Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Terrence Johnson, Jr. (28, Bradenton) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on June 26, 2023.

According to court documents, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting near 31st Avenue East in Bradenton and discovered several spent cartridge casings in the roadway in front of a residence where Johnson resided. There were also several bullet holes in a window of the home facing the street. During a search of the residence, the deputies discovered spent cartridge casings on the floor in the front room of the home, narcotics, approximately $27,000 in cash, and equipment for a digital video recording (DVR) system.  

The deputies also searched a sedan that was parked in the driveway of the residence. Inside the vehicle’s trunk, the deputies located 10 firearms, including an AK-style 7.62 mm caliber “MAK90 Sporter” Norinco rifle. Recovered footage from the contents of the DVR system showed that on the morning of February 19, 2023, Johnson exited the residence carrying the above-described Norinco rifle which he placed inside the trunk of his sedan. During an interview with ATF agents, Johnson confessed to possessing the rifle as a convicted felon. Johnson identified himself as holding the same rifle as depicted in a screenshot taken from the DVR on the same date.

This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha J. Newman.

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

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Robert Trout III (19, St. Petersburg) with knowingly transmitting in interstate commerce a true threat. If convicted, Trout faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Trout posted a video on Instagram making threats to go to New York City and “cause havoc on the subway” by shooting “anybody” that Trout sees. Trout further threatened that this shooting would occur on the evening of Thanksgiving, November 23, 2023, and stated “if you’re from New York City, do not take the train on Thursday evening.” While making these threats, Trout displayed multiple firearms, including two semi-automatic firearms with extended clips containing a total of 60 bullets while stating “that’s sixty shots - that’s sixty people dead.” Several recent postings on Trout’s Instagram account in conjunction with witness statements allowed law enforcement to identify Trout as the person responsible for making the threats.

Trout made his initial appearance in federal court, in Tampa, Florida on December 7, 2023, and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.

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

This case was investigated by the Pinellas Park Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke Padgett.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced John Kennedy Braun (51, Brandon) to 20 years in federal prison for robbing a bank in the Carrollwood neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. Braun’s co-defendant, Timothy Paul Longworth (44, Tampa), was previously sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in federal prison for his role in the bank robbery.

According to statements made in court, on the morning of August 8, 2022, Longworth entered a bank in Carrollwood, jumped over the teller’s counter, and demanded cash. While doing so, Longworth carried a black airsoft pistol. Longworth left the bank with $4,172 in cash and proceeded to a shopping center where Braun was waiting to pick him up. In addition to serving as the getaway driver, Braun had cased other banks with Longworth, assisted in planning the escape route, and helped to hide evidence of the bank robbery. Braun had previously been convicted of robbing two banks in Indiana.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Jason Charles Nicholas (54, Ramona, CA) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse materials over the internet. At sentencing, Nicholas faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to, 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Nicholas was arrested on September 21, 2023 in San Diego County, California, and was ordered detained pending the resolution of this case.

According to court documents, on August 3, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area, posing as the parent of an 11-year-old “child,” was investigating individuals on a particular social media application (app) who were attempting to sexually exploit children. The UC began a private conversation on the app with user “cldad,” who was subsequently identified as Nicholas. Nicholas indicated his desire to meet the UC at a residence in northeast Florida to have sex with the 11-year-old “child.” However, Nicholas abruptly abandoned this plan and began threatening to expose the UC’s purported criminal sexual conduct unless the UC streamed live video of the “child” to Nicholas. The UC refused. Nicholas later apologized for threatening the UC, and the two continued online conversations for several weeks. Nicholas told the UC about his longtime practice of brushing up against and taking surreptitious photos (“creep shots”) of young girls in public places, and also that he had purportedly abused a young child after overdosing the child with medication.  

During an online conversation on August 17, 2023, Nicholas sent the UC six videos and two photos that depicted young children being sexually abused. Further investigation by the FBI led to the positive identification of Nicholas as a resident of Ramona, California, and revealed that he had been using the online identity of an actual person who lived in Florida. On September 21, 2023, FBI agents, with assistance from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Nicholas as he was driving to his workplace. A search of Nicholas’ cellphone revealed that it contained at least 2,532 videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, many of which depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.    

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego County (California) Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and San Diego. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Evan Sims (41, Rhode Island) with false information and threats regarding the possession of an explosive on an airplane. If convicted, Sims faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to court documents, on December 5, 2023, Sims was traveling on a flight from Orlando to Providence, Rhode Island. While seated on the airplane, prior to takeoff, Sims began arguing with his travel companion. Sims told his travel companion that he had never heard of the airline for the flight and that he hoped the airplane did not “go down.” Sims stated that they would be “gone with the wind.”

During boarding and the airliner safety briefing, Sims made comments to his travel companion about needing to use the emergency doors and that the windows looked like they had not been used. Sims also told his travel companion that he hoped they did not have to use the windows. Further, Sims questioned the flight crew regarding the emergency life raft that was in the overhead storage compartment. Sims’s travel companion and the surrounding passengers were uncomfortable with Sims’s statements and Sims’s travel companion asked Sims to stop making his comments.

As the flight began the initial ascent into the air, Sims partially stood up in his seat and exclaimed that he wanted to get off the plane. While the flight was airborne, Sims stated approximately two times that his travel companion had a bomb on the plane. Thereafter, due to Sims’s repeated disturbances and escalating behavior, the flight was diverted to the Jacksonville International Airport. Bomb-detection dogs  searched the plane but did not locate a bomb.  

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

This case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration, Jacksonville Aviation Authority Airport Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

Download Criminal Complaint

Tampa, FL – A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida last week convicted a Florida man of three counts of trafficking migratory birds.

Ernesto Gonzalez Campos is the most recent conviction in “Operation Ornery Birds II,” which has resulted in five other defendants being sentenced in the Middle District of Florida. Operation Ornery Birds II was a Florida-wide investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

 

Picture of a painted bunting seized from Campos and presented at trial. Exhibit 36, case 8:22-cr-00287.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campos, 36, of Brandon, Florida, had engaged in the ongoing capture, sale and trade of protected migratory songbirds. On at least three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and blue grosbeaks, all of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Campos trapped the birds from the wild, and once they were tamed, was able to sell them within the songbird community.

Prior to Campos’ conviction, five other Florida individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The defendants admitted to buying, selling or bartering a variety of MBTA-protected birds, all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. The defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps and the barter, purchase and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals in person and internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. The following individuals were sentenced:

• Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 8 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
• Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 14 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine.
• Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala, was sentenced on Aug. 18 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
• Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 6 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
• Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to one year of probation and a $500 fine.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement.

The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the above defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spergel and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case against Campos.

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Jacksonville, FL – Gregory Edward McLean, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, today pleaded guilty to one count of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and one count of unlawful retention of classified national defense information.

According to the plea agreement, state law enforcement in Rhode Island received a cyber tipline report that a user of a particular messaging application had shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The investigation identified the user as McLean, who was at that time an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and serving as the Executive Officer of a ship stationed aboard Naval Station Mayport in Florida. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) continued the investigation and identified additional instances where McLean had distributed child sexual abuse material. On Nov. 4, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at McLean’s residence, during which they seized numerous electronic devices and storage media. A forensic review revealed that several of these items contained files depicting the sexual abuse of minors. 

The forensic review also identified a flash drive – which had been recovered from McLean’s kitchen counter – that contained approximately 150 documents containing national defense information classified at the Secret level and 50 documents containing national defense information classified at the Confidential level. An investigation by NCIS and the FBI revealed that throughout his service as a naval officer, McLean had access to classified information and held a Top-Secret security clearance. McLean had entered into various agreements with the United States regarding the protection and proper handling of classified information and was aware that his home was not an authorized location to store classified national defense information. In particular, the criminal information and plea agreement identify two documents McLean unlawfully retained which contained national defense information related to foreign governments and their combat aircraft and naval capabilities. Disclosure of this information could reasonably be expected to cause damage and, in some instances, serious damage to the national security of the United States.

McLean faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the child exploitation offense and up to 10 years in prison for the retention of classified information offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

NCIS, FBI, and Rhode Island State Police are investigating the case, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Kirwinn Mike for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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.

Gregory Edward McLean, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, today pleaded guilty to one count of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and one count of unlawful retention of classified national defense information.

According to the plea agreement, state law enforcement in Rhode Island received a cyber tipline report that a user of a particular messaging application had shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The investigation identified the user as McLean, who was at that time an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and serving as the Executive Officer of a ship stationed aboard a Naval Station Mayport in Florida. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) continued the investigation and identified additional instances where McLean had distributed child sexual abuse material. On Nov. 4, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at McLean’s residence, during which they seized numerous electronic devices and storage media. A forensic review revealed that several of these items contained files depicting the sexual abuse of minors. 

The forensic review also identified a flash drive – which had been recovered from McLean’s kitchen counter – that contained approximately 150 documents containing national defense information classified at the Secret level and 50 documents containing national defense information classified at the Confidential level. An investigation by NCIS and the FBI revealed that throughout his service as a naval officer, McLean had access to classified information and held a Top-Secret security clearance. McLean had entered into various agreements with the United States regarding the protection and proper handling of classified information and was aware that his home was not an authorized location to store classified national defense information. In particular, the criminal information and plea agreement identify two documents McLean unlawfully retained which contained national defense information related to foreign governments and their combat aircraft and naval capabilities. Disclosure of this information could reasonably be expected to cause damage and, in some instances, serious damage to the national security of the United States.

McLean faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the child exploitation offense and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the retention of classified information offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.

NCIS, FBI and Rhode Island State Police are investigating the case, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Kirwinn Mike for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Amol Chandrashekhar Khedkar (58, Jacksonville) with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. Khedkar faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Khedkar was arrested by FBI agents on November 29, 2023, in St. Johns County. On December 5, 2023, he appeared in federal court in Jacksonville and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, on November 28, 2023, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults who were seeking to make contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the undercover agent posted a notice in a public chat room of a particular online social messaging app. Minutes later, an individual using the app name “drbrownee,” who was subsequently identified as Khedkar, contacted the undercover agent using a private messaging feature of the app. After being advised of the “child’s” age, Khedkar confirmed that he would “love to see the ‘child.’” He asked the undercover agent a number of specific questions about access to the “child” and the “child’s” sexual experience. Khedkar and the undercover agent discussed meeting in person the next day at the “child’s” residence.

On November 29, 2023, Khedkar and the undercover agent exchanged text messages and confirmed that they would meet later that day at the predetermined location in St. Johns County. When Khedkar arrived at the location, he was arrested by FBI agents.

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

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

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Michael Edward Lindsey (47, Englewood) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Lindsey was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act which requires a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Lindsey had pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, Lindsey is a multi-convicted felon for multiple narcotics distribution and violent offenses dating back to 1996. On June 9, 2022, during a traffic stop conducted by officers from the North Port Police Department (NPPD) in the area of 12145 Tamiami Trail, officers found Lindsey in possession of approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition. As the officers approached Lindsey’s vehicle, Lindsey consumed a large quantity of drugs by emptying the contents of the bag into his mouth. NPPD officers recovered 1.6 grams of methamphetamine, after Lindsey had consumed the remainder of the drugs. 

On November 13, 2022, NPPD officers arrested Lindsey on an active warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, the officers found Lindsey in possession of distribution quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha C. 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.

           

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Brandale Swails (29, Tampa) with Hobbs Act Robbery. If convicted, Swails faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

 According to the complaint, on October 15, 2023, Swails entered a gas station, pointed a firearm at the victim’s head, and demanded the victim open the cash register. The victim immediately hid behind the counter. Swails jumped over the counter towards the victim while continuing to point the firearm at him. Swails told the victim he would shoot him if the victim did not open the register. Swails then took the cash and fled. Hours later, law enforcement officers found Swails driving a vehicle. When officers attempted to pull him over, Swails fled. On October 31, 2023, Swails was arrested inside a home, hiding in a closet. Two loaded firearms were found in his possession.

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

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, seven counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and seven counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license, 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL, and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Her co-defendant, Kingsley Wilson, pleaded guilty to 25 related counts in November 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.

According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from FFLs within the Middle District of Florida. Rodriguez, Wilson’s girlfriend, purchased an additional 47 firearms during the same period. While purchasing these firearms, Rodriguez falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that she was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. Rodriguez was actually purchasing these firearms for others in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellphone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and others, including Rodriguez, about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Fourteen of the firearms purchased by Wilson and Rodriguez have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Ibarra (32, Mexico) to 15 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Gonzalez-Ibarra had pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Ibarra was arrested on July 16, 2023, by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for driving under the influence. He was also charged in state court with felony possession of a controlled substance after officers found methamphetamine on him during a search incident to his arrest. Gonzalez-Ibarra was found in the United States without legal authorization. He had previously been removed from the United States on eight occasions.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Nahum Rodriguez-Jaimes (46, Mexico) with three counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. If convicted, Rodriguez-Jaimes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment per count on the fentanyl distribution charges, and up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Rodriguez-Jaimes that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm as well as any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment,Rodriguez-Jaimes distributed fentanyl pills on September 28, October 10, and October 19, 2023, in the Middle District of Florida.  On November 7, 2023, Rodriguez-Jaimes, who is not in the United States legally, was found to be in possession of a firearm, which is a violation of United States 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the Plant City Police Department, and United States Customs and Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Kenneth Steven Landers (57, Jacksonville) to one year and one day in federal prison for wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $910,000, the proceeds of his wire fraud scheme, and also ordered him to pay full restitution to his victims. Landers had pleaded guilty on February 14, 2023. 

According to court documents, during 2020 and 2021, Landers applied for federally backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans 10 times, requesting a total of $1.41 million. He submitted the applications on behalf of four different corporate entities that he controlled, specifically, the American Fallen Veterans Service Project Inc., Tire Empire LLC, Maypops LLC, and Florida United Inc. In support of each application, Landers electronically submitted false information and documents, including fictitious or altered Internal Revenue Service tax forms.

Notwithstanding Landers’s use of fraudulent documents, seven of his ten PPP loan applications were approved and funded in the total amount of $910,000, which was deposited into financial accounts that he controlled. Rather than use the loan proceeds exclusively to pay employees or for other allowable expenses under the PPP, Landers used the funds for his personal benefit. For example, he paid off the mortgages on his home and a business property, purchased an 18kt gold Rolex watch, and bought a vintage Jaguar XKE Roadster. He also wrote checks to himself, transferred funds electronically to personal accounts, paid down personal debt, and made approximately $113,000 in cash withdrawals of funds traceable to PPP loan proceeds.

“The ripple effects of the COVID pandemic are still being felt throughout society today. Kenneth Steven Landers saw this global crisis as an opportunity to line his own pockets. IRS-CI is committed to pursuing these bad actors and ensuring that those who falsely manipulate the system are prosecuted to the fullest extent,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent In Charge Tara K. Reed. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that criminals will pay a heavy price when they steal funds intended to provide much needed relief to many Americans who were in financial despair.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran, Julie A. Simonsen, and Jennifer Harrington.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act relief programs. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the two programs that were developed through CARES Act is the PPP. It provides funding to businesses through PPP loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Americo Bautista-Villarreal (59, Mexico) to seven years and eight months in federal prison months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Bautista-Villarreal had pleaded guilty on November 20, 2021.

According to court documents, Bautista-Villarreal was deported from the United States on four previous occasions, including in 1998, 2008, 2015, and 2017. In February 2020, Bautista-Villarreal participated in coordinating and planning shipments of cocaine from Mexico and Texas for delivery in the Middle District of Florida.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Deshon G. Walker (27, Fort Myers) to three years and one month in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Walker to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense. Walker had pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.

According to court documents, on September 21, 2023, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with Walker was the front seat passenger. Officers located a loaded Glock pistol under Walker’s seat. DNA analysis later linked Walker to the pistol. Walker had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore 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 was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. Morgan.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Katrina Denise McCoy (41, Minneola) has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of wire fraud. For each count, McCoy faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. McCoy has also agreed to forfeit $39,570 – representing the proceeds of the offense. McCoy was indicted on July 11, 2023. Her sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to court records, McCoy is a former correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Between March 27, 2019, and February 23, 2021, McCoy submitted false disability claims with fictitious supporting documentation. McCoy created the supporting documentation on BOP letterhead and affixed the names of her supervisor and a medical professional without their knowledge or permission. As a result of her fraudulent scheme, McCoy caused 14 wire transfers to be deposited into her bank account totaling $39,570. 

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Investigative and Forensic Services - Bureau of Insurance Fraud and the Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jeffrey Grant Cruikshank (43, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sex abuse material after a prior conviction for possession of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Cruikshank to forfeit a cellphone and GoPro camera that he had used to commit the offense. Cruikshank pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023.

According to court documents, the investigation began with CyberTips from multiple platforms. Ultimately agents found depictions of child sex abuse material on electronic devices that belonged to Cruikshank. They also found evidence of Cruikshank searching for child chat rooms. Cruikshank was previously convicted for similar behavior and is a registered sex offender.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of two federal complaints charging five individuals with armed robberies of United States Postal Letter Carriers.

According to the first criminal complaint, on September 5, 2023, Jordan Michelle Brown (20, Tampa), Jordan Murray (19, Tampa), and Darine Underwood (18, Tampa) robbed a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier at gunpoint as the carrier was delivering mail at a Temple Terrace apartment complex. Brown, Murray, and Underwood held the mail carrier at gunpoint while demanding his keys and attempting to remove the keys that were hooked to the mail carrier’s pants. The individuals then grabbed the mail carrier’s cellphone and smashed it on the ground, before running to their getaway vehicle. Brown, Murray, and Underwood have been charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier.

According to the second criminal complaint, on September 21, 2023, Christopher Raymond (20, Miramar) and Andre Hylton (19, Miramar) robbed two Postal Letter Carriers as the carriers were delivering mail on their routes in South Tampa. Raymond and Hylton pointed a firearm at one of the carriers and demanded his serialized keys. Raymond and Hylton were ultimately identified through GPS data from their vehicle which revealed that they had traveled from Miramar to Tampa for the purpose of committing the armed robberies. Raymond and Hylton have been charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

In another separate case, last month, Jahiem Faison (19, Tampa) was sentenced to nine years and three months in federal prison for armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to court documents, on July 23, 2022, Faison and a juvenile co-conspirator approached a U.S. Postal Letter Carrier as he was delivering mail at a Riverview apartment complex. Faison brandished a firearm, pressing the firearm into the mail carrier’s chest while demanding his keys. Faison kept the firearm pressed against the mail carrier while the carrier removed his keys and handed them to Faison’s juvenile co-conspirator.       

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa Spergel.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Stephen Donald Kearney (61, St. Petersburg) to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Kearney to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses. Kearney is also required to register as a sex offender. Kearney had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.

According to court documents, Kearney used a file sharing platform on his computer to download videos that depicted young children being sexually abused. In February 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kearney’s residence and seized his computer. A forensic search of the computer revealed thousands of images and various videos of child sexual abuse material, to include depictions of children under the age of 12.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Allen Lee Glover (25, Orlando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Glover to forfeit a Glock GMBH Model 19 pistol and associated 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Glover had pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023.

According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, officers with the Orlando Police Department attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Glover.  At the time, Glover was on felony probation and had active felony warrants from Polk County. Glover immediately fled at a high rate of speed from the traffic stop. Later, officers observed the same vehicle pulling into the driveway of a residence. When officers drove towards the vehicle, Glover exited the vehicle, fled on foot, and threw a black handgun over the fence of the residence. Glover was taken into custody. The officers recovered a loaded Glock 9mm firearm from the backyard of the residence.

At the time of this offense, Glover had previously been convicted in state court in Florida for multiple felonies, including grand theft, conspiracy to commit burglary, and burglary. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Derry Wayne Lambert (52, Belleview) has pleaded guilty to false impersonation of a federal officer. Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on July 31, 2023, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office observed Lambert driving a pickup truck with no agency markings that had activated red/blue emergency lights and an audible siren. When confronted by the deputy, Lambert claimed to be a Deputy United States Marshal from Texas. Though he had no law enforcement credentials, Lambert was wearing a hat with the logo “Police - U.S. Marshal.” He presented the deputy with a false U.S. Marshal badge. Further investigation revealed that Lambert had no affiliation with the U.S. Marshals Service. Deputies also recovered a .380 caliber pistol in the center console of Lambert’s truck.

Lambert’s truck, hat, and badge.

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

A Florida man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for promoting a scheme to file false documents with the IRS to fraudulently obtain large tax refunds. 

Rafael Ramos, of Orlando, pleaded guilty on Sept. 5 to conspiring to defraud the United States, filing a false tax return, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.  According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramos recruited clients and prepared tax returns on their behalf that falsely claimed banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of taxes from the clients’ incomes, thereby entitling them to refunds from the IRS. To further the scheme, Ramos and his co-conspirators filed with the IRS false documents purporting to have been issued by banks to support the false withholding information reported on the returns.

When the IRS initiated proceedings to collect the fraudulently-issued refunds, Ramos held meetings with his clients and attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts by providing clients with frivolous correspondence to send to the IRS, instructing clients to falsely inform the IRS that they self-prepared their returns, and telling clients to move funds out of their bank accounts to avoid IRS levies. In total, Ramos’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.15 million.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron ordered Ramos to serve two years of supervised release and to pay approximately $594,685 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Tara K. Reed IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge made the announcement.

IRS-CI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan, Ezra Spiro and Caroline Pearson of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Uriel Rosales Carvajal (34, Polk County) to seven years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Rosales Carvajal had pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023. 

According to court documents, Rosales Carvajal was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Middle District of Florida. Specifically, on June 13, 2022, at the direction of a co-conspirator, Rosales Carvajal provided a sample of cocaine to an undercover officer at gas station in Plant City. When Rosales Carvajal was pulled over by law enforcement later that day, he had almost one a kilogram of cocaine, a box for a cellphone containing approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine, plastic baggies, and a digital scale. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.

Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Yudelka Magdalena Herrera Dominguez (57, Kissimmee) to two years in federal prison for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Herrera Dominguez had pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023.

According to court documents, Herrera Dominguez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who moved to the United States in approximately 2000. She applied for and was issued a United States Passport in 2001 and 2011. In her passport application, she used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of W.L.D.C., whom she had never met. In March 2021, the real W.L.D.C. applied for a United States Passport and discovered that an imposter had already applied for a passport in her name. Herrera Dominguez also applied for a passport renewal in W.L.D.C.’s name in September 2022, which was denied.

This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Adetunji Adejumo (44, Oklahoma City, OK) to 33 months in prison and Ibrahim Jinadu (35, Atlanta, GA) to 27 months in prison for their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Both had previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi (London, UK) is pending extradition from the United Kingdom for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021.

According to court documents, international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personal identifying information of United States residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS. Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States, collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators. The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled.

The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Tampa Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS - CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, IRS - CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, UK authorities, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Armando Rodriguez-Padilla (27, Fort Myers) with illegal reentry by a previously convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Rodriguez-Padilla faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on October 29, 2023, Rodriguez-Padilla possessed an Interarms revolver. Rodriguez-Padilla had previously been deported after being convicted in state court of conspiracy to break and enter. As an alien and convicted felon, Rodriguez-Padilla is prohibited from possessing a firearm 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 Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Brian Roy Lozito (54, Orange Park) to two years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Lozito to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded and also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $164,193.84, the proceeds of the fraud. Lozito had pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023. He was arraigned on the indictment on January 11, 2021, and initially released on bond. The court revoked his bond on November 18, 2022, and subsequently ordered him detained. 

According to court documents, Lozito owned and managed American Investigative Services (AIS). AIS purported to offer consumers mortgage auditing services in exchange for a fee. Lozito and his conspirators solicited customers nationwide through mailings and telephone calls. In these solicitations, Lozito and AIS employees, under the direction of Lozito, made false and fraudulent representations to consumers, including that AIS would perform “forensic audits” of mortgage documents to uncover evidence of deficiencies in the mortgage documents. Lozito claimed AIS would obtain quitclaim deeds and other remedies so the mortgage holders would be relieved of their mortgage debt and own their properties free and clear. If AIS could not help the consumer, Lozito promised to refund their money. In reality, AIS did not perform the services paid for by consumers and did not refund money to consumers. Funds collected from consumers went to bank accounts controlled by Lozito who then used the funds to keep AIS operating and for personal expenses.      

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Florida Attorney General with valuable assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer M. Harrington.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Howard Lawrence II (55, Citrus County) has pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government property. Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and a forfeiture of at least $364,497.80. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Lawrence had been indicted on April 25, 2023.

According to court records, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program furnishes a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of deceased military service members. If the surviving spouse remarries, however, they are no longer eligible to receive DIC benefits and must report the new marriage to the VA.

Lawrence was a surviving spouse of a military service member who died in 1994. Beginning on or about November 1, 1995, through approximately April 1, 2023, Lawrence received DIC benefits from the VA. He was not entitled to these benefits, however, because he had remarried twice—once in 1995 and again in 2023. During that time, Lawrence had repeatedly assured the VA that he had not remarried so that he could continue to illegally receive the benefit payments. By failing to report his subsequent marriages, Lawrence illegally received a total of $364,497.80 in stolen benefit payments.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Stephon K’Trell Anderson (29, Apopka) to 16 years in federal prison for producing a video of child sexual abuse. Anderson was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Anderson had pleaded guilty on September 13, 2023. 

According to court documents, the Apopka Police Department received a cyber tipline report that originated from Twitter when a Twitter account was identified as uploading a video of child sexual abuse material. On March 10, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department tracked down the address of the Twitter user and executed a search warrant at the residence in Apopka. Anderson was encountered at the residence and turned over two cellphones to law enforcement.

The FBI conducted a forensic search of the cellphones and located videos that Anderson had recorded involving a child victim. The videos were recorded by Anderson using his cellphone over a period of multiple weeks. One of the videos involved Anderson engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child victim while the child victim slept.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Vitalii Chychasov (37, Ukraine) to eight years in federal prison for his administration of SSNDOB Marketplace, a series of websites that operated for years and were used to sell personal information, including the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers belonging to individuals in the United States.

On June 7, 2022, seizure orders were executed against the domain names of the SSNDOB Marketplace—BLACKJOB.BIZ, SSNDOB.CLUB, SSNDOB.VIP, and SSNDOB.WS—effectively ceasing the website’s operation. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $5 million, the proceeds of the fraud, and ordered Chychasov to forfeit his interest in the BLACKJOB.BIZ, SSNDOB.CLUB, SSNDOB.VIP, and SSNDOB.WS domains.

Chychasov was arrested in March 2022 while attempting to enter Hungary. He was extradited to the United States from Hungary in July 2022.

According to court records, Chychasov and other Marketplace administrators advertised on dark web criminal forums for the Marketplace’s services, provided customer support functions, and regularly monitored the activities of the sites, including monitoring when purchasers deposited money into their accounts. The administrators also employed various techniques to protect their anonymity and to thwart detection of their activities, including strategically maintaining servers in various countries, and requiring buyers to use digital payment methods. The SSNDOB Marketplace listed for sale the personal information for millions of individuals in the United States, generating more than $19 million USD in sales revenue.

Stolen Social Security numbers, like those sold on the Marketplace, are used to commit a variety of frauds, including U.S. tax fraud, unemployment insurance fraud, loan fraud, and credit card fraud. Sales on the Marketplace skyrocketed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal and state governments began to disburse monies—through a variety of programs—to American businesses and families at a time of a national (and international) emergency.

The U.S. investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Cyber Crimes Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices responsible for Latvia and Cyprus, the Latvian Police, the Hungarian authorities, and the Cypriot authorities.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones and asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Jignesh Purshottambhai Vekaria (30, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $372,000, the proceeds of the offense. Vekaria had pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023.

According to court documents, India-based conspirators working in call centers placed calls to United States residents. The conspirators falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as federal law enforcement officers, such as Social Security Administration officials, FBI agents, or IRS officers. They provided “official” titles and/or “badge numbers,” and threatened their victims with imminent arrest, a lawsuit, and/or other economic consequences—usually based on alleged drug trafficking or money laundering crimes supposedly committed using the victims’ identities. The conspirators told victims, the majority of whom were older adults, that they could avoid these consequences by mailing checks or cash equivalents to conspirators in the United States.

From April 2018 through at least September 2018, Vekaria laundered money that had been extorted from these victims in the United States. Specifically, Vekaria acted as an intermediary between other U.S.-based conspirators who had a direct line of communication to the foreign call centers and the “runners” who received and cashed the victims’ checks. Vekaria’s intermediary role involved relaying information regarding the arrival of packages containing the victims’ checks to the runners, driving the runners to pick up the checks and cash them, and retrieving the fraudulently obtained funds from the runners. Once he retrieved the fraud proceeds, Vekaria provided them to his coconspirators and was paid for his role in obtaining the funds.

“Every day, countless Americans receive annoying spam calls from imposters pretending to be with the IRS. Today’s sentencing of Jignesh Vekaria serves as reassurance that IRS-CI agents will answer the call to bring justice to those who extort money and defraud hard-working citizens,” said Tara K. Reed, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Putting dishonest fraudsters like Vekaria behind bars reinforces that the IRS is committed to ensuring the safety and trust of Americans throughout every community we serve.”

This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawntae Jamell Clark (45, Clay County) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Clark to forfeit two firearms, ammunition, and cash traceable to his offenses. He was arrested on July 6, 2022, and ordered detained. Clark pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.

According to court documents, deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were investigating Clark based on reports that he was selling drugs, including methamphetamine, out of a hotel room at the Stay Suites on Wells Road in Clay County. On July 2, 2021, deputies observed Clark leaving his hotel room with a backpack and getting into a car. During a subsequent traffic stop of the vehicle, a CCSO canine alerted to the car, indicating that it contained illegal narcotics. A subsequent search of the car revealed a small safe containing a loaded Beretta pistol and Taurus revolver, 7 baggies of methamphetamine, and approximately 100 small baggies. Further investigation determined that the total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 159 grams, and that Clark had multiple prior felony convictions for armed robbery, attempted lewd or lascivious act – sexual battery, and multiple convictions for possession of cocaine. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.  

On September 25, 2023, Judge Howard sentenced a related defendant, David Lee Rucker (35, Clay County), to six years and eight months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Rucker to forfeit a firearm and ammunition. Rucker had pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Craig Antwon ONeal (54, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. ONeal faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, up to life, if federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the superseding indictment, on July 20, 2020, ONeal was in possession of a firearm. As a multi-convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing either firearms or ammunition under federal law. ONeal has 20 prior state felony convictions, including strong-arm robbery, resisting arrest with violence, sale of cocaine, and burglary of a conveyance. His extensive prior record also qualifies him for a sentencing enhancement as an Armed Career Criminal.         

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST). It is being 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Devin Ryan Maresca (33, New Castle, PA) to three years in federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $74,700, which were the proceeds of Maresca’s mail fraud scheme. Maresca was found guilty following a three-day trial on August 23, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, while living in Cape Coral, Florida, Maresca filed more than 2,200 fraudulent indemnity claims to the United States Postal Service (USPS) claiming that Priority Mail packages that he had mailed or received were damaged. Maresca fraudulently used his mother, father, and brother’s name to submit most of the claims. Further, Maresca forged his family members’ signatures on the backs of USPS claims checks to deposit them into a bank account he controlled. The checks were mailed to UPS Store private mailboxes and Pak-Mail Store mailboxes that Maresca had opened in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda.

Maresca’s fraud scheme caused the USPS to issue more than $100,000 in claims checks. Internet addresses, bank, and email records, along with USPS data, linked Maresca to the fraudulent claims. In December 2021, a United States Postal Inspector and USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent interviewed Maresca at his home in Newcastle. During the interview, Maresca admitted to submitting more than 2,200 fraudulent claims and forging his family members’ signatures on USPS indemnity checks. 

This case was investigated by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service-OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Patrick Darcey.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced John Charles Anderson (40, Spring Hill) to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for a bank robbery with an assault by using a deadly weapon. Anderson was also ordered to pay $941 in restitution. Judge Mizelle previously sentenced Anderson to 3 years in prison for a violation of his federal supervised release, to be served consecutively to the new robbery sentence. Anderson had pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 14, 2022, Anderson armed himself, donned a mask, and robbed a bank just over one month after being placed on supervised release following a federal prison sentence for committing five bank robberies. On January 14, 2022, Anderson pointed what looked like a semi-automatic handgun toward the teller and demanded money and got away with $941 from the SunTrust bank located at 12902 Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.  Anderson was identified, in part, by his distinct hand tattoos, which read “KILL COPS” across his knuckles.

Anderson fled the bank, and the state, making his way to Michigan. On January 20, 2022, officers from the River Rouge Police Department encountered Anderson and attempted a traffic stop. Anderson fled, crashing his car into a wall at a gas station before continuing to flee on foot. Officers recovered a loaded firearm, which had been been reported stolen in South Carolina, from the front seat of Anderson’s car. Anderson was taken into custody after hiding in a garage.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ecorse Police Department, and the River Rouge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman. 

Tampa, FL– U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Ja’Vion RaShard Jackson (23, Coleman) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, and promethazine with codeine, as well as three counts of distribution of controlled substances. Jackson had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.

According to court documents, beginning in November 2022, and on a few dates thereafter, Jackson sold an undercover officer more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 52 grams of fentanyl, and bottles of promethazine with codeine in addition to cocaine and methorphan. On January 12, 2023, agents executed search warrants at two locations associated with Jackson. At one location (261 CR 222, Oxford, Florida), agents located quantities of marijuana, MDMA, and prescription pills. On the same date, Jackson was arrested at 715 Oakdale Avenue, Unit 38 in Brooksville. Agents served a search warrant on that residence and arrested another co-conspirator after locating methamphetamine, fentanyl, promethazine with codeine, and firearms inside a vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Joseph Paul (30, Cordele, Georgia) to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Paul had pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 17, 2022, Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop and subsequent search on a car being driven and occupied by Paul. During the search, deputies found a scale, 187.2 grams of pure methamphetamine, and 19.72 grams of fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Samuel Arthur Thompson (53, St. Augustine) guilty of producing, receiving, and possessing child sex abuse material (CSAM), producing CSAM while required to register as a sex offender, violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), sending unauthorized damaging commands to a protected computer, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Thompson faces a minimum mandatory term of 35 years’ imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2024. Thompson was first charged by criminal complaint in 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Thompson was convicted of sodomizing of a 14-year-old male child in 1998, in Alabama, and was therefore a convicted felon required to register as a sex offender, including reporting his international travel.

Thompson was hired as a contractor by the Jacksonville Jaguars around 2013 to consult on the design and installation of the Jaguars’ new video board network, referred to as a jumbotron, and later to operate the jumbotron on gamedays.  Thompson’s contract with the Jaguars required him to report his conviction, but he did not. In January 2018, the Jaguars determined not to renew Thompson’s contract after learning of his conviction and status as a registered sex offender. Before the expiration of Thompson’s contract in March 2018, Thompson installed remote access software on a spare server in the Jaguars’ server room. He then remotely accessed computers that control the jumbotron during three 2018 season NFL games, causing the video boards repeatedly to malfunction, as shown below:

After conducting an investigation, the Jaguars determined that the outages were being caused by a malicious actor sending commands via the spare server. On December 16, 2018, the Jaguars set up a “honeypot” by putting the server on its own network and removing its access to the other computers that controlled the jumbotron. During the next NFL game, the spare server was again remotely accessed and attempted to be used to send commands to computers controlling the jumbotron.  The Jaguars were able to capture the internet protocol (IP) address of the intruder – which the FBI traced to Thompson’s residence.

In July 2019, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Thompson’s residence and seized a number of his computers. The FBI also seized a firearm from Thompson’s nightstand, which he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon.

Log files from Thompson’s iPhone, iPad, and two laptops showed that all those devices had been used to remotely access the spare server. Additionally, the FBI found thousands of images and hundreds of videos on Thompson’s personal devices depicting CSAM. This CSAM included images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children, bondage and torture of children, and bestiality. The CSAM also included a video and series of photos that Thompson produced in June 2019 depicting children that had been in his care and custody. Thompson’s voice could be heard speaking to the children at the beginning of the video, and the video was taken in Thompson’s living room.

Subsequent interviews of three male children that had been in Thompson’s care in 2019 revealed that Thompson had molested two of the children, exposed himself to two of the children, exposed children to CSAM, spoken to the children about sex and masturbation, and had encouraged the children to play a “game” wherein the children were required to take off their clothes and run around Thompson’s house. It was while the children (7, 8, and 10 years old at the time) were playing the “game” that Thompson produced CSAM. A review of Thompson’s iPad further revealed that he had been searching the dark web for CSAM at the time the FBI knocked on his door with the search warrant. 

Thompson traveled to the Bahamas on a work trip from July 6 - 14, 2019. The next day, on July 15, 2019, Thompson registered as a sex offender and failed to report this travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The same day, Thompson also received CSAM via the dark web. 

On July 27, 2019, Thompson fled to the Philippines – once again failing to report his travel. Thompson’s passport was revoked, and he was deported from the Philippines on January 31, 2020. He was arrested by the FBI upon arrival in the United States and later ordered detained pending trial.

The evidence presented at trial also proved that certain assets the United States is forfeiting from the defendant, specifically, a Smith & Wesson firearm, an iPhone 7, an iPad, two laptop computers, and a custom-built desktop computer, were used in the offenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor, Brenna Falzetta, and Adam Duso. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer Harrington.

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

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to 1 count of dealing in firearms without a license, 14 counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, and 14 counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.  

According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, Wilson was purchasing these firearms for other individuals in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellular telephone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and other individuals about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Berger today sentenced Ethan Lipper (21, Orlando) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Lipper to forfeit the cellular phone used to commit the offense. Lipper pleaded guilty on June 7, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 16, 2023, a detective with the Oviedo Police Department was posing in an undercover capacity (UC) as a 14-year-old male on a social media application. Lipper joined a group called “Orlando Teens” where he began communicating with the UC, who he believed was a 14-year-old boy. Lipper sent pictures of himself and later provided his cell phone number in an effort to entice and sexually assault the child. Lipper sent the UC six videos, at least two of which contained child sexual abuse imagery. One of the videos depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a child who was approximately 9 to 11 years old. Lipper told the UC, who he believed was a child, that he wanted to perform similar acts with him.

On February 1, 2023, Lipper travelled to an address in Oviedo, Florida to meet with, and sexually assault, the child. He was taken into custody when he arrived, and his cellular phone was seized and searched. During a forensic review of his cellular phone, over 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse imagery were located. The majority of the images depicted children approximately 5 to 10 years old. Three of the images depicted children under the age of 5, including an infant. Also located on the phone were conversations between Lipper and individuals between the ages of 12 to 17 years old. During these conversations on a social media application, Lipper asked for sexually explicit images of the minors, some of which were provided to him. To date, the FBI has located and interviewed five of these children. The search for the remaining potential victims is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Patrick Silfrain (41, Winter Garden) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Silfrain to forfeit firearms used in the conspiracy, as well as jewelry, and over $600,000 in currency, which was traceable to the drug offenses. Silfrain had pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022. Jean Kesnor Choisil (51, Ocoee) and Kevin Jean-Gilles (41, Groveland) pleaded guilty to their roles in this conspiracy on November 22, 2022, and November 29, 2022, respectively. On August 31, 2023, Choisil was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Jean-Gilles was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.

According to court documents, Silfrain ran an operation that pressed pills to look like legitimately manufactured pharmaceuticals that actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogs – so-called “fentapills.” Silfrain operated numerous pill presses at the same time, each of which had the capacity to produce 5,000 pills per hour. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence of numerous shipments of controlled substances and binding agents. Based on the total quantity of binding agents sent to the Silfrain operation, the DEA estimated it to be enough to press 3,760,000 pills.

On April 20, 2022, the DEA arrested Silfrain, Choisil, and Jean-Gilles and executed search warrants on multiple locations. During these searches, they recovered over 23 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, over a kilogram of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, 11 pill presses, and over $600,000 in U.S. currency, traceable to the drug operation.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

 

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced that Alexander James Koby (38, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville for knowingly receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet. Koby faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. On May 15, 2014, Koby was convicted of possession of child pornography in federal court in Orlando. He is currently serving a Florida state prison sentence and will be transported to Jacksonville for prosecution in this federal case.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin Olbrych (48, Spring Hill) today pleaded guilty to two counts of Lacey Act Trafficking. Olbrych faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, in 2018, officers from the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at Olbrych’s residence. During the search, the officers 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. The investigation revealed that for years Olbrych 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.

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Papo Encarnacion De Oleo (46, Dominican Republic) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien, falsely presenting a social security number, making a false statement of citizenship to obtain a state benefit, and possession of false identification documents. Encarnacion De Oleo pleaded guilty to the crimes on June 16, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, Encarnacion De Oleo is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was previously removed from the United States in 2014. Even though he never received permission to lawfully re-enter the country, Encarnacion De Oleo illegally returned to the United States following his removal.  

In June 2019, Encarnacion De Oleo used another individual’s personal identifying information—name, date of birth, social security card, and birth certificate—to fraudulently obtain a Florida identification card. He also falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen when he obtained the card. Afterward, Encarnacion De Oleo used the card, along with the victim’s social security number, to fraudulently obtain employment with two businesses in Sumter County. Encarnacion De Oleo also falsely claimed to be a United States citizen on the employment eligibility documents for the businesses. 

“This criminal repeatedly ignored the laws of our nation, illegally re-entered after being previously removed, and masqueraded under the false guise of United States citizenship by stealing someone’s identity,” said Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This sentence demonstrates the law will not tolerate those who blatantly disregard it. Thanks to our partnership with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, we were able to put an end to this recidivist’s activities.”

“This sentence demonstrates that misuse of a Social Security number to gain unlawful entry into the United States after deportation and to fraudulently obtain employment and state identity documents is a punishable crime,” said Rodregas W. Owens, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to curtail this type of illegal activity. I thank the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigation for their work in this joint investigation and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.” 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Timothy Roberts (28, Hernando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon (a short-barreled shotgun) and two counts of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Roberts pleaded guilty to the offenses on July 28, 2023.

According to court documents, on August 7, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office stopped Roberts while he was driving a stolen vehicle. When deputies discovered a sawed-off shotgun on the back seat, Roberts admitted that he had tried to cover it with a backpack as he was being pulled over. This illegally modified shotgun was not registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.

Approximately three weeks later, Roberts was again stopped by Citrus County deputies for multiple traffic infractions. A subsequent search of his backpack revealed methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and two handguns. When questioned, Roberts claimed he had planned to sell the firearms. Roberts, who has four prior felony grand theft convictions in state court, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

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

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 – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced William Ross King III (55, Orlando) to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse materials. King had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.

According to court documents, on October 14, 2022, after receiving a CyberTip, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at an Orlando hotel room occupied by King and seized a laptop belonging to King. Subsequent forensic analyses of the laptop revealed 42 images and 80 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). King admitted to downloading and viewing the CSAM. These images and videos included sadistic and masochistic conduct and other violent sexual acts against children, toddlers, and infants.

“This sentence is proof that this deviant’s perverse behavior of victimizing children will not be tolerated,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Thanks to this CyberTip, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we were able to remove this predator from continuing victimize these children over and over.”           

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Wendel Algarin to 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Algarin had pleaded guilty on August 15, 2023.

According to court documents, between 2012 and 2019, Algarin operated a scheme to assist various subcontractors in the evasion of payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums. Algarin conspired with the subcontractors to pay their undocumented construction workers “off the books.” He facilitated the offense by operating three shell companies that he allowed subcontractors to list as their employees’ employers. In return for his assistance with the scheme, Algarin was paid fees of nearly $2 million. He used the funds to live a lavish lifestyle such as by purchasing multiple luxury automobiles. By operating the scheme, Algarin defrauded the United States out of more than $3.5 million in tax revenues.

“Mr. Algarin devised a plan to defraud the American taxpayer by establishing shell companies in the construction sector and evading employment taxes. Additionally, he employed undocumented workers, which harmed the workers’ compensation insurance industry,” said Tara K. Reed, IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that IRS-CI is dedicated to investigating and building a just and impartial tax system in which all businesses can operate.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Ramon Paz (53, Lakeland) to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $500,731, the proceeds of the wire-fraud conspiracy. Paz had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023.

According to court documents, Paz owned and managed a construction company which purported to supply construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Paz’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Paz’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Paz’s employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Paz or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Paz’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.

During the time period charged, Paz falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Paz also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his company’s “employees” had full worker’s compensation coverage.

In reality, Paz’s company received and cashed more than $21 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Paz had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

As a result of these misrepresentations, Paz’s company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.