.   

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 that Dovontate James Wright (26, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wright faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on September 2, 2022, Wright was the front seat passenger of a silver Nissan Altima driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road in Sarasota, Florida. Sarasota Police Department officers stopped the vehicle and Wright fled on foot into a discount auto parts store. Inside the store, Wright ran behind the service counter, into the back of the store, where he tripped and fell into a product bin when he attempted to pull an object from his waistband. The object was a fully loaded Smith and Wesson model 40C .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber. 

In an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wright admitted to possessing the firearm and being a convicted felon. Wright had previously served three years in a Florida state prison for committing aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and grand theft of a motor vehicle. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

An analysis of the DNA recovered from the firearm matched Wright’s DNA.   

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.   

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 Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Robert Lee Ward (55, Fort Myers) to life in federal prison for killing an FBI informant and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. A jury found Ward guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine on February 18, 2022. Another jury found Ward guilty of killing an FBI informant on September 29, 2023.

According to the evidence and testimony presented during the trials, Ward was the leader of a drug trafficking organization in Fort Myers that distributed cocaine in Fort Myers and other locations for over a decade until his arrest in 2018. Ward and his co-conspirators routinely purchased kilograms of cocaine from Ward’s supplier in Miami and distributed the cocaine in Fort Myers and Panama City.

Federal investigators used confidential informants to make multiple purchases of cocaine from Ward’s co-conspirators. A confidential informant that purchased cocaine from Ward was relocated by investigators after they learned of a threat against the informant’s life. 

In 2012, the FBI obtained the assistance of Kristopher Smith, a member of Ward’s organization, who agreed to cooperate in the investigation against Ward. After learning about Smith’s cooperation with investigators, Ward solicited James Broomfield to kill Smith. Broomfield agreed to kill Smith for $30,000. Ward provided Broomfield with a loaded firearm and told him where to locate Smith.  

On January 7, 2013, Broomfield and another individual followed Smith and his girlfriend as they drove to their son’s school. Smith remained in the car while his girlfriend entered the school. Broomfield and his accomplice parked their vehicle behind the informant’s car. Broomfield ran up to the car and shot Smith several times, killing him.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Candace Rich.

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

 

Orlando, Florida–United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Dominick Yvon Louissaint, (19, Lake Mary) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted Louissaint faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Louissaint that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense.

According to the indictment, Louissaint has previously been convicted of felonies on three occasions. Despite knowing this fact, the indictment alleges that Louissaint possessed a Taurus firearm on January 24, 2024. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Sanford 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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Luis Miguel Plaza (33, Orlando) with distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted on all counts, Plaza faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the indictment, beginning on or about August 25, 2023, through February 8, 2024, Plaza distributed and possessed distribution amounts of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and an analogue of fentanyl. The amounts ranged from 40 to 400 grams.  

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. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Octavio Adalberto Robledo (54, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to download and receive videos and photos of young children being sexually abused. At sentencing, Robledo faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime of supervision. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Robledo was arrested on July 5, 2023, at the Miami International Airport and has been detained since that date. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, a detective with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, who was also an FBI task force officer, was investigating individuals located in Florida who were actively receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet using a particular online file-sharing network. The detective downloaded a video and six photos depicting children being sexually abused from a particular internet protocol (IP) address that traced to an apartment in Jacksonville where Robledo was living.

On April 18, 2017, two FBI agents went to Robledo’s apartment to interview him. During the interview, Robledo provided consent for the FBI to take custody of his desktop computer and search it. Robledo admitted that he used online file-sharing programs to seek out child sexual abuse material and had done so just two days before. He further stated that he kept these materials locked in a secure program to avoid detection.

A subsequent examination of Robledo’s desktop computer revealed that its internal hard disk drive contained at least 655 photos and two videos depicting prepubescent children engaging in the lewd display of their genitalia or sexual intercourse. Robledo had downloaded this child sexual abuse material during the period from February 19, 2016, through April 16, 2017.    

This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville and Miami), with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Edward Smith (59, Fort McCoy) with possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons—a machinegun and two silencers. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, special agents searched Smith’s Marion County residence on February 15, 2024, pursuant to a federal search warrant. Inside Smith’s bedroom, agents located a Sten machinegun and two silencers. None of the items were registered to Smith in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Crockett.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Reginald Dugger (42, Orlando) with attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Dugger faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the drug offense and up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Dugger that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms and ammunition involved in the offenses.

According to the indictment, on February 29, 2024, Dugger attempted to possess with intent to distribute N,N-Dimethylpentylone, a Schedule I controlled substance. The indictment further alleges that Dugger, knowing he had previously been convicted of a felony, possessed firearms, namely a Rock Island Armory revolver and a Palmetto State Armory rifle. As a convicted felon Dugger is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Andrew Milano (42, Merritt Island) with 25 counts of human smuggling. If convicted, Milano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. The indictment also notifies Milano that the United States intends to forfeit any property traceable to proceeds of the offense and any property or conveyances used to facilitate or commit the offenses.

According to court documents, on February 29, 2024, Milano and a companion traveled from Brevard County to The Bahamas in a 42-foot fishing vessel. During a brief stop in The Bahamas, Milano loaded 25 non-U.S. citizen migrants onto the vessel, returning to Brevard County shortly thereafter. Milano allegedly forced all 25 migrants to lie flat on the deck of the vessel throughout the voyage back to the United States.

That evening, as officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were conducting routine safety inspections in the Intracoastal Waterway/Indian River region, they encountered Milano and boarded his vessel. On board, they discovered the migrants, still lying flat on the deck. Federal and local law enforcement agencies responded, and the U.S. Coast Guard took custody of the migrants to process and repatriate them. 

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), with valuable assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Allen Tereal Grimes (33, Keystone Heights) with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Grimes faces up to 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Grimes that the United States intends to forfeit ammunition, which is alleged to be traceable to his offense. Grimes made his initial appearance in federal court on March 4, 2024, and was ordered detained.

According to the indictment, on August 11, 2023, Grimes was in possession of Winchester 9mm ammunition. At the time of the incident, Grimes had seven prior felony convictions, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, fleeing and eluding a police officer, felony battery, and assault with intent to commit to a felony. As a previously convicted felon, Grimes is prohibited from possessing a firearm 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 Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) to one year and one day in federal prison for unlawful drug distribution, false statements relating to health care matters, and Paycheck Protection Program fraud. The court also ordered Louisville to pay restitution in the amount of $35,319.23 to the Small Business Administration and $8,466.56 to Medicare. Louisville entered a guilty plea on November 3, 2023.

According to court documents, Louisville was a Florida-licensed physician and Drug Enforcement Administration registrant. On May 30, 2019, the Florida Board of Medicine suspended Louisville from the practice of medicine for two years, thereby making him ineligible to lawfully prescribe controlled substances. Louisville continued to issue controlled-substance prescriptions after his medical license was suspended. Furthermore, he concealed the fact that he was not authorized to issue prescriptions from Medicare in connection with the submission to Medicare of the prescriptions for payment. Louisville eventually shuttered his medical business in November 2019.

Between April 2020 and May 2020, Louisville used his closed business to fraudulently obtain a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $33,034. Louisville submitted an application that contained multiple fraudulent representations, including stating average monthly payroll suggesting he actively operated a medical business; stating he employed six employees; and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes.

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.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration (Tampa District Office), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the Pasco County School District in Florida to resolve the department’s investigation into alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in school discipline, threat assessment practices and referrals of students to law enforcement. The department conducted its investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The department’s investigation found that the district routinely suspended students or called police for disability-related behavior that could have been addressed through proper support and de-escalation. The investigation also found problems with how the district conducted threat assessments (a process to identify, evaluate and respond to potential school security concerns). When these assessments involved students with disabilities, the district systematically failed to consider the relationship between a student’s disability and their behavior, and whether appropriate support for the student would address the behavior that prompted the assessment. Instead, the district often unnecessarily referred students to law enforcement to be arrested or to start the process for an involuntary admission into a mental health facility under Florida’s Baker Act. 

The agreement requires the district to end discriminatory practices under which students lost hours of classroom time, were treated unfairly in the threat assessment process, and even faced the prospect of being arrested or sent to a mental health facility against their will. The department will monitor the district’s implementation of the agreement and will also continue to monitor and enforce an ongoing desegregation order that covers the district.

“As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we remain committed to disrupting the school to prison pipeline and ensuring that the doors of academic opportunity are open to all,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Too often schools rely on suspensions and law enforcement to address disability-related behaviors of students, without considering what they can do to help those students stay in and succeed at school. Equal participation in schools for students with disabilities means providing those students with the services and interventions they need to succeed. This agreement is part of our ongoing efforts across the country to combat practices that push students out of the classroom.”

“Each and every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate and enforce the protections of the ADA to end discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. I am heartened by the district’s commitment to this significant agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of students with disabilities in our community.”

The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation and has committed to improving its services for students with disabilities. Among other actions, under the agreement, the district will:

• Ensure that district personnel accurately assess disability-related behaviors, identify appropriate interventions for those behaviors and monitor the implementation of those interventions;
• Hire a consultant with expertise in behavior interventions who will assist in updating its policies and practices;
• Update its student code of conduct, threat assessment process and process for calling law enforcement to ensure that the district is adequately considering disability-related behaviors and modifying its policies and procedures to avoid discrimination based on disability;
• Develop appropriate trainings to help schools implement the agreement and respond appropriately to student behavior and
• Improve data collection and analysis systems and regularly evaluate data to ensure students with disabilities are not excluded from school for disability-related behaviors through the district’s discipline, threat assessment and law enforcement referral practices.

The enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.

View the department’s letter to the district here. 

View the settlement agreement here.

View settlement agreement summary here.

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the Pasco County School District in Florida to resolve the department’s investigation into alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in school discipline, threat assessment practices and referrals of students to law enforcement. The department conducted its investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The department’s investigation found that the district routinely suspended students or called police for disability-related behavior that could have been addressed through proper support and de-escalation. The investigation also found problems with how the district conducted threat assessments (a process to identify, evaluate and respond to potential school security concerns). When these assessments involved students with disabilities, the district systematically failed to consider the relationship between a student’s disability and their behavior, and whether appropriate support for the student would address the behavior that prompted the assessment. Instead, the district often unnecessarily referred students to law enforcement to be arrested or to start the process for an involuntary admission into a mental health facility under Florida’s Baker Act. 

The agreement requires the district to end discriminatory practices under which students lost hours of classroom time, were treated unfairly in the threat assessment process, and even faced the prospect of being arrested or sent to a mental health facility against their will. The department will monitor the district’s implementation of the agreement and will also continue to monitor and enforce an ongoing desegregation order that covers the district.

“As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we remain committed to disrupting the school to prison pipeline and ensuring that the doors of academic opportunity are open to all,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Too often schools rely on suspensions and law enforcement to address disability-related behaviors of students, without considering what they can do to help those students stay in and succeed at school. Equal participation in schools for students with disabilities means providing those students with the services and interventions they need to succeed. This agreement is part of our ongoing efforts across the country to combat practices that push students out of the classroom.”

“Each and every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate and enforce the protections of the ADA to end discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. I am heartened by the district’s commitment to this significant agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of students with disabilities in our community.”

The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation and has committed to improving its services for students with disabilities. Among other actions, under the agreement, the district will:

• Ensure that district personnel accurately assess disability-related behaviors, identify appropriate interventions for those behaviors and monitor the implementation of those interventions;
• Hire a consultant with expertise in behavior interventions who will assist in updating its policies and practices;
• Update its student code of conduct, threat assessment process and process for calling law enforcement to ensure that the district is adequately considering disability-related behaviors and modifying its policies and procedures to avoid discrimination based on disability;
• Develop appropriate trainings to help schools implement the agreement and respond appropriately to student behavior and
• Improve data collection and analysis systems and regularly evaluate data to ensure students with disabilities are not excluded from school for disability-related behaviors through the district’s discipline, threat assessment and law enforcement referral practices.

The enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.

View the department’s letter to the district here. 

View the settlement agreement here.

View settlement agreement summary here.

El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo de conciliación con el Distrito Escolar del Condado de Pasco en Florida para resolver la investigación del departamento sobre la presunta discriminación contra estudiantes con discapacidades en la disciplina escolar, las prácticas de evaluación de amenazas y las remisiones de estudiantes a las fuerzas del orden público. El Departamento llevó a cabo su investigación en virtud del Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés).

La investigación del Departamento encontró que el distrito suspendía, de forma rutinaria, a los estudiantes o llamaba a la policía por un comportamiento relacionado con la discapacidad que podría haberse abordado mediante el apoyo y la disminución adecuados. La investigación también encontró problemas con la forma en que el distrito llevó a cabo evaluaciones de amenazas (un proceso para identificar, evaluar y responder a posibles cuestiones de seguridad escolar). Cuando estas evaluaciones involucraban a estudiantes con discapacidades, el distrito, de forma sistemática, no consideró la relación entre la discapacidad de un estudiante y su comportamiento, y si el apoyo adecuado para el estudiante abordaría el comportamiento que impulsó la evaluación. En su lugar, el distrito a menudo remitió a estudiantes innecesariamente a las fuerzas del orden público para su detención o para iniciar el proceso de admisión involuntaria a un centro de salud mental de acuerdo con la ley Baker de Florida. 

El acuerdo requiere que el distrito ponga fin a las prácticas discriminatorias según las cuales los estudiantes perdieron horas lectivas en el aula, fueron tratados de una manera injusta en el proceso de evaluación de amenazas e incluso se enfrentaron a la posibilidad de ser detenidos o enviados a un centro de salud mental contra su voluntad. El departamento supervisará la implementación del acuerdo por parte del distrito y también continuará supervisando y haciendo cumplir una orden de desegregación continua que cubre al distrito.

«Mientras celebramos el 70º aniversario de Brown v. la Junta de Educación, seguimos comprometidos a interrumpir la vía de la escuela a la prisión y a garantizar que las puertas de las oportunidades académicas estén abiertas a todos», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Con demasiada frecuencia, las escuelas confían en las suspensiones y en las fuerzas del orden para abordar comportamientos relacionados con una discapacidad de los estudiantes, sin considerar qué pueden hacer para ayudar a esos estudiantes a permanecer y triunfar en la escuela. La igualdad de participación en las escuelas para estudiantes con discapacidades implica la provisión a esos estudiantes de los servicios e intervenciones que necesitan para tener éxito. Este acuerdo es parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos por todo el país para combatir las prácticas que alejan a los estudiantes del aula».

«Cada niño merece la igualdad de oportunidades para aprender y prosperar», comentó Roger Handberg, el Fiscal Federal del Distrito Centro de Florida. «Nuestra oficina, en asociación con la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento, investigará a fondo y hará cumplir las protecciones de la ADA para poner fin a la discriminación por motivos de discapacidad en todos los entornos, incluyendo en nuestras escuelas públicas. Me anima el compromiso del distrito con este acuerdo tan importante, que, sin lugar a dudas, mejorará la educación y la vida cotidiana de los estudiantes con discapacidades en nuestra comunidad».

El distrito cooperó con el Departamento a lo largo de la investigación y se ha comprometido a mejorar sus servicios para estudiantes con discapacidades. Entre otras acciones, en virtud del acuerdo, el distrito:

• Garantizará que el personal del distrito evalúe con precisión los comportamientos relacionados con una discapacidad, identificará las intervenciones adecuadas para esos comportamientos y supervisará la implementación de dichas intervenciones;
• Contratará a un consultor con experiencia en intervenciones conductuales que le ayudará a actualizar sus políticas y prácticas;
• Actualizará su código de conducta estudiantil, el proceso de evaluación de amenazas y el proceso para llamar a las fuerzas del orden público, con el fin de asegurar que el distrito considere adecuadamente los comportamientos relacionados con la discapacidad y modifique sus políticas y procedimientos para evitar la discriminación por motivos de una discapacidad;
• Desarrollará capacitaciones adecuadas para ayudar a las escuelas a implementar el acuerdo y responderá adecuadamente al comportamiento de los estudiantes; y
• Mejorará los sistemas de recopilación y análisis de datos y evaluará periódicamente los datos para garantizar que los estudiantes con discapacidades no sean excluidos de la escuela por comportamientos relacionados con su discapacidad a través de la disciplina del distrito, la evaluación de amenazas y las prácticas de remisión a las fuerzas del orden público.

La aplicación de la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas de 1974 es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, e información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas está disponible en www.justice.gov/ crt/educational-opportunities-section. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

La Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Centro de Florida trabajó en colaboración con la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas de la División de Derechos Civiles para investigar este caso. Para información sobre la Unidad de Derechos Civiles en la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Centro de Florida y un formulario de quejas para la unidad, vaya a www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.

Visualizar la carta del Departamento al distrito aquí. 

Visualizar el acuerdo de conciliación aquí.

Visualizar el resumen del acuerdo de conciliación aquí.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Lemuel Henry Crowder (53, Orange Park) to five years and six months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Crowder entered his guilty plea on October 20, 2023.

According to court documents, on February 26, 2023, deputies with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle being driven by Crowder for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, a law enforcement canine positively alerted for the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Deputies searched Crowder’s vehicle and found over 20 grams of fentanyl, over 30 grams of cocaine, and a loaded firearm.

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Kevin Olbrych (48, Spring Hill) to 15 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for Lacey Act trafficking of Florida box turtles, loggerhead musk turtles, and ornate diamondback terrapins. The Court also permanently enjoined Olbrych from possessing, caring for, transporting, selling, transferring, or distributing any animals, and ordered him to pay $7,500 to the Lacey Act Reward Fund. The Lacey Act Reward Fund is a Congressionally authorized fund available to pay for the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of wildlife pending their disposition at the conclusion of civil and criminal matters and to compensate witnesses and cooperators in criminal investigations. Olbrych entered a guilty plea on November 17, 2023.

According to court documents, the Tampa Police Department executed an unrelated search warrant at Olbrych’s residence in 2018. During the search, law enforcement discovered several 300-gallon pools filled with turtles and other containers for the rearing of turtles. In total, Olbrych unlawfully possessed 120 turtles. The animals were not housed properly, and Olbrych did not have proper licensure to possess them. Law enforcement confiscated the turtles and turned them over to an individual qualified to rehabilitate them on behalf of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

After the search, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating Olbrych and discovered that for years he had illegally sold turtles to a co-conspirator in Oregon who later sold them to buyers in China. Further investigation revealed that even after law enforcement seized the turtles from Olbrych’s home in 2018, he continued to traffic in turtles through 2021, including the ornate diamondback terrapin depicted below.

"Ensuring wildlife conservation through effective law enforcement, meeting regulatory requirements, and promoting compliance is paramount,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Douglas Ault.  “Our investigation led to another successful conviction in the continuous illegal turtle trade, highlighting the ongoing difficulties in safeguarding vulnerable species.  These investigations underscore the vital need for rigorous law enforcement actions to uphold conservation laws and protect biodiversity worldwide.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with substantial assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Gavin Michael Harold (23, Naples) to six years and six months in federal prison for possession of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Harold was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Harold had entered a plea of guilty on November 29, 2023.

According to court documents, between December 2022 through January 2023, an FBI Task Force Agent using a peer-to-peer file sharing program connected to Harold’s computer and downloaded files depicting a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 20, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Harold’s residence in Naples, Florida, and seized Harold’s laptop computer. A subsequent forensic examination of Harold’s laptop computer revealed in excess of 8,500 images and 450 videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. 

On March 20, 2023, during an interview with agents, Harold admitted that he had been downloading child pornography for a while. Harold told the agents that he did not let anyone use his laptop and told agents where he stored his collection on his laptop.

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 which assisted with this investigation. 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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Andrea Mitchell (54, Tampa) and Lester Best (53, Tampa) guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud and 22 substantive counts of wire fraud. Mitchell was also found guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft. Mitchell and Best each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and fraud counts. Mitchell faces an additional 2-year mandatory consecutive sentence on the aggravated identity theft counts. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Mitchell and Best were indicted in December 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Mitchell served as a financial services manager at a higher education institution in the Middle District of Florida. Mitchell, Best, and their coconspirators used her position to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the institution. Mitchell stole the identities of current and former students at the higher education institution and then used their student identification numbers to access their student sponsorship accounts. Mitchell identified refunds in these accounts made by the higher education institution to a tuition management business and/or a college savings program on behalf of the students and, thereby, located entries reflecting illusory balances in the students’ sponsorship accounts. Mitchell used the illusory balances to create the appearance of funds to back fraudulent checks. She then caused the higher education institution to issue the checks in the names of multiple coconspirators who had been recruited by Best to negotiate the bogus checks. None of these coconspirators were students at the higher education institution. The coconspirators cashed or deposited the fraudulent checks at various financial institutions and then shared the proceeds. As a result, the higher education institution lost more than $835,000.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Clinton Darnelle Kaham (24, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kaham faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on July 6, 2022, officers from the Ocala Police Department discovered Kaham, a gang member, in possession of a loaded firearm. The firearm had previously been reported stolen out of Marion County. A subsequent FBI forensic analysis found very strong support that Kaham was the source of the DNA profile developed from the trigger, grip, frame, and trigger guard of the firearm. Kaham has a prior felony conviction for possession of heroin (2021). As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

 This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Guy Dambrosia (61, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of a threat to injure and making a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm. Dambrosia faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on August 30, 2021, Dambrosia attempted to purchase a firearm from a local federally licensed firearms dealer. In completing the necessary paperwork to purchase the firearm, Dambrosia indicated that he was not a convicted felon even though he knew this to be false.

Later, on January 30, 2023, Dambrosia made an interstate telephone call to the victim’s office in Washington, D.C. and left an obscenity-laden, threatening voicemail stating that he would kill the victim.

This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Dominic Lawrence Carsi (34, Naples) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for distributing videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Carsi to a term of supervised release for life and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Carsi had entered a guilty plea on October 31, 2023.

According to court documents, on February 27, 2023, Carsi distributed videos of young children being sexually abused through his social media account to an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located in Minnesota. Using the chat function in another social media app, Carsi wrote to the undercover agent that he had plenty more. 

On April 11, 2023, agents with HSI in Fort Myers executed a search warrant for Carsi’s residence and seized Carsi’s cellphone and computer. The subsequent forensic examination of the devices revealed more than 600 images and over 570 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

On April 11, 2023, during an interview with agents, Carsi admitted that he watched and downloaded child sex abuse material. Carsi remembered the conversation with the undercover agent, and he admitted that he sent a video of a baby and another video of a four-year-old child being sexually abused.    

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a member of the Southwest Florida Inter-Agency Child Exploitation and Persons Trafficking (INTERCEPT) Task Force, which also includes Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Juan Carlos Perlaza Caicedo (45, Colombia), a/k/a “Olindo Perlaza Caicedo” and “Gafas,” has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Perlaza Caicedo faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Perlaza Caicedo was arrested in Tumaco, Colombia on May 4, 2019, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant. He was extradited to the United States on November 22, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, Perlaza Caicedo was responsible for the production and transportation of several tons of cocaine from Colombia to Central America from at least 2002 through 2017. In addition to transportation logistics, Perlaza Caicedo managed and operated cocaine-production laboratories in Colombia, where he manufactured large amounts of cocaine on a per-order basis. In addition to production of cocaine at laboratories, Perlaza Caicedo helped coordinate multiple maritime cocaine transportation trips, including recruitment and payment of mariners and determination of maritime routes to avoid law enforcement.

The cocaine Perlaza Caicedo produced was ultimately destined for importation to the United States. In August 2011, March 2012, and September 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted drug smuggling vessels associated with Perlaza Caicedo’s efforts. During those three interdictions alone, Perlaza Caicedo played a role in conspiring to transport at least 1,422 kilograms of cocaine. Following his arrest in Colombia, Perlaza Caicedo admitted his involvement in cocaine-smuggling along the Pacific coast of South and Central America.

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

The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Colombian law enforcement authorities provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia of Perlaza Caicedo.

The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Krebs.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Judy Grace Sellers guilty of conspiracy to submit false tax returns and defraud the U.S. Treasury, substantive counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, filing a false lien against the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and failure to appear. Sellers faces a maximum penalty of 23 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22, 2024.

Sellers originally was indicted in December 2014. Her indictment was superseded to add a charge for absconding while on bond in February 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 so-called “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 U.S. 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 in order 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 would prepare and submit fraudulent returns seeking massive refunds, in one case exceeding half a million dollars on a single return. All of 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 in the Northern District of Florida filed a civil action in federal court 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 on charges of tax fraud and for filing a false lien and arrested. In January 2015, Sellers 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. 

Cut GPS Ankle Monitor

Sellers was not found until 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.

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, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Steven Lukens (54, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Lukens faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and has agreed to forfeit $271,024.35, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22, 2024.

According to the plea agreement, Lukens was the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Atlantic International Supply, LLC (Gulf Atlantic). Gulf Atlantic entered into a sub-contract with Company-1 to procure materials needed for NASA’s space launch system at the Kennedy Space Center. However, Lukens submitted products that did not meet the quality standards and specifications required under the contract. Lukens then fraudulently led Company-1 to believe that the products met the required standards by submitting forged quality control documentation.

In total, Lukens submitted at least 191 fraudulent quality control documents to Company-1. These included fraudulent Certificates of Compliance, fraudulent Pressure Testing Certificates, and fraudulent test reports. Lukens’s materially false, fraudulent, and misleading representations caused Company-1 to pay Gulf Atlantic at least $271,024.35 for the parts it submitted.

This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Hector Fabio Marin-Usme (37), Luis Arbey Vasquez-Romero (46), David Esteban Cardenas-Miramag (27), and John Janier Buitrago-Munoz (34), all from Colombia, with conspiracy to import 5 or more kilograms of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.       

According to the indictment, the above-named individuals and others conspired to smuggle cocaine via commercial flights from Cali, Colombia to San Andrés Island, Colombia. Marin-Usme was a recruiter, Cardenas-Miramag was a cargo handler at the international airport in Cali, Vasquez-Romero was a security supervisor at the same airport, and Buitrago-Munoz was a Colombian National Police officer assigned to the airport on San Andrés Island.

Beginning on an unknown date, the conspirators initiated attempts to smuggle cocaine from a commercial flight in mainland Colombia to San Andrés Island. In order to avoid detection, the conspirators diverted cameras within the secure area of the Cali airport and disguised the cocaine in boxes of apples.

On July 29, 2023, and after the commercial flight arrived at the San Andrés Island airport, the conspirators attempted to smuggle the cocaine past an inspection area and past law enforcement. However, the Colombian National Police uncovered the scheme and seized approximately 1,300 kilograms of cocaine.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Christopher Froehlich (42, Wauchula) to 40 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. Froehlich entered a guilty plea on July 19, 2023.

According to court documents, Froehlich posed as a 15-year-old boy and connected with the 15-year-old victim via a live-streaming video service. Froehlich convinced the victim that they were in a relationship and coerced the child to produce sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich. When the child tried to stop producing sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich, Froehlich threatened to post the videos and photos to social media for the child’s family and friends to see. In June 2020, the child attempted to stop communication with Froehlich, at which point Froehlich posted the child’s nude photos to social media. Froehlich continued to contact the child until June 2022 by using various phone numbers and different usernames on social media platforms.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Courtney H. Derry.

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’ Office 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 - The United States has filed a civil lawsuit against two New Horizons Computer Learning Center franchises and their owner, Robert J. Remington, alleging they submitted false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments. The defendants allegedly overcharged the VA by failing to report tuition waivers and scholarships provided to GI Bill students and falsely certifying compliance with Title 38’s ban on incentive compensation tied to student enrollment.

The GI Bill financially supports service members, veterans, and their eligible dependents who attend an education or training program at an educational institution. The longer a person serves in the military, the greater the benefits available under the GI Bill. If a school offers to waive tuition for a student receiving less than 100-percent assistance, that tuition waiver must be reported to the VA and the student’s portion reduced accordingly. Additionally, Title 38 prohibits participating schools from paying any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing student enrollments. 

In its complaint, the United States alleges Remington and his businesses, LTJ Group V, LLC, and Innovak of Florida, Inc., which did business as New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, repeatedly failed to report tuition waivers for students receiving less than 100-percent assistance under the GI Bill and failed to comply with Title 38 by paying commissions, bonuses, or other incentive payments to enrollment representatives based on sales of New Horizons courses to GI Bill students.

The claims asserted against Remington, LTJ Group V, and Innovak of Florida are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

This case was investigated by the Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsay S. Griffin and Mamie V. Wise.

Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the VA Office of Inspector General at (800) 488-8244 or at vaoighotline@va.gov.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Benjamin Cedric Graddy (40, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute dimethylpentylone and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Graddy faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on March 17, 2023, officers from the Tampa Police Department observed a vehicle being driven by Graddy fail to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 22nd Street North and 27th Avenue East in Ybor City. During the traffic stop, the officers smelled the odor of marijuana and observed white powder in plain view on the driver’s floorboard. A search of the vehicle revealed a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm located in the vehicle’s center console. The officers also recovered a distribution amount of dimethylpentylone (67.56 grams) as well as N-ethylpentylone in two containers inside the vehicle.

At the time of the offense, Graddy was also on federal supervised release for a prior felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition conviction. He also had multiple prior felony convictions, including attempted felony murder, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted burglary of an occupied building and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, Graddy is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Diego F. Novaes.

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 Matthew Allen Gahan (24, Summerfield) has pleaded guilty to one count of producing child sex abuse material and one count of possessing child sex abuse material. Gahan faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on May 13 and continuing through May 25, 2023, Gahan spoke with a minor outside of the United States. Gahan coerced the minor to participate in video calls in which the minor engaged in sexual activity at Gahan’s direction. Gahan recorded these calls without the minor’s knowledge. On September 13, 2023, the FBI searched Gahan’s home pursuant to a federal search warrant and found multiple videos and images portraying the sexual abuse of young boys. Gahan also used the dark web to distribute and receive child sex abuse material.

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

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

 

Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Peter Lawrence (42, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.

According to the indictment, Lawrence completed an ATF Form 4473 during the attempted purchase of a firearm from Cash America Pawn, a federally licensed firearms dealer. Lawrence indicated on the required paperwork that he was not previously convicted of a crime involving domestic violence. The indictment alleges that this was a false statement, and that Lawrence was previously convicted of domestic battery.  

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 is another case uncovered through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to buy a gun.  

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ruben Justus Edwards (43, Clewiston) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on July 5, 2023, Edwards sold an undercover law enforcement agent two handguns—a Beretta and a Taurus—in Clewiston. As a multi-time convicted felon, Edwards is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.     

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make 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. 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ernest Jeshad Foster (32, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Foster faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on August 23, 2023, Fort Myers Police Department officers conducted a routine traffic stop on a vehicle in which Foster was the front seat passenger. Upon approaching the vehicle, law enforcement observed Foster reaching into the glove compartment and quickly shutting it. As soon as Foster exited the car, the glove compartment popped open and officers saw a firearm, which was later identified as loaded Taurus handgun. As a seven-time convicted felon, Foster is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make 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. 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Coroy Dontavia Flournoy (40, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Flournoy faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on February 21, 2023, Flournoy was arrested at a residence in Fort Myers in connection with an active warrant, after which law enforcement searched the residence and found a loaded Glock handgun, multiple magazines, and several dozen rounds of ammunition under the mattress of a bed inside the house. DNA analysis performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement later linked the firearm to Flournoy, a multi-time convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

This case was investigated by the Cape Coral Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make 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. 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jddarrian Christopher Irons (33, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Irons faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on October 5, 2023, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Irons was the front seat passenger. During the traffic stop, Irons initially misidentified himself to officers by providing a false name and date of birth. Then, when officers searched the car, they found a loaded Smith and Wesson handgun in a fanny pack wedged between the front passenger seat—where Irons had been sitting—and the door. Just minutes earlier before getting into the vehicle, Irons had been seen wearing the fanny pack in a nearby apartment complex. As a multi-convicted felon who had recently been released from a seven-year state prison sentence, Irons is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make 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.