Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Bernard Rogers (35, Sebastian) to 17 years in federal prison for committing armed robbery on July 14, 18, and 20, 2022. The court also ordered Rogers to forfeit $3,218 in cash and the firearm and ammunition possessed by Rogers when he was arrested. Rogers had pleaded guilty on June 8, 2023.  

According to court documents, on Thursday, July 14, 2022, Rogers entered a Cracker Barrel in Melbourne and, after approaching the cashier with items to purchase, pointed a small black firearm at her and demanded money from the register. Rogers left the store with approximately $1,000 and fled from the scene in a vehicle that he had rented. On Monday, July 18, 2022, Rogers arrived at a Dollar General in Orlando, pointed a small handgun at the cashier, demanded all the money in the drawer, and told the cashier not to “try anything.” Rogers fled with $300 in his rental vehicle. On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Rogers entered a T.D. Bank in Melbourne, showed his gun, and told the teller to empty his drawer and not do anything “stupid.” The teller gave Rogers more than $3,000, along with a concealed GPS tracker. Law enforcement located the tracker and after a short chase, Rogers was arrested in his rental getaway car with more than $3,000, the GPS tracker, and a black Ruger .380 firearm loaded with six bullets. License plate readers and other electronic information from Roger’s phone and rental car placed him at the scenes of all three robberies.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Kranston Algeno Rolle (33, Bradenton) to four years in federal prison for firearms trafficking. Rolle had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.

According to court documents, on December 30, 2022, Rolle trafficked in and received multiple firearms, specifically: a Smith & Wesson Model SD9 VE 9mm caliber pistol, a Glock Model 45 .9mm caliber pistol and, a GForce Arms Model GF2P semi-automatic shotgun. Rolle discharged the firearms at a shooting range in Palmetto. Rolle had received the firearms knowing that receiving them would constitute a felony. Additionally, Rolle purchased a box of shotgun shells at the shooting range and signed a liability release form where he knowingly misrepresented his status as a convicted felon.

On March 17, 2022, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Rolle’s residence and located two firearms that matched the type used by Rolle to the shooting range on December 30, 2022. Rolle confirmed his identity in a video recording showing him discharging the firearms. He also confirmed his identity in a photograph showing him posing with one of the pistols. Rolle later admitted to using the pistols at the shooting range and having unlawfully received and fired the shotgun. 

At the time of the offense, Rolle had multiple prior felony convictions including robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felony battery, and fleeing and eluding a police officer. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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 David P. Sullivan.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Floyd Hintteon Green, Jr. (62, Winter Haven) has been found guilty, following a bench trial before United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber, of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Green faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 7, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, Green was stopped by officers from the Winter Haven Police Department for an illegal tint violation. During a search of Green’s vehicle, K-9 units alerted their handlers to the presence of narcotics. The officers recovered a large toiletry bag containing approximately 437.2 grams of pure substance methamphetamine. Green later admitted to being a drug dealer, knowing the methamphetamine was present in the vehicle, and to selling it for approximately $2,600 per pound. Green also admitted to previously serving a sentence in Florida State Prison for drug trafficking.      

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Alexander Leszczynski (24, North Redington Beach) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for three different fraud schemes in which he attempted to obtain more than $10 million. The court furthered ordered Leszczynski to forfeit the proceeds and facilitating property of the offense—$337,000—and ordered Leszczynski to pay a total of $621,000 in restitution to the victims of the offenses.

According to the court documents, Leszczynski used fictitious religious organizations—Love & Bliss, Aura, Inc., King Neptune, Inuyasha, Inc., Rhone, Inc., King Cobra, Inc., Tinnitus Institute of Love & Bliss, Inc., and King Country Road, Inc. entities—to engage in numerous frauds. The schemes included fraudulently applying for Payroll Protection Plan (“PPP”) loans totaling approximately $1.3 million, engaging in a check kiting scheme, and attempting to deposit more than $3 million of worthless checks into the Love & Bliss, Inc. business account. Leszczynski laundered the proceeds of the PPP and check kiting schemes through multiple accounts in an effort to conceal those proceeds from the United States and forestall its recovery. The United States ultimately seized $337,000 from an account Leszczynski controlled and, when he discovered that the money had been frozen, he attempted to have it released by producing a fabricated pardon purportedly signed by former President Donald Trump.

In a separate fraud scheme, Leszczynski filed fraudulent warranty deeds purporting to deed to himself and his businesses 10 properties around the United States collectively valued at more than $300 million. When property owners and attorneys attempted to correct the fraudulent deeds, Leszczynski responded by sending harassing and threatening letters, emails, and faxes. Among the victims of Leszczynski’s deed scheme were Victim 1 and Victim 2.

In April 2022, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida charged Leszczynski with the PPP, check, and deed frauds, as well as multiple counts of money laundering in case United States v. Alexander Leszczynski, 8:22-cr-155-MSS-SPF. He was arraigned on May 17, 2022, and ordered detained.

In August 2022, the FBI became aware that while incarcerated at the Pinellas County Jail, Leszczynski sought out a hitman to kill Victim 1 and Victim 2. Leszczynski reported to a confidential informant that he had $45,000 hidden at his home available to pay someone to kill the victims. Leszczynski relayed to the confidential informant that his pending criminal case (the fraud case) would have to be dropped if the victims were dead. The confidential informant agreed to put Leszczynski in contact with a purported hitman, who was an undercover agent.

On September 8 and 9, 2022, Lesczcynski had calls with the undercover agent. Among other details, Leszczynski shared the names, addresses, physical descriptions, and approximate ages of Victim 1 and Victim 2, and provided additional details that would allow the undercover agent to find photographs of Victim 1 and Victim 2 online. Leszczynski also negotiated a price, settling on paying $30,000, and repeatedly assured the undercover agent that he wanted Victim 1 and Victim 2 dead.

Leszczynski pleaded guilty to both cases in November 2022. He later withdrew his plea in the murder-for-hire case, but again pleaded guilty in June 2023. Since he pleaded guilty to both cases, Leszczynski has written numerous letters—intercepted by the United States—attempting to solicit others to come forward and fraudulently take responsibility for his crimes.

Leszczynski’s sentencing in the murder-for-hire case is pending before U.S. District Judge James Moody, in case number 8:22-cr-155-MSS-SPF, on November 7, 2023, at 9:45 a.m.

The fraud case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Largo Police Department, the Indian Shores Police Department, and the Palm Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones. The murder-for-hire case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

Tampa, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Basilio Amaury Bron, Jr. (43, Cape Coral) to five years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating his federal supervised release. Bron must serve his sentence for violating his supervised release consecutive to his sentence on the underlying federal charge.

According to court documents, at around 5:00 p.m. on March 12, 2022, Bron drove an SUV carelessly and in excess of 100 miles per hour northbound on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County near the Laurel Road exit. A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Bron’s vehicle for speeding. The deputy conducted a background check which revealed that Bron was a convicted felon and currently on federal supervised release in the Middle District of Florida. During the traffic stop, the odor of marijuana emanated from Bron’s vehicle, and two 20-inch tactical swords were visible near the driver’s seat and the driver’s door. Bron also admitted to having a firearm in the vehicle. The deputy located a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, inside the vehicle’s center console and a bag containing 4 grams of marijuana. The deputy also recovered a pair of nunchucks from the driver’s seat pocket. Bron later admitted to ATF agents that he had possessed the firearm, handled it multiple times, and sold marijuana.

In 2016, Bron was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Ivan Hollingsworth (35, Florence, AL) to 10 years in federal prison for transferring machinegun conversion devices and theft of government funds. The court also ordered Hollingsworth to forfeit $46,426.91, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense involving the theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Hollingsworth to pay the same amount in restitution to the Social Security Administration. Hollingsworth had pleaded guilty on April 10, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, Hollingsworth manufactured and transferred hundreds of 3D printed auto sears, which are parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun. Hollingsworth advertised his 3D printing business through social media. 

Between December 2021 and March 2022, Hollingsworth communicated with an undercover ATF agent and negotiated the sale and transfer of hundreds of auto sears, which he delivered from Alabama to Florida via the U.S. Postal Service.  

On March 17, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Hollingsworth’s residence and located a machinegun, 111 3D printed auto sears, 11 silencers, and three 3D printers. 

Additionally, court records show that beginning in June 2018, and continuing through October 2022, in the Northern District of Alabama, Hollingsworth stole and converted to for his own use $46,426.91 in funds belonging to the Social Security Administration. Those funds represented Social Security disability benefits intended for another person.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

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 Wendell Doyle Goney (52, Mount Dora) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Goney faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on July 11, 2021, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary at a 10-acre business property in Mount Dora. As deputies were using a law enforcement drone to assist with the outdoor search, the drone was destroyed by gunfire from a neighboring property. Deputies responded to the neighboring property and were confronted Goney, who admitted that he had just shot down the drone with a .22 caliber rifle. Goney claimed that the drone had been “harassing” him. Goney then admitted to the deputies that he could not lawfully possess a firearm because he was a convicted felon. A record check confirmed his 29 prior Florida felony convictions, which included aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, illegal drug possession, burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, Goney is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Lorenzo Antoni Alfred (64, New York) to seven years in federal prison for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Alfred had pleaded guilty on May 19, 2023.

According to court documents and testimony, in 1988, Alfred, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, stole the identity of a disabled United States veteran to illegally come into the United States. Alfred obtained the victim-veteran’s birth certificate and Social Security card and used those documents to claim he was the victim for the next three decades. In 1989, Alfred was convicted in New York of second degree murder under the veteran’s identity. After his release from prison in 2014, Alfred obtained identity documents, credit cards, and government benefits in the victim’s name in New York and Florida. In June 2019, while he was residing in Tampa, Alfred attempted to apply for a passport in the victim’s name. The victim was harmed psychologically and financially by the offenses, including temporarily losing his government benefits and being unable to obtain credit in his name.

“We are pleased at the outcome of this case,” said Philippe Furstenberg, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS Miami Field Office . “The Diplomatic Security Service values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”

“Today’s sentence rightfully holds the defendant accountable for stealing the identity of a U.S. Army veteran and receiving benefits to which he was not entitled,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, VA-OIG, Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the hard work of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in securing justice in this matter.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Peresie.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Antonio Brown (45, Tampa) to 17 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His codefendant, Steven Jackson, was previously sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison. Brown had pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023.

According to court documents, Brown and Jackson robbed two auto parts stores in the Tampa area on August 29, 2021. They first drove from Jackson’s home in the Palm River-Clair Mel neighborhood of Tampa to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway, where Brown and Jackson carried firearms and wore surgical masks when they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from cash registers. 

Shortly after completing the first robbery, Brown and Jackson drove to an auto parts store on 50th Street North in Tampa, where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Brown and Jackson stole approximately $1,140 from the store during this robbery.

Later that night, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification.  Further investigation provided evidence showing Jackson in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson had worn during the robberies in his garbage outside his residence.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee, Michael Sinacore, and Charlie Connally.

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 Christian Tristan McKie (39, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials. The court also ordered McKie to forfeit an external hard drive, a laptop, and a thumb drive, which were used to commit the offenses McKie had pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023.

According to court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip regarding a user distributing child sexual abuse materials on a social media platform. Through investigative means, they learned that McKie was the user who had uploaded the child sexual abuse materials. While executing a search warrant at McKie’s residence, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices belonging to McKie, including a damaged laptop located under McKie’s bed and an external hard drive broken into pieces behind a freezer. Law enforcement also found a folder that belonged to McKie containing handwritten stories portraying sexual abuse of children between the ages of five and sixteen. A forensic examination was conducted on McKie’s devices revealing several videos and images of child sexual abuse. During an interview with law enforcement, McKie admitted to viewing and trading child sexual abuse images.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department. 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 arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Justin Ryan Culmo (39, Oldsmar) with production and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. Culmo was arrested on September 26, 2023, and has been ordered detained. 

According to the complaint, Culmo has been linked to an online community of individuals who regularly produce, distribute, and receive child sexual abuse material via hidden service websites also known as dark web sites, that operate on an anonymity network. The websites Culmo accessed are exclusively dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. There is probable cause to believe that Culmo produced and distributed child sexual abuse material on these sites.

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 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim of Culmo is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-347-2423 or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may also be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Matthew West (52, Lantana, Florida), Kevin Kutina (61, Ramona, California), Roberto Gonzalez (58, Palmetto Bay, Florida), and William Gonzalez (51, Orlando, Florida) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and substantive counts of wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for the conspirators’ alleged roles in fraudulently obtaining a multi-million dollar construction contract. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts, and a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment on the major fraud against the United States count. The indictment also puts the defendants on notice of the United States intends to forfeit at least $4,835,035, which represents the proceeds of the criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, in July 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a request for bid proposals for a contract to construct the Cancer Infusion Therapy Center (CITC) at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in Pinellas County, Florida. The construction contract, valued between $5 million and $10 million, was for the construction of a 14,909 square-foot building to augment the Bay Pines VA Medical Center’s existing radiation oncology clinic and enable VA health care providers to treat more veterans diagnosed with various types of cancer in an environment that was accessible and patient-centered. The CITC contract was set-aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), which required only bids from qualified businesses be considered.

The indictment alleges that the conspirators utilized a company owned and operated by service-disabled veteran Roberto Gonzalez and William Gonzalez, Maxon Groupe, LLC (Maxon), to submit a bid containing false statements and omissions to be awarded the contract. The conspirators falsely represented qualified employees from Kevcon, Inc. (Kevcon), owned and operated by Kevin Kutina, would serve in supervisory roles per a teaming agreement between Maxon and Kevcon. Additionally, the conspirators failed to disclose to the VA contracting officials that Maxon was a pass-through for Matthew West’s company, West Construction, Inc., which managed nearly all the work for the CITC contract and received most of the payment for the same. West Construction, Inc. was not a company eligible for the SDVOSB set-aside contract. As a result of the false statements and omissions within the bid proposal, the VA awarded the contract to Maxon.

The indictment further alleges that between March 2017 and January 2019, the conspirators submitted multiple invoices for payment. As a result, the U.S. Treasury paid Maxon approximately $4.8 million. During this same period, the conspirators transferred approximately $4.2 million of those funds to West, and in turn, West transferred approximately $1.1 million to Kevcon.

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 Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.

WASHINGTON – John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, the president of Metalhouse LLC, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of U.S. sanctions by conducting transactions to acquire over $150 million in metal products from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.

According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine.

On April 13, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned a 22-count indictment charging Unsalan with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 10 counts of violating IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and 10 counts of international money laundering. As set forth in court filings, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan conspired with others to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and sanctioned companies controlled by Kurchenko. Unsalan engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko and his companies were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited Unsalan from doing business with them. Unsalan and his business associates received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers.

Unsalan pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of the IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Unsalan also agreed to forfeit $160,416,948.56 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. Pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement between Unsalan and the United States, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On Sept. 13, co-conspirator Sergey Karpushkin pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit over $4.7 million in criminal proceeds.

The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, the president of Metalhouse LLC, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of U.S. sanctions by conducting transactions to acquire over $150 million in metal products from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.

According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine.

On April 13, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned a 22-count indictment charging Unsalan with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 10 counts of violating IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and 10 counts of international money laundering. As set forth in court filings, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan conspired with others to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and sanctioned companies controlled by Kurchenko. Unsalan engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko and his companies were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited Unsalan from doing business with them. Unsalan and his business associates received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers.

Unsalan pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of the IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Unsalan also agreed to forfeit $160,416,948.56 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. Pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement between Unsalan and the United States, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On Sept. 13, co-conspirator Sergey Karpushkin pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit over $4.7 million in criminal proceeds.

The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of eight indictments in the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida charging China-based companies and their employees with crimes relating to fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals. 

The indictments build on prosecutions announced in June and mark the second set of prosecutions to charge China-based chemical manufacturing companies and nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for trafficking fentanyl precursor chemicals into the United States. 

The indictments complement actions taken today by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to designate 28 individuals and entities involved with the international proliferation of illicit drugs. 

“We know that the global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States government is focused on breaking apart every link in that chain, getting fentanyl out of our communities, and bringing those who put it there to justice.” 

“The international dimension to the deadly scourge of fentanyl requires the all-of-government response that we are delivering today,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. “Through the dedication and investigative abilities of agents and officers from HSI, CBP, and our federal partners, we are bringing accountability to ruthless organizations and individuals resident in the People’s Republic of China and to the cartel members that seek to profit from the death and destruction that fentanyl causes.” 

“The charges announced today are another down payment on the Justice Department’s pledge to every American family that has lost a loved one to fentanyl poisoning,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Just as we did in the fight against terrorists and cybercriminals, we are deploying a whole-of-government approach – sharing intelligence, combining resources, and relentlessly pursuing justice – to attack the global supply chain fueling the fentanyl crisis. We will not rest until we have rid our communities of this poison.” 

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our nation has ever faced. These eight cases are the result of DEA’s efforts to attack the fentanyl supply chain where it starts — in China. Chinese chemical companies are fueling the fentanyl crisis in the United States by sending fentanyl precursors, fentanyl analogues, xylazine, and nitazenes into our country and into Mexico. These chemicals are used to make fentanyl and make it especially deadly,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA will not stop until we defeat this threat. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose collaboration and dedication have made these actions possible. I am also deeply grateful for the incredible work by the DEA Miami Field Division. Their pursuit of these organizations demonstrates the drive and determination of the men and women, who are working as one DEA, to defeat the cartels and their entire global supply chain.” 

“This investigation of a narcotics trafficker utilizing counterfeit postage labels highlights the unique jurisdiction of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). “This indictment is a win in our battle against counterfeit postage and those seeking to use the nation’s mail system to distribute dangerous substances.” 

The DEA led the investigations brought in both districts and used its unique authority to specially schedule protonitazene and metonitazene as Schedule I controlled substances, which was necessary as their adverse health effects, including death, pose an imminent threat to public safety. As a result of that order, the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to Schedule I controlled substances can be imposed on persons who handle or propose to handle these substances. In addition, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized more than 1,000 kilograms of fentanyl-related precursor chemicals, and the USPIS also traced packages containing the precursor chemicals mailed through the U.S. mail and analyzed their contents after seizure. 

Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing the United States. Not only is fentanyl 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, a dose of as little as two milligrams can kill a grown adult. Fentanyl analogues are similar in chemical structure and effects as fentanyl. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. From February 2022 to January, at least 105,263 Americans died of drug overdoses, the majority of which involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. 

Protonitazene and metonitazene are synthetic opioids that were emergency listed as Schedule I controlled substances in April 2022. There are no approved medical uses for protonitazene and metonitazene in the United States, or anywhere else in the world. Drug traffickers typically mix protonitazene and metonitazene with other opioids, such as fentanyl, to create new and more powerful cocktails of dangerous opioids. Methamphetamine overdose deaths are also surging in the United States. Methamphetamine is becoming more deadly because it is more frequently being mixed with highly potent fentanyl. There are currently no FDA-approved medications for treating methamphetamine use disorder or reversing overdoses. Drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine, rose from 547 deaths in 1999 to 32,537 deaths in 2021.  

The manufacture of fentanyl and methamphetamine begins with raw chemicals, known as precursors. Fentanyl and methamphetamine precursors, opioid additives, and synthetic opioids are manufactured and distributed by China-based chemical companies, many of which openly advertise on the internet. These China-based manufacturers ship fentanyl and methamphetamine precursors, opioid additives, and synthetic opioids around the world, including to the United States and Mexico, where drug cartels and traffickers combine the chemicals and then distribute fentanyl and methamphetamines throughout the United States to individual users.  

These China-based chemical companies often attempt to evade law enforcement by using re-shippers in the United States, false return labels, false invoices, fraudulent postage, and packaging that conceals the true contents of the parcels and the identity of the distributors. In addition, these companies tend to use cryptocurrency transactions to conceal their identities and the location and movement of their funds. 

The primary distributors of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in North America are the Sinaloa Cartel based in Sinaloa, Mexico, and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación based in Jalisco, Mexico. These two transnational criminal organizations have significant presences throughout Mexico, maintain distribution hubs in various cities across the United States, and control smuggling corridors into the United States. 

Organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación receive fentanyl precursors from China that are then synthesized within clandestine laboratories into finished fentanyl at scale. China-based precursor chemical manufacturers ship precursors from mainland China by, among other methods, mislabeling the products being shipped and using containers and other packaging to mask their illicit contents. 

Middle District of Florida 

Five indictments were unsealed in the Middle District of Florida charging five Chinese corporations and eight Chinese nationals with the illegal importation of fentanyl and fentanyl-related chemicals into the United States. 

According to the indictments, the defendants openly advertised their ability to thwart U.S. customs and deliver the chemicals used to make fentanyl to the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants used fake shipping labels and special delivery procedures to ensure the illicit chemicals went undetected. The defendants played various roles, such as coordinators and suppliers, and eight defendants are also charged with international money laundering. According to the indictments, the Chinese companies demonstrated past success delivering a stable supply of product to clients in Mexico for years.   

“The protection of our country from the deadly scourge of fentanyl is a key priority of the Department of Justice and my office,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to pursue cases against Chinese chemical companies who are knowingly manufacturing and exporting fentanyl precursors to profit on the pain and suffering of people in the United States. We thank our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration for their tireless efforts in support of these prosecutions.” 

Hebei Shenghao Import and Export Company, based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, is charged with fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, along with Chinese nationals Qingshun Li, 29, who allegedly negotiates the sale of precursor chemicals and maintains a bank account for the receipt of payments; Qingsong Li, 32; and Chunhui Chen, 33, both of whom allegedly maintain cryptocurrency wallets for the remittance of payments of precursor chemicals; Chunzhou Chen, 30, who allegedly received Western Union payments on behalf of Hebei Shenghao. 

Lihe Pharmaceutical Technology Company, based in Wuhan, Hebei Province, China, was charged with fentanyl trafficking conspiracy and international money laundering, along with Chinese nationals Mingming Wang, 34, who is the alleged holder for three bitcoin accounts shared by sales agents for Lihe Pharmaceutical, and Xinqiang Lu, 40, the alleged recipient of funds via Western Union on the company’s behalf. 

Henan Ruijiu Biotechnology Company, based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursor and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Yongle Gao, 30, who is the alleged registered owner of the bitcoin wallet associated with Henan Ruijiu. 

Xiamen Wonderful Biotechnology Company, based in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursor and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Guo Liang, 34, the alleged registered owner of the bitcoin wallet associated with Xiamen Wonderful. 

Anhui Ruihan Technology Company, based in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursor and attempted international money laundering. 

DEA investigated these cases. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Baeza and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Leath for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases. 

Southern District of Florida 

Three indictments were unsealed in the Southern District of Florida charging three Chinese companies and four officers and employees with fentanyl trafficking, synthetic opioid trafficking, precursor chemical importation, defrauding the U.S. Postal Service, and making and using counterfeit postage. 

“Targeting those who fuel the opioid epidemic, regardless of who they are and where they are operating from, is one of our district’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Today, we announced charges against the Chinese companies and employees that manufacture and introduce the raw chemicals at the start of the fentanyl and methamphetamine supply chain. This is only the beginning of our fight. The precursors and synthetic opioids that are being marketed, sold, and shipped to the United States and Mexico are being mixed and re-distributed into our local communities as powerful and potentially deadly cocktails of controlled substances. We commend our partner agencies for their skill and resourcefulness, as we work collectively to prosecute the sources of the poison and protect the public.”

Hanhong Medicine Technology Company, a pharmaceutical company located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged in a four-count indictment, along with Chinese nationals Changgen Du, 30, and Xuebi Gan, 28. According to the indictment, Hanhong has exported large quantities of fentanyl precursors and non-opioid additives, like xylazine, to the United States and Mexico, including to a drug trafficker in Pennsylvania and to a drug trafficker in the Sinaloa cartel for the manufacture of fentanyl in Mexico for eventual distribution in the United States. Xylazine is often mixed with fentanyl to increase the effects of the drug for users. Xylazine is a non-opioid drug approved for veterinary use for purposes of sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation, and pain relief in horses, cattle, and other animals. It is not approved for human use. Many opioid users are unaware they are taking xylazine. Overdose deaths involving xylazine have steadily increased year over year. Drug users who inject xylazine, or drug mixtures containing xylazine, often develop necrotic tissue resulting in disfiguring wounds or amputation.  

The Du Transnational Criminal Organization is listed on the United States Attorney General’s Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT) list. The CPOT list identifies the most significant transnational criminal organizations presenting a priority threat to the United States, including those international drug and money laundering organizations affecting the illicit drug supply of the United States. The CPOT list identifies those criminal organizations by the name(s) of their leaders. Du, as the criminal organization’s leader, is the director of Hanhong and allegedly negotiates sales with customers. Gan is an alleged sales representative. Du and Gan each operated a crypocurrency wallet that accepted payment for Hanhong’s sales. The four-count indictment charges Hanhong, Du, and Gan with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a fentanyl precursor with intent to unlawfully import it into the U.S.; manufacturing and distributing a fentanyl precursor with intent to unlawfully import it into the U.S.; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

Jiangsu Bangdeya New Material Technology Company, a pharmaceutical company located in Jiangsu, China, was charged in an eight-count indictment, along with Jiantong Wang, 40, a Chinese national and alleged owner and operator of Bangdeya. The indictment alleges that Bangdeya advertises openly online as an export company for chemicals, including synthetic opioids protonitazene and metonitazene. The introduction of these synthetic opioids into the illicit drug market threatens to exacerbate the overdose problem in the United States. Drug traffickers typically mix protonitazene and metonitazene with other opioids, such as fentanyl, to create new and more powerful cocktails of dangerous opioids. Bengdeya has imported large quantities of these synthetic opioids into the U.S., including to a drug trafficker in the Southern District of Florida. 

Bangdeya and Wang were charged with conspiracy to import protonitazene and metonitazene; conspiracy to distribute protonitazene and metonitazene; multiple counts of distribution of protonitazene; conspiracy to defraud the United States and make and use forged and counterfeited postage; and making and printing unauthorized postage meter stamps. 

Hubei Guanlang Biotechnology Company, a chemical company located in Shijaizhuang, Hebei Province, China, was charged in a two-count indictment, along with Chinese national Wei Zhang, 28, who allegedly runs the day-to-day operations of the company and operates a cryptocurrency wallet that accepts payment for the company’s sales of fentanyl precursors and opioid additives.  

According to the indictment, Guanlang openly advertises online and sells an array of chemicals, including methamphetamine precursors like methylamine HCL, to customers in the United States and Mexico. Methylamine HCL is an essential precursor chemical that Mexican cartels use to manufacture highly pure and potent  methamphetamine. Currently, most of the methamphetamine supply in the United States is produced by drug trafficking cartels in Mexico. 

Guanlang and Zhang are charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a methamphetamine precursor and unlawfully import into the U.S. and conspiracy to unlawfully import a methamphetamine precursor into the U.S. with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine; and the manufacture and distribution of a methamphetamine precursor that was unlawfully imported into the United States. 

The DEA Miami Field Division, HSI Miami, USPIS-Miami, IRS-CI Miami, and FBI Miami Field Office investigated these cases.   

Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero and Jon Juenger for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. 

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) provided assistance with the indictments brought in both districts. 

The indictments are a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force carried out this case and prosecution. HIDTA was established in 1990. This program, which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, fosters intra-agency cooperation among law enforcement agencies in South Florida and involves them in developing a strategy to target the region's drug-related and violent crime threats to public safety, as with the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and the cocaine threat to our nation. The South Florida HIDTA uses the funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, that sponsors a variety of law enforcement initiatives that target the region's illicit drug and violent crime threats to our community. 

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

View the Anhui indictment here.

View the Hebei indictment here.

View the Henan indictment here.

View the Lihe indictment here.

View the Xiamen indictment here.

View the Bangdeya indictment here.

View the Hanhong indictment here.

View the Hubei Guanlang indictment here.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Katherine Jee Rankin (30, Jacksonville Beach) today pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, specifically injectable hydromorphone. Rankin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the plea agreement, Rankin was a registered nurse and employed by a surgical center in Jacksonville. On October 13, 2022, after discovering that Rankin had forged an anesthesia record, a supervisor confronted Rankin and told her that she was being fired. After being terminated, but while still in the building, Rankin was seen by another employee, and captured on a surveillance camera, removing some vials from a controlled substances cabinet. While still at the surgical center, Rankin had a discussion with three other employees telling them that she had an addiction and that she had been taking drugs from the facility. She also said that the center’s drug count was going to be off. Rankin eventually turned over four vials of injectable hydromorphone, stating that the vials did not contain hydromorphone, but saline. Rankin explained that she had removed the hydromorphone, replaced it with saline, glued the caps back on, and then put vials back in the inventory so that surgical center’s drug count would be correct.  Laboratory testing later showed that all four vials contained evidence of physical tampering (caps being removed and glued back on) and chemical tampering (each vial contained very diluted amounts of hydromorphone).

A review of patient records showed numerous instances in which 200 ml of hydromorphone was documented as being administered to patients when that amount would have been unusual – 100 ml being more typical.  On those occasions, the entries appeared to have been altered with a “2” being written over the “1.”  There were also multiple records of hydromorphone supposedly being administered post-operatively (which also would be unusual), indicating that these records were falsified or altered to cover for Rankin’s diversion of drugs for personal use.    

As a trained and educated healthcare professional, Rankin knew that tampering with medication and falsifying records placed patients in danger of bodily injury and potentially death.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office – Pharmaceutical Diversion and Designer Drug Unit attached to the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Shane Valmont (43, Tampa) with possession and distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. If convicted, Valmont faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Valmont that the United States intends to forfeit any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, Valmont was involved in two deliveries of controlled substances in Pinellas County. On December 27, 2022, Valmont distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. On January 17, 2023, Valmont distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin. 

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Deandre Riviera Lopez (33, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Lopez had pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2022, officers from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) arrested Lopez on an active felony warrant from the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. During Lopez’s arrest, the officers observed Lopez blade his body and appear to reach for an item near his waist. A search of Lopez revealed a Century Arms “Canik” TP9 Elite Combat semi-automatic pistol tucked near Lopez’s right waist. The firearm was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Lopez later admitted that he always carried a firearm for personal protection and that he had owned the pistol for several months. 

At the time of his arrest, Lopez had multiple prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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, FL – The Justice Department announced that it has awarded more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety, and community justice activities. Of that amount, more than $36.6 million has been awarded to entities in the Middle District of Florida. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.

“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”

“Improving the safety of our communities requires a comprehensive approach and commitment by those working on the front lines,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “The funding announced today will greatly support those working tirelessly to help keep our citizens safe every day.”

The more than $36.6 million in grant funding being awarded this fiscal year in the Middle District of Florida will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.

“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”

“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”

“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”

More information about the awards announced today, including those within the Middle District of Florida, can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Leslie Duppins, Jr. (40, Brevard County) to five years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Duppins to an additional 12 months’ imprisonment, to run consecutively, for violating his supervised release conditions by committing the drug offense and driving recklessly. Duppins had pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023.

According to court documents, a deputy from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office observed Duppins driving his vehicle recklessly. The deputy followed Duppins and was assisted by fellow deputies and a task force officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The officers tracked the vehicle to a gas station on Palm Bay Road in Melbourne. As the officers surveilled the vehicle, Duppins remained in the driver’s seat and did not exit the vehicle, but other individuals exited and entered the vehicle. Law enforcement officers subsequently conducted a traffic stop due to the reckless driving. While officers were approaching the vehicle, Duppins appeared to reach down towards his waist. Duppins was given several loud verbal commands to place his hands up. Duppins failed to comply, appeared to remove something near his waist, and reached into the rear passenger side of the vehicle.

Upon contact at the driver’s door, Duppins was asked to step out of the vehicle and was placed under arrest for reckless driving. During a search of the vehicle, the officers located a clear bag containing a blue powdery substance on the rear passenger floorboard. The substance, later tested and weighed by a Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory, weighed approximately 114 grams and tested positive for fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Gardella and Michael Sartoian.  

WASHINGTON – SMC Systems Inc., dba Skyetec, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to pay $2.35 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), between 2014 and 2021, by knowingly and intentionally making false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other entities about the results of inspections it was performing under the EPA’s Energy Star Program. FIRREA imposes civil penalties on any person or entity that violates certain predicate federal statutes involving false statements and financial fraud. On July 15, 2021, Skyetec was acquired by Quality Built, LLC, and re-organized as SMC Systems LLC.

“EPA’s Energy Star program is an important vehicle for promoting energy efficiency and improving energy security,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who undermine these critical objectives and seek to profit by knowingly failing to comply with the program’s requirements.

“The strength and integrity of the Energy Star program depends on accurate information provided by those who inspect and certify homes as energy efficient,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring integrity in that process for both home buyers and financial institutions that assist borrowers in financing their homes, as well as holding accountable those who falsely certify Energy Star homes.”

“The integrity of the Energy Star program relies on an honest and transparent public-private partnership,” said Special Agent in Charge Nic Evans of the EPA Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). “These allegations and subsequent penalties send a clear message that oversight is imperative to bring to light partners that diminish the value of the Energy Star program.”

The Energy Star Program is a voluntary public-private partnership to identify and promote energy-efficient products and buildings, to reduce energy consumption, to improve energy security and to reduce pollution through labeling of, or other communication about, products and buildings that meet the highest energy conservation standards. As part of the Energy Star Program, the EPA oversees the Energy Star Home Certification Program along with RESNET, a private Home Certification Organization that accredits and audits rating providers. Under the Home Certification Program, newly constructed homes receive energy inspections and obtain Energy Star Certificates reflecting that the home meets the required energy efficiency standards. An essential feature of this program is third-party verification that the home meets energy efficiency standards set by EPA. EPA relies on rating providers, like Skyetec, to ensure that all homes certified as Energy Star meet all Energy Star requirements. The rating provider must sign a partnership agreement with the EPA and must report all homes certified as Energy Star to the EPA. 

An essential component of the Energy Star Home Certification Program is a pre-drywall inspection to verify the presence and installation quality of a home’s insulation, alignment of air barriers, presence of prescribed framing and proper overall seal of a home. This is known as a “thermal bypass inspection.” The United States alleged that between 2014 and 2021, Skyetec knowingly and intentionally made false statements to the EPA, RESNET and others that it had properly performed these thermal bypass inspections when, in fact, it had failed to do so. Skyetec obtained both payment from a third party for a thermal bypass inspection and an Energy Star certificate from EPA based on the material misrepresentation that a thermal bypass inspection occurred. Skyetec reported information about these homes through internet platforms to both the EPA and RESNET as having satisfied Energy Star requirements when in fact they had not verified this through a thermal bypass inspection.  

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from EPA-OIG.

The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Don Williamson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Griffin, Charles Harden and Soma Nwokolo for the Middle District of Florida.

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

SMC Systems Inc., dba Skyetec, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to pay $2.35 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), between 2014 and 2021, by knowingly and intentionally making false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other entities about the results of inspections it was performing under the EPA’s Energy Star Program. FIRREA imposes civil penalties on any person or entity that violates certain predicate federal statutes involving false statements and financial fraud. On July 15, 2021, Skyetec was acquired by Quality Built, LLC, and re-organized as SMC Systems LLC.

“EPA’s Energy Star program is an important vehicle for promoting energy efficiency and improving energy security,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who undermine these critical objectives and seek to profit by knowingly failing to comply with the program’s requirements.

“The strength and integrity of the Energy Star program depends on accurate information provided by those who inspect and certify homes as energy efficient,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring integrity in that process for both home buyers and financial institutions that assist borrowers in financing their homes, as well as holding accountable those who falsely certify Energy Star homes.”

“The integrity of the Energy Star program relies on an honest and transparent public-private partnership,” said Special Agent in Charge Nic Evans of the EPA Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). “These allegations and subsequent penalties send a clear message that oversight is imperative to bring to light partners that diminish the value of the Energy Star program.”

The Energy Star Program is a voluntary public-private partnership to identify and promote energy-efficient products and buildings, to reduce energy consumption, to improve energy security and to reduce pollution through labeling of, or other communication about, products and buildings that meet the highest energy conservation standards. As part of the Energy Star Program, the EPA oversees the Energy Star Home Certification Program along with RESNET, a private Home Certification Organization that accredits and audits rating providers. Under the Home Certification Program, newly constructed homes receive energy inspections and obtain Energy Star Certificates reflecting that the home meets the required energy efficiency standards. An essential feature of this program is third-party verification that the home meets energy efficiency standards set by EPA. EPA relies on rating providers, like Skyetec, to ensure that all homes certified as Energy Star meet all Energy Star requirements. The rating provider must sign a partnership agreement with the EPA and must report all homes certified as Energy Star to the EPA. 

An essential component of the Energy Star Home Certification Program is a pre-drywall inspection to verify the presence and installation quality of a home’s insulation, alignment of air barriers, presence of prescribed framing and proper overall seal of a home. This is known as a “thermal bypass inspection.” The United States alleged that between 2014 and 2021, Skyetec knowingly and intentionally made false statements to the EPA, RESNET and others that it had properly performed these thermal bypass inspections when, in fact, it had failed to do so. Skyetec obtained both payment from a third party for a thermal bypass inspection and an Energy Star certificate from EPA based on the material misrepresentation that a thermal bypass inspection occurred. Skyetec reported information about these homes through internet platforms to both the EPA and RESNET as having satisfied Energy Star requirements when in fact they had not verified this through a thermal bypass inspection.  

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from EPA-OIG.

The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Don Williamson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Griffin, Charles Harden and Soma Nwokolo for the Middle District of Florida.

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

Settlement

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Samuel Ernesto Mendez (29, Philadelphia) to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Mendez to forfeit two cellphones and a gaming console, which were used to commit the offense. Mendez had pleaded guilty on March 31, 2023.

According to court documents, in February 2022, Mendez met the 12-year-old victim online. He chatted online with the child for four months before traveling to Orlando in June 2022 to engage in sexual activity with the child. While in Orlando, Mendez picked up the child in the middle of the night, took the child to a local hotel, drank alcoholic beverages with the child, and had sexual intercourse with the child. After returning to his home in Philadelphia, Mendez continued his inappropriate “relationship” with the victim with online written and video chats. Upon his arrest in December 2022, Mendez admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with the victim and traveling to Florida to see the victim.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.

A federal grand jury in Orlando returned an indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging three Florida men with crimes related to their respective roles in a tax refund fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, from 2015 to 2018, Christopher Johnson, of Orlando, and Jasen Harvey, of Tampa, allegedly conspired to promote a scheme in which Harvey and others prepared returns for clients falsely reporting large amounts of income tax withholdings to the IRS, resulting in tax refunds to which the clients were not otherwise entitled. Johnson and Harvey allegedly charged each client a fee per return – Johnson allegedly did not report his portion of those fees on his personal tax returns.

The indictment also charged that in January 2020, a federal judge issued an order enjoining Harvey from preparing tax returns for others but, despite the court’s injunction, Harvey allegedly continued to prepare and file returns from 2020 to 2021.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Arthur Grimes, of Orlando and Ocoee, Florida, participated in the scheme and caused to be filed four false income tax returns prepared by Harvey. When the IRS attempted to recover a refund allegedly issued to Grimes based on a false income tax return, Grimes allegedly (1) made false statements to an IRS revenue officer, (2) submitted false documents to the IRS, (3) transferred funds to a nominee bank account and (4) otherwise obstructed IRS collection efforts.

Johnson, Harvey and Grimes are each charged with aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison; Johnson and Harvey are charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; Johnson is charged with filing false personal tax returns, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison; Harvey is charged with criminal contempt, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison; and Grimes is charged with corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the due administration of the internal revenue laws, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of three years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind, Jeffrey McLellan and Caroline Pearson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jason Charles Nicholas (53, Ramona, California) has been arrested and indicted for distributing child sexual abuse materials over the internet. If convicted, Nicholas faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Nicholas was arrested on September 21, 2023 in San Diego County, California. He has been detained and will be transported to Jacksonville by the U.S. Marshals Service for prosecution in this case.

According to court documents, on August 3, 2023, an FBI agent in the Jacksonville area, using the persona of the parent of an 11-year-old “child,” began working in an undercover (UC) capacity on a particular social media application (app) to identify individuals who were attempting to sexually exploit children. The UC began a private conversation on the app with a user named “cldad,” who was subsequently identified as Nicholas. Nicholas falsely claimed that he lived in Florida and indicated his desire to meet the UC at the UC’s residence in northeast Florida to have sex with the 11-year-old “child.” However, Nicholas subsequently abandoned this plan and began threatening the UC that he would expose the UC’s purported criminal sexual conduct unless the UC streamed live video of the “child” to Nicholas. The UC refused to do so. 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 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 identification of Nicholas. On September 21, 2023, FBI agents, with assistance from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Nicholas as he was on his way to work. On that same day, a federal search warrant was executed at Nicholas’ residence resulting the seizure of several electronic devices.     

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego County 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.

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.     

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 – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Basil Samir Itani (46, Titusville) has pleaded guilty to distributing and dispensing controlled substances. Itani faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on nine occasions beginning on January 5, 2023, and continuing through May 24, 2023, a confidential source purchased controlled substances from Itani for cash and without a prescription after hours at Itani’s pharmacy. These controlled substances included oxycodone, methadone, alprazolam, methylphenidate, and morphine. Itani distributed and dispensed these controlled substances in an unauthorized manner by acting outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Titusville Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Brian David Johnson (38, Pinellas Park) to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Johnson to pay $23,000 in restitution and forfeit various electronic devices, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Johnson had pleaded guilty on June 28, 2023.

According to court documents, in November 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence after discovering Johnson was distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he downloaded thousands of child sexual abuse files over time and had viewed images depicting infants being sexually abused. A forensic review of Johnson’s devices revealed approximately 1,400 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, approximately 100 of which depicted toddlers.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City) to 18 months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. The court also ordered Pollman to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded.   

According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Pollman entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards, merchandise and food using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Pollman and his co-defendant, Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City) were staying at a hotel in the City of Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at their hotel room and located Markland inside the room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a printer, along with other tools used by Pollman to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Shortly after the execution of the search warrant, the PBPD located Pollman in the vicinity of the hotel and arrested him. When the officers searched Pollman they recovered various counterfeit Federal Reserve notes on him which were traced back to his manufacturing activities. During a subsequent forensic examination of Pollman’s cellphone, law enforcement located images of Federal Reserve notes that Pollman used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.

Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail in Florida where they are serving time for violating their state probation on multiple charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The Court had ordered Pollman and Markland detained pending trial.

On June 8, 2023, Markland pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded. Her sentencing hearing is set for November 2, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Bay Police Department, the Orange Park Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Tommy Mendez (42, Melbourne) to three years and one month in federal prison for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $173,125, the proceeds of the theft of government funds. Mendez had pleaded guilty on July 3, 2023.

According to court documents, Mendez applied for child auxiliary benefits, which are Social Security benefits due to children of deceased wage earners, on behalf of his minor child. Mendez also applied for a separate monthly benefit due to the surviving spouse of a deceased wage earner with a child-in-care. On the applications, Mendez falsely claimed that the eligible child was living with him. Mendez’s applications were approved, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid both monthly benefits to Mendez. Mendez misused the child auxiliary benefits received on behalf of his minor child for his own personal expenses and was never entitled to the child-in-care benefits because the minor child did not live with him. In total, Mendez received $173,125 in SSA benefits to which he was not entitled.

“Mr. Mendez fraudulently obtained Social Security benefits for himself and a minor child by falsely reporting information to the Social Security Administration (SSA). This prison sentence holds Mr. Mendez accountable for using fraudulently obtained benefits as his own personal slush fund,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the SSA. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler for their efforts in prosecuting this case.”

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and detention of Tyler Colton Rock (26, Houston, Texas). A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Rock with production of child sex abuse material, enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted, Rock faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in federal prison for the production offense and a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for the enticement offense.

If convicted on all counts, Rock faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for each offense. 

According to the indictment, Rock had a minor child victim send him nude images of herself and he sent her an image of his erect penis. Additionally, Rock traveled to the Middle District of Florida to engage in sexual intercourse with the child.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Petersburg Police Department.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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 – United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced four individuals in connection with their robbery spree of businesses in Florida. The four men were responsible for the armed robberies of seven convenience stores and one towing business. Each pleaded guilty to several counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm and received the following sentences:

Name

Date of Plea

Sentencing Date

Sentence Imposed 

DaMarris Jean Saint-Juste

(20, Orlando)

06/26/2023

09/14/2023

17 years, 10 months

Marcus Terrell Ellington, Jr.

(22, Orlando)

06/26/2023

09/14/2023

16 years

Nelson Ross Henderson

(21, Orlando)

07/10/2023

09/26/2023

 

15 years,  6 months

Rodreakas Deshay Smith, Jr.

(19, Orlando)

02/14/2023

09/27/2023

10 years, 6 months

According to court records, Saint-Juste and Ellington were involved in all eight robberies, Henderson was involved in three robberies, and Smith was involved in two robberies.

The first robbery occurred on August 26, 2022, at approximately 3:21 a.m., at TL Towing located at 605 Ferguson Drive in Orlando. Saint-Juste, Ellington, and Henderson were involved in robbing an employee of the business at gunpoint and stealing $3,000 cash from inside the office. The fourth male involved in this robbery was not identified. The defendants can be seen on surveillance video (pictured above) as they approached the business. Moments later, the men confront the victim with guns and chase after him before breaking into the office of the business.

The second robbery occurred less than an hour later, on August 26, 2022, at approximately 4:05 a.m. at a 7-Eleven located at 1439 West Orange Blossom Trail in Apopka. The clerk was robbed at gunpoint by Saint-Juste, Ellington, and Henderson. Approximately $200, an iPhone, and tobacco products were stolen during the robbery.

 

The third robbery occurred on August 30, 2022, at 4:06 a.m. at the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 1117 East Semoran Boulevard in Orlando. Saint-Juste (left), Smith (middle), and Ellington (right) stole approximately $270 from two registers and are depicted in the video still images below:

The fourth robbery occurred on August 30, 2022, at approximately 5:28 a.m., at the Circle K convenience store located at 2202 West McCormick Road in Apopka. Sain-Juste, Ellington, and Smith entered the store wearing similar clothing as the third robbery described above, which occurred 82 minutes earlier. They stole $70-$90 in cash from the cash register, several tobacco products, and a roll of $50 Florida lottery tickets. The defendants were unsuccessful in their attempt to enter the store’s safe.

The fifth robbery was committed by Saint-Juste, Ellington, Henderson, and a juvenile who was prosecuted in state court. It occurred on August 31, 2022, at 4:46 a.m., at the 7-Eleven located at 5492 International Drive in Orlando. The clerk complied with the armed men as they stole cash from the registers and scratch-off lottery tickets. Surveillance shows Saint-Juste (left) and Ellington (right) below:

 Henderson was also captured on video after he stole the cash and lottery tickets from behind the counter:

The last three robberies were committed by Saint-Juste and Ellington. In each robbery, the men used firearms to steal cash, tobacco, and lottery tickets. The sixth robbery occurred on September 11, 2022, at 2:31 a.m., at the Rebel Gas station located at 2294 East Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee. The seventh robbery occurred on September 11, 2022, at 2:45 a.m., at the 7-Eleven located at 901 E. Vine Street in Kissimmee. The eighth robbery occurred on September 14, 2022, at 3:15 a.m., at the Speedway convenience store located at 27345 US Hwy 27 in Leesburg.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from many local law enforcement agencies, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, and the Leesburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranganath Manthripragada and Michael P. Felicetta.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Alejandro Carmona-Fonseca (49, Green Cove Springs) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by15 years of supervised release, for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Carmona-Fonseca had pleaded guilty on December 14, 2022. He has been detained since his arrest on June 6, 2022. Carmona-Fonseca had been employed as an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).

According to court documents, this case began when the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received a report from a local gym about a gym member, Carmona-Fonseca, sending a nude photo to another gym member, who was a minor child - Minor Victim 1 (MV1). During an interview with CCSO, MV1 explained that Carmona-Fonseca had requested MV1’s Snapchat account, and MV1 provided it to him. MV1 told Carmona-Fonseca he was in high school. Carmona-Fonseca sent images and videos with his genitals exposed to MV1. At one point, Carmona-Fonseca sent MV1 a picture of himself in his police uniform and wrote “you can call me your police daddy.” At times, Carmona-Fonseca would ask for shirtless pictures of MV1. 

With the consent of MV1 and his parents, CCSO assumed MV1’s identity over Snapchat and, on March 3, 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer (TFO)/CCSO detective began communicating with Carmona-Fonseca using MV1’s Snapchat account. The TFO confirmed Carmona-Fonseca was friends with MV1 and that location services were turned on in Snapchat. The TFO observed Carmona-Fonseca’s location numerous times during the chat. Carmona-Fonseca’s location showed him next to a JSO substation on numerous occasions, the areas where he worked as a patrol officer, near his residence, and near the gym he frequented. The TFO communicated with Carmona-Fonseca on March 3 and March 4, 2022. During those conversations, Carmona-Fonseca sent a video in his police uniform. He also sent one in which he was nude with his genitals exposed. Carmona-Fonseca also made several requests for nude videos of MV1 flexing. Carmona-Fonseca said that everything stayed between them and because it was Snapchat, it would disappear.

Further investigation by law enforcement also resulted in the identification of additional victims that had been exploited by Carmona-Fonseca over Snapchat.

“Instead of honoring his oath to serve and protect, this former law enforcement officer chose to use his position of trust to exploit the innocence of the very children he was charged with protecting,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HSI and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force will continue to aggressively target those who prey upon our children."

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

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

Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Troy Mitchell McGowan (25, Deltona) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet and possession of child sexual abuse images and videos. McGowan faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is set for December 6, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, McGowan used a particular chat application to download images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and distributed them over the internet. McGowan also distributed some of these materials to an undercover FBI agent.

On March 29, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at McGowan’s residence and located a phone that belong to McGowan. A subsequent forensic review of McGowan’s phone revealed at least 769 videos containing child sexual abuse material and at least 66 images containing child sexual abuse material of young children under the age of 12 which included, infants, toddlers, bondage and bestiality.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Maria M. Howard has sentenced 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.

According to court documents, on July 1, 2021, Rucker went to a hotel in Clay County and obtained a large quantity of methamphetamine. Later that day, before he could sell the narcotics, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) pulled over a car Rucker was driving. During a subsequent search of the car and pat down of Rucker, the CCSO located multiple baggies of methamphetamine and a loaded Taurus .40 caliber pistol.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Brian Patrick Durning (52, Altadena, CA) to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a minor on an aircraft. A federal jury had found Durning guilty on June 22, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on June 23, 2022, Durning had boarded a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Orlando and was seated next to a 13-year-old girl. The child had been separated from the rest of her family, who were seated two rows away from her. After the cabin lights were dimmed and most of the passengers had fallen asleep, Durning assaulted the child. A nearby passenger awoke and observed one of Durning’s hands between the child’s legs and intervened.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Courtney Richardson-Jones.

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, FL – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Denise E. Kovacs (60, Clermont) to18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for embezzling labor union funds. Kovacs was also ordered to pay $304,903.27 in restitution. Kovacs had pleaded guilty on February 23, 2023.

According to court documents and testimony presented at sentencing, Kovacs was the bookkeeper at Plumbers AFL-CIO Local 803, a labor union that represents plumbers and pipefitters in central Florida. During a nearly five-year period of employment, Kovacs stole $43,777 in cash from union dues and charged $261,126 in expenses on the union’s credit card. To conceal her theft, Kovacs altered internal business records which kept union officials in the dark about her ongoing embezzlement of funds.

This case was investigated by the Department of Labor, Office of Labor- Management Standards. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that the United States has obtained more than $370 million in judgments against a Kentucky businessman and his companies for a laboratory testing scheme that targeted the Medicare program. 

In August 2022, the United States filed a complaint-in-intervention against Rajen Shah and his companies United Diagnostics Lab, Tomoka Medical Lab, Tennessee Valley Regional Laboratory, Luminus Diagnostics, and Golden Rule Management for violations of the False Claims Act. The complaint alleged that Shah caused his laboratories to bill Medicare for expensive molecular tests that were not ordered by a licensed healthcare provider. 

On September 21, 2023, the district court granted the United States’ motion for default judgment and awarded judgment in favor of the United States and against the defendants in the amount of $105,634,097.50 for Shah, $6,159,118 for Tomoka Medical Lab, Inc., $23,996,305.50 for Tennessee Valley Regional Laboratories, LLC, $75,478,674.00 for Luminus Diagnostics, LLC, $105,634,097.50 for Golden Rule Management, LLC, and $54,587,325.00 for United Diagnostics Lab, LLC.

“The integrity of our healthcare system depends on the government being able to rely on accurate and truthful information submitted by laboratories, and that labs only bill for services ordered by a beneficiary’s doctor or nurse practitioner,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “We will continue to hold people accountable when they disregard Medicare’s regulations.”

“Providers who seek to boost their own profits by submitting inaccurate billing information to federal health care programs like Medicare undermine the integrity of these programs, which beneficiaries rely on for safe and effective health care services,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Julie Rivera of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate health care fraud schemes, including those involving providers allegedly submitting fraudulent claims in violation of the False Claims Act.”

In 2021, Shah received a jail sentence for a criminal contempt charge stemming from his violation of court orders related to the United States’ fraud investigation.  

This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Keefe.

The False Claims Act is a federal statute originally enacted in 1863 in response to defense contractor fraud during the American Civil War. It allows the United States to recover damages and penalties for the false or fraudulent submission of claims seeking reimbursement from the government. The United States intervened in a lawsuit originally brought by Jacqueline Cushing, a former Tomoka employee, under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery.

The case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Jacqueline Cushing v. Rajen Shah, et al, Case No. 19-cv-2997-T-33TGW. 

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Andrew Lynn Overheul (43, Orange Park) to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production and attempted production of sexually explicit images and videos of children. Overheul had pleaded guilty on June 7, 2023. He has been detained since his arrest on April 20, 2023.

According to court documents, on September 17, 2022, the parent of a 12-year-old child (“MV1”) contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (“CCSO”) to report a complaint that MV1 had made about finding a cellphone recording her changing and using the shower in the bathroom at her softball coach’s house. CCSO responded that night and interviewed the parent and MV1. The parent and MV1 said that they were at Overheul’s home earlier that day for a softball team family party, and that the children had decided to have an impromptu group sleepover at Overheul’s home. Overheul told MV1 she could take a shower in the master bathroom, as another girl was using the shower in his other bathroom.

MV1 spotted a phone on the bathroom counter propped up between two boxes, with the camera facing the shower. Upon closer inspection, MV1 discovered the phone was actively recording and she immediately grabbed the phone and stopped the recording. MV1 reviewed the video and discovered that it depicted her, so she deleted the video, placed the phone back on the counter, and called her parents to pick her up.

MV1’s parent sent a text message to Overheul at 8:17 pm indicating they were on their way to pick up their daughter and would tell Overheul about it when they got there. At 8:44 pm, Overheul responded by text message, “Hey we talked with the girls. No one is addmitting [sic] to playing a joke. The others that were in that bathroom said they saw my phone charging but no other phones.” 

After interviewing the parents and MV1, CCSO detectives responded to Overheul’s residence early the next day and conducted a recorded interview in which Overheul acknowledged that he was the only person that used or had access and control of his cellphone. Overheul acknowledged that his phone was in the bathroom and claimed he had placed it there to charge.

Agents obtained a search warrant to search Overheul’s cellphone. During the forensic review, agents found two photos of several minor females on the softball team wearing swimsuits and sitting on the floor in Overheul’s living room, dated September 17, 2022, with a time stamp of 5:36 pm. Forensics also showed that at 7:38 pm a search for “canon remote app” was conducted on Overheul’s phone, and then the Canon Camera Connect app was installed a few seconds later. This app allows a camera to remote shoot with live view imaging of the camera from a smartphone. Forensics also showed a search in the evening of September 17, 2022, in the Google Play Store on Overheul’s phone, for two applications which were downloaded. These apps can be used to delete information from a person’s phone.

On November 18, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Overheul’s residence. Numerous electronic devices were seized. Agents discovered hundreds of photos and videos of minors that appeared to have been taken surreptitiously without their consent.

“This individual, in a position of trust, mentorship, and oversight over children in our community, abused this position in the most heinous of ways and will be held accountable for his despicable actions,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This is another successful Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force investigation that has stopped another dangerous predator from exploiting the vulnerability of unsuspecting children.” 

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Melanie Marshall (38, Tampa), a/k/a Melanie Gutermuth, guilty of theft of government funds. Marshall faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2023. Marshall had been indicted on December 19, 2018.

According to evidence presented at trial, Marshall stole from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE) program. Marshall was eligible for the VRE program, which was designed to assist veterans with service-connected disabilities prepare for, find, and keep suitable employment, but lied to her VA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) to continue receiving benefits beyond what had been approved. Marshall signed an Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan with the stated objective being to complete a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health/Health Education. Marshall graduated with her Bachelor of Science in approximately December 2015. However, Marshall failed to report to her VRC that she had completed the program she was approved for – by graduating with her bachelor’s degree – and lied on multiple occasions regarding her progress toward completion of her bachelor’s degree. Marshall also provided fake degree audits to support her repeated lies to the VRC regarding her progress towards her bachelor’s degree. As a result of Marshall’s lies and misrepresentations, the VA paid for classes and issued monthly subsistence allowance payments after she had already completed her approved VRE program. The total loss to the VA was $20,986.92.

“The Veteran Readiness and Employment program provides vital job training, education, and employment accommodations for our nation’s deserving veterans with service-connected disabilities. The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to holding accountable those who would commit fraud against VA’s programs and services,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Social Security Administration OIG for their efforts in this joint investigation.”

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Avery Jones-Neal (28, Dunedin) with three counts of distribution of cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted of the narcotics offenses, Jones-Neal faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. If convicted of the firearm offense, Jones-Neal faces up a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, federal prison.

According to the indictment, on July 25, 26, and 31, 2023, Jones-Neal distributed cocaine, and on August 17, 2023, Jones-Neal possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. The indictment also alleges that on July 26, 2023, Jones-Neal possessed a Walther, model Uzi, .22 caliber pistol. Jones-Neal has five prior felony including sale or delivery of cocaine on two separate occasions, possession of cocaine on two separate occasions, and sale of alprazolam. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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 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 today sentenced Charles Vincent Yannaccone (52, Apopka) to 12 years and 6 months years in federal prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse materials. The court also ordered Yannaccone to forfeit five hard drives, a cellphone, a thumb drive, a computer tower, and a computer with a SD card, which were used to commit the offenses in this case. Yannaccone had entered a guilty plea on June 28, 2023.

According to court documents, Yannaccone downloaded multiple depictions of child sexual abuse materials using a peer-to-peer file sharing platform. During the execution of a search warrant on his home, law enforcement discovered hundreds of depictions of child sexual abuse materials on Yannaccone’s electronic devices.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sam David Harris, Jr. (38, Middleburg) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual abuse images. Harris faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, and up to 60 years, in federal prison. Harris has been detained since his arrest on April 20, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, in February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into a cyber tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse materials being uploaded to a particular site of an electronic services provider. An investigation into that user led law enforcement to Harris. 

On April 20, 2023, HSI Jacksonville Special Agents and Task Force Officers executed search warrant at Harris’s home and located a thumb drive that had been concealed in the bottom portion of a small box in the top drawer of the nightstand next to Harris’s bed. Subsequent onsite forensic preview of the thumb drive by HSI revealed numerous videos and images depicting child sex abuse materials.

Additional analysis of the thumb drive revealed more than 100 images that appeared to have been produced by Harris. Harris’s hand, arm, and forearm are visible in several of the files. A witness identified Harris’s arm/tattoos, as well as Harris’s bathroom and garage that were visible in several other images on the thumb drive. One of the girls depicted in the images was subsequently identified as a child to whom Harris had access.

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Oscar Eduardo Sanchez Gamboa (54, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to making a false claim of citizenship to obtain a state benefit and aggravated identity theft. Gamboa faces up to of five years’ imprisonment for making the false claim, and a consecutive minimum mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG–SSA) investigated the use of a Social Security number (SSN) in several loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The OIG-SSA provided agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with copies of the loan applications. CBP officers then conducted a review of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Records (DHSMV) for the SSN and the name used in the loan applications. The DHSMV records revealed that Gamboa had used the name, date of birth, and SSN of another person, who is a U.S. citizen, to apply for and obtain on separate occasions a Florida driver license and a Florida commercial driver license matching the person OIG-SSA had submitted to CBP. In order for Gamboa to receive these licenses, he affirmed under penalty of perjury that he was a citizen of the United States. A review of U.S. Department of State records and Department of Homeland Security databases by CBP confirmed that Gamboa was born in Colombia, is a citizen of Colombia, and is not a United States citizen.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.   

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Ahmoi Cecil Lewis (32, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and armed drug trafficking. The court also ordered Lewis to forfeit $10,000 and five firearms. Lewis had pleaded guilty on June 27, 2023.

According to court documents, from October 2020 through February 2022, Lewis oversaw a drug trafficking organization operating in Tampa. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Lewis distributed or caused to be distributed over 400 grams of fentanyl, over 100 grams of cocaine base, and over 28 grams of cocaine. In February 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lewis’s home in Tampa and seized 188 grams of fentanyl, over one kilogram of cocaine, 89 grams of methamphetamine, over eight kilograms of marijuana, three pistols, two assault rifles, a high capacity drum-style magazine, and $10,000 in cash.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Edward Lindsey (47, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Under the Armed Career Criminal Act, Lindsey faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.  

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

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 is being 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.

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jacoby Jules Colon (20, Ocala) and Darius Rodney Capers (Ocala, 19) in connection with their robbery spree of postal carriers. Colon was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers, armed postal robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Capers was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers and attempted robbery of a postal carrier. Both had pleaded guilty in July 2023.

According to court records, Colon and Capers robbed three postal carriers. In addition, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier. On September 14, 2022, Colon and Capers robbed a postal carrier in Ft. Lauderdale and stole his arrow key, which is a master key used to open U.S. mail receptacles. A few weeks later, on October 4 and 6, 2022, the men robbed two postal carriers in Orlando and stole their arrow keys. During the October 6 robbery, Colon brandished a firearm and threatened the carrier. During all three robberies, Capers was the lookout and getaway driver. On October 25, 2022, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier in Tampa but abandoned his effort when the carrier resisted.

Colon approaching the victim postal carrier on October 4, 2022.

Capers speeding away from the scene with Colon immediately after the robbery on October 4, 2022.

U.S. Postal Inspectors witnessed Capers and Colon using one of the stolen arrow keys to access a mail collection box in the parking lot of the Azalea Park Post Office in Orlando. The pair admitted to stealing mail to further engage in check fraud.

U.S. Postal Inspectors executed search warrants at a hotel in Orlando where Capers had been staying and at the homes of Colon and Capers in Ocala. They recovered several pieces of stolen mail, fraudulent checks, ski masks, and several firearms. They also located a photo sent by Colon to Capers which depicted one of the stolen arrow keys worn by Colon.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Chester Lewis Risco, III (20, North Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Risco faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Risco has agreed to forfeit the Taurus pistol and ammunition he possessed during this offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on April 27, 2023, Risco fled from a deputy on his bicycle after committing several traffic violations. When apprehended, Risco was in possession of a loaded Taurus pistol, in a holster, inside his waistband. At the time, Risco had a prior felony conviction and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Risco was also under court-ordered supervision when he was found in possession of the loaded pistol.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Steve Jackson (41, Tampa) to 13 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jackson had pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023. His codefendant, Antonio Brown, previously pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.

According to court documents, on August 29, 2021, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa carrying firearms and wearing surgical masks as they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from the cash registers. 

Shortly after completing the first robbery, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on 50th Street North in Tampa, where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Jackson and Brown stole approximately $1,140 during this robbery.

Later that evening, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification.  Further investigation revealed that Jackson had been in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson wore during the robberies in his garbage outside of his residence.

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

 This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee, Michael Sinacore, and Charlie Connally.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that John M. Williams (63, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to failing to account for, and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), income taxes, Medicare taxes, and Social Security taxes (also known as payroll taxes) that had been withheld from employees’ pay. Williams faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the plea agreement, in 2012, Williams became an owner, operator, and a corporate officer of First Coast Exteriors, Inc, a stucco application and home building business. He controlled the company’s financial affairs and almost all checks drawn on its corporate checking account, including paychecks, were signed by him. As an owner and corporate officer with control of the company’s payroll and finances, Williams had a duty to collect payroll taxes from the taxable wages of his employees. Each quarter, he also had duties both to account for, and to pay over to the IRS, those payroll taxes.

An examination of Form W-2s filed for First Coast Exteriors employees showed that during the financial quarter ending March 31, 2013, through the quarter ending December 31, 2018, First Coast Exteriors withheld payroll taxes from its employees’ wages. IRS records show, however, that Williams did not account for these withholdings in Form 941 quarterly tax returns or pay these funds over to the IRS when the returns and payments were due. Between 2013 and 2018, Williams’s actions resulted in unpaid payroll taxes of approximately $306,500. During this same period, Williams also did not pay the IRS the employer’s matching share of Social Security and Medicare taxes, which totaled an additional $128,943.

First Coast Exteriors was not the only company that Williams operated that was delinquent in paying its payroll taxes. Records show beginning in 1995, he operated a business called W.W. Contractors, Inc. For the 13 financial quarters between 2009 and 2012, W.W. Contractors filed Form 941 quarterly returns, but only made partial or late payments of payroll taxes withheld and owed to the IRS.

“Sadly, our agents investigate cases like these far too frequently,” said Brian Payne, special agent in charge of the IRS-CI Tampa Field Office. “Business owners need to know that we will investigate tax cheats to ensure they are held accountable for their dishonorable actions. In this case, the defendant cheated both our federal tax system, and simply stole from his employees hard-earned employment benefits.”         

This case was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Steven Russell Statham II (27, Lake City) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Statham had pleaded guilty on September 6, 2022. 

According to court documents, a confidential source told a DEA Special Agent that he had purchased crystal methamphetamine from Statham approximately four times, buying three ounces (approximately 84 grams) each time. He also said he had seen Statham sell methamphetamine to others.

On September 15, 2021, the confidential source and an undercover detective met with Statham in Lake City and drove with him to meet one of his drug suppliers. After the undercover detective gave Statham the cash to purchase the methamphetamine, Statham met with his supplier and then gave the detective approximately 85.11 grams of pure methamphetamine. 

Two weeks later, on September 29, 2021, the undercover detective and the confidential source met with Statham in Lake City again to coordinate the purchase of more methamphetamine. After being supplied with cash to purchase the drugs, Statham met with his drug source and then supplied the detective and the confidential source with approximately 167.73 grams of pure methamphetamine. 

On November 18, 2021, a sergeant from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a car that Statham was driving which had license plates that were not assigned to the car. During the traffic stop, a law enforcement canine positively alerted on the car, indicating the presence of drugs. Officers recovered a bag from the car that contained approximately 21.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Drug Task Force, the North Star Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.