Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced the remaining four defendants in a series of bank ATM machine thefts. Each of the individuals previously pleaded guilty to bank burglary for their role in the thefts, which targeted five banks in Central Florida and resulted in $593,650 being stolen and over $100,000 in damages to the five ATM machines. Details for the four defendants are listed below:

Name

Date of Plea

Sentencing Date

Sentence Imposed 

Deontrae Walden

(23, Orlando)

1/18/23

9/18/23

3 years, 6 months

Aqunis Green

(24, Houston, TX)

5/18/23

9/18/23

18 months, consecutive to 46 months imposed on related case in Texas

Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23, Orlando)

11/28/22

3/6/23

4 years, 3 months

Wendell Harp

(24, Orlando)

12/16/22

4/11/23

2 years, 6 months

According to court records, Walden, Green, Reed, and Harp engaged in a spree of ATM burglaries at five Chase Bank locations in the Orlando area. During each of the burglaries, the men used a stolen pickup truck and attach chains to rip the casing from the ATM machines and steal the cash boxes inside.

In October 2022, Green came to Orlando and showed Walden how to commit the first two offenses. Together they stole $104,000 from a bank ATM on East Colonial Drive in Orlando on October 26, 2021, and $158,000 from a bank ATM on Conroy Road in Windermere on November 11, 2021. Green is currently serving a 46-month federal sentence for similar conduct in the Eastern District of Texas. His 18-month sentence has been ordered to run consecutive to that previous sentence in Texas.

On November 14 and December 18, 2021, Walden burglarized two more bank ATMs. During the November 14 offense, Walden stole $108,140 from the bank on South Semoran Boulevard in Orlando. During the December 18 burglary, Walden netted $107,180 from the bank on SR 436 in Casselberry.

In the fifth heist on May 26, 2022, Walden recruited Reed and Harp to help him burglarize the ATM located on East Colonial Drive in Orlando. They stole $116,650 but were caught by law enforcement officers who were surveilling them. Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had pursued them on the ground and from the air. Reed failed to stop and led police on a high-speed chase, which ended when deputies deployed spike strips and disabled the car. Reed, Harp, and Walden bailed from the car and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. The deputies recovered the stolen money from the fifth burglary from the vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Casselberry Police Department, and the Seminole 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 – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Michael Karp (50, Naples) to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Karp had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2023.

According to court documents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) opened an investigation into Karp in 2022, during which Karp met with an undercover ATF agent who was posing as a drug dealer needing protection during drug deals. Karp indicated to the agent that he participated in that kind of work. On May 23, 2023, Karp met at a hotel in Naples believing that he was going to protect a drug sale of five pounds of methamphetamine. In reality, the drug transaction was for the sale of imitation methamphetamine between two undercover ATF agents. Karp stood by with a pistol as the transaction took place.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make 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 Paul G. Byron has sentenced Edward Nicholas Carney (54, Kissimmee) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Carney to forfeit more than 50 electronic devices which were used to commit the offense. Carney had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2023.

According to court documents, Carney shared hundreds of depictions of child sexual abuse material using a social media platform. Upon executing a search warrant on his home, law enforcement uncovered more than one million depictions of child sexual abuse material on Carney’s electronic devices. Carney had screen savers displaying child sexual abuse on his computers when law enforcement entered his residence. Upon his arrest, Carney asked a law enforcement officer, “You’ve never had any curiosity about something? Just to look and see?”

As of the date of Carney’s sentencing hearing, more than 2 terabytes of child sexual abuse material, including 137 known series of child sex abuse, have been located on Carney’s electronic devices.

“This investigation is yet another example of the dedication and determination of the FBI and its law enforcement partners in unmasking child predators and keeping our children safe,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.

“The detectives at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office who dedicate hundreds of hours investigating monsters like Edward N. Carney are the true heroes. The partnerships we develop with organizations like the FBI is a great way of demonstrating to the community that we can do remarkable things together as one”, said Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Travis Lavon Anderson (36, Fort Myers) to nine years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Anderson to forfeit the firearms and ammunition possessed during the offense. Anderson had pleaded guilty on June 12, 2023.

According to court documents, in the afternoon of June 8, 2022, Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) officers were alerted to multiple rounds of gunfire in quick succession in the vicinity of a residence on Lantana Street in Fort Myers. During a subsequent investigation into the origin of the gunfire, officers obtained surveillance video depicting Anderson discharging a firearm 10 times in front of his residence on Lantana Street. The FMPD obtained a search warrant for the interior of the residence where officers found three firearms and several dozen rounds of ammunition belonging to Anderson, including a loaded AR-15-style rifle and two handguns. As a convicted felon, Anderson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.       

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

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Reginald Odell Kincer (77, The Villages) has been charged by information with receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce. If convicted, Kincer faces up to one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

According to court records, Kincer received more than $1,800 of erectile dysfunction drugs that had been shipped through interstate commerce. These drugs were misbranded because Kincer obtained them without a prescription from a licensed doctor. Kincer had planned to redistribute these drugs to others locally and outside the State of Florida. 

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

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

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Tampa, FL - United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Lemar Cowart (27, St. Petersburg) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them.  Armani Dilworth (28, St. Petersburg) was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months’ imprisonment for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cowart and Dilworth had pleaded guilty in May 2023.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2020, an eyewitness observed a vehicle pull into traffic, which was occupied by Dilworth and Cowart. One or more occupants of that vehicle fired shots into the front of another vehicle. The occupants of the other vehicle retaliated, and a high-speed chase ensued. The car which Dilworth and Cowart occupied ultimately crashed into a gate at Azalea Middle School, and Dilworth and Cowart ran from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found cocaine, two substances that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, alprazolam, oxycodone, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and cannabis. They also found evidence of narcotics distribution inside the vehicle including plastic baggies, two scales, scissors, and a firearm. Both Dilworth and Cowart’s DNA were found on the firearm recovered from the vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon, Charlie Connally, and Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of indictments charging four Honduran nationals, Juan Ariel Molina-Salles (age 33), Elieser Aurelio Gomez-Zelaya (age 32), Allan Oseas Gomez-Zelaya (age 42), and Duglas Hernandez Valladares (age 38) with aggravated identity theft, misuse of Social Security numbers, and making false statements regarding citizenship with the intent to engage unlawfully in employment. If convicted on all counts, each faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years, up to 12 years, in federal prison. 

According to the indictments, Molina-Salles, Elieser Aurelio Gomez-Zelaya, Allan Oseas Gomez-Zelaya, and Hernandez Valladares misused the names and Social Security numbers of others and falsely claimed to be United States citizens with the intent to engage unlawfully in employment.

“Identity theft is not a victimless crime,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “HSI, in cooperation with state and local partners, prioritizes the protection of someone’s personal information and works diligently to ensure it is not stolen, traded in an illicit marketplace, or used by criminal organizations.”

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

 

Valladares Indictment

 

Molinas-Salles Indictment

 

A O Gomez-Zalaya Indictment

 

E A Gomez-Zalaya Indictment

 

Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Katie Jeane Mahai (41, Ocala) with armed trespass, fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers, and unlawfully bringing a firearm onto Kennedy Space Center. If convicted on all counts, Mahai faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, Mahai violated National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regulations in place for the protection and security of the Kennedy Space Center, which is within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Specifically, on February 10, 2023, Mahai unlawfully entered a secured NASA area, armed with a firearm. Additionally, Mahai is charged with fleeing and eluding law enforcement during the same incident, while driving at a high rate of speed and in a manner which demonstrated a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

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 NASA Office of Inspector General, Kennedy Space Center Security Police Officers, and the Titusville Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dariy Pankov (28, Vasil’yevskoye, Russia) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and computer fraud. Pankov faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Pankov has agreed to forfeit $358,437, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Pankov developed a malicious software program named “NLBrute.” The powerful malware was capable of compromising protected computers by decrypting login credentials, such as passwords. Pankov used NLBrute to obtain the login credentials of tens of thousands of computers located all over the world. He marketed and sold, and had others sell on his behalf, NLBrute to other cybercriminals for a fee. Pankov sold the stolen login credentials on a dark web website that specialized in the purchase and sale of access to compromised computers. Once sold, those credentials were used to facilitate a wide range of illegal activity, including ransomware attacks and tax fraud. Pankov listed the credentials of more than 35,000 compromised computers for sale on the website, and obtained more than $350,000 in illicit proceeds.

Pankov, a citizen and resident of Russia, was taken into custody by Georgian authorities in the Republic of Georgia on October 4, 2022, and extradited to the United States.

This case was led by the IRS Criminal Investigation (Tampa Field Office) and the Tampa Division of the FBI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Pankov. The United States Marshals Service also provided significant assistance. This investigation also benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation by the Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron has sentenced Omayra Ujaque (52, St. Cloud) to two years and eight months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ujaque was convicted at trial on April 13, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, Ujaque, in her capacity as a licensed mortgage loan officer, created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting the financial institution where she worked. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, Ujaque falsified the borrowers’ income by fabricating or inflating the amounts of their monthly child support payments on mortgage loan applications that she signed and certified to the financial institution’s underwriting department. In furtherance of her scheme, Ujaque created fictitious Final Judgments of Dissolution of Marriage and Final Orders Modifying Child Support that fraudulently represented that the borrowers were entitled to receive non-existent monthly child support payments. Ujaque then used the names of judges from the Circuit Court of the Ninth District of Florida and forged their signatures on the fabricated Final Judgments of Dissolution of Marriage or Final Orders Modifying Child Support. Ujaque also created bogus Florida Department of Revenue statements listing fraudulent monthly child support payments, as well as phony prepaid debit card statements listing fake borrower withdrawals of the non-existent monthly child support payments.

In most cases, the borrowers did not have the listed children and/or had never been married. Ujaque submitted bogus paperwork to the financial institution to support the false monthly income on the loan applications. Based on Ujaque’s misrepresentations, the financial institution approved and funded the mortgage loans.

This case was investigated by Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Sergey Karpushkin, 46, of Miami, a resident of the United States and a citizen of Belarus, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions and commit money laundering by conducting transactions for the purchase and acquisition of metal products valued at over $139 million from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.

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

According to the allegations in the information and other public filings: between in or about July 2017 and in or about August 2020, Karpushkin conspired with others to purchase and receive over $139 million in metal products from two companies that Karpushkin knew were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. Karpushkin and his business associates, acting through the Florida-based company Metalhouse LLC, entered into contracts and purchase orders for pig iron, steel billets, and wire rods from these companies, received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies, and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. Karpushkin and his business associates intentionally concealed from U.S. banks and government officials the ultimate source and origin of the goods they sought to acquire, knowing that they did not have the necessary authorization or license from OFAC to transact with Kurchenko and companies owned and controlled by Kurchenko.

Karpushkin pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit international promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Karpushkin also agreed to forfeit $4,723,625 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment charging alleged co-conspirator and Metalhouse president John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of IEEPA, 10 counts of violating IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, and 10 counts of international money laundering was unsealed on April 17, and Unsalan has been detained pending further court proceedings.

The FBI Tampa Field Office and the International Corruption Unit  of the FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI Miami Field Office.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Matthew Allen Gahan (24, Summerfield) on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Gahan faces up to 20 years in federal prison.  

According to evidence presented in court, on or about September 13, 2023, Gahan was in possession of multiple videos portraying the sexual abuse of young boys. Gahan also used the dark web to distribute and receive child sex abuse materials.

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

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mar’tavious Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Brown faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on August 19, 2022, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in Fort Myers.

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

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

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carlos Ferrer (46, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ferrer faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the plea agreement, Ferrer, co-conspirator Maria Del Carmen Montes, and others conspired to create and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, the conspirators created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and IRS Form W-2s in the names of companies for which the borrowers had never worked. The bogus income documents falsely indicated that borrowers had worked at these companies, including companies formed and controlled by Ferrer, for a certain period and earned income that they had not. These fictitious paystubs and W-2s were submitted to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions.

To further deceive the mortgage lenders, Ferrer filled in the false employment and employment and income on Verifications of Employment (VOE) sent by the financial institutions. Ferrer then falsely certified and emailed VOEs sent by the financial institution in the names of borrowers that he knew did not work for his companies and lied to the financial institutions during verbal VOE verifications. Based on Ferrer’s misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Sherron Gary (40, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Gary faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to a life, in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on April 9, 2023, Gary possessed a Walther Creed 9mm semiautomatic pistol, 12 rounds of Blazer 9mm ammunition, 1 round of Starline 9mm ammunition, and 1 round of Sig 9mm ammunition. Gary has multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and armed burglary of a dwelling, trafficking of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Danny Ray Boree (38, Keystone Heights) and Angela Denee Lynch (47, Keystone Heights) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Boree has also been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Boree and Lynch each face a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison for each of the drug offenses. Boree faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Boree and Lynch that the United States intends to forfeit a Raven Arms pistol traceable to the firearm offense. Boree was arrested on September 8, 2023, and ordered detained. Lynch was arrested on September 11, 2023.

According to the indictment and court proceedings, Boree is a member of The Unforgiven, a violent white supremacy gang. From an unknown date, but at least through June 2023, Boree and Lynch conspired to possess and distribute methamphetamine. On June 8, 2023, Boree and Lynch possessed with the intent to distribute over 5 grams of methamphetamine and Boree also possessed a firearm. At the time of the drug offenses, Boree had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of 10 felonies, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2007, 2019). As a convicted felon, Boree is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Boree had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections in January 2023 for his last firearm conviction.  

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

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

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dustin Shane Sandiford (31, Citrus Springs) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child sex abuse material. Sandiford had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021.

According to court documents and testimony, agents seized a cellphone from Sandiford on December 2, 2020. The phone contained a cloud storage application tied to accounts Sandiford used to hoard more than 17,000 images and videos of child sex abuse. Further investigation revealed that Sandiford had enlisted another Citrus County resident to create child sex abuse images of an underaged relative and then send the images to Sandiford. This material was also found on one of Sandiford’s cloud storage accounts.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Marquis Terrell Bryant (32, Brevard County) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Bryant had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.

According to court documents, between November 30, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Bryant sold drugs on six different occasions to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department.  In total, Bryant was responsible for distributing 111.23 grams of fentanyl and 276.3 grams of pure methamphetamine.

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

 

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Evin Rae Davenport (32, Greenwood, South Carolina) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.  Davenport’s co-defendant, Zachariah Luke, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 16, 2023. Both Davenport and Luke face minimum mandatory terms of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. 

According to Davenport’s plea agreement, in November 2021, Luke was serving a prison sentence in South Carolina. Using contraband cellphones, Luke communicated with Davenport who assisted him in acquiring and selling illegal drugs on the street. Receiving direction from Luke, Davenport delivered drugs three times to a Florida-based drug dealer, including approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine that she supplied to him outside of a department store in South Carolina.

Once Davenport delivered the kilogram of methamphetamine, the dealer returned to Florida. In St. Augustine, Florida, a deputy observed a traffic offense and signaled the dealer to pull over. The dealer initially appeared to be looking for a place to stop, but instead accelerated and raced down the streets of a residential neighborhood. A police helicopter tracked the speeding car, and the pilot observed an object being thrown from the car and directed another deputy to that specific location. Following the directions of the pilot, the deputy found a backpack on the side of the road.  Inside, the deputy found approximately 985.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine that laboratory testing would later show was 100% pure.

After attempting to dispose of the drugs, the dealer continued to drive, but eventually reached a dead end. He then abandoned the car to hide in a nearby wooded area but was located and arrested. After that arrest, correctional officers in South Carolina seized multiple cellphones from Luke, which he was prohibited from possessing in prison. Investigators searched those phones and recovered text communications with both Davenport and the Florida-based dealer, concerning when, where, and from whom drugs were to be supplied and delivered.

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken Department of Public Safety, the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 

Sergey Karpushkin, 46, of Miami, a resident of the United States and a citizen of Belarus, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions and commit money laundering by conducting transactions for the purchase and acquisition of metal products valued at over $139 million from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.

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

According to the allegations in the information and other public filings: between in or about July 2017 and in or about August 2020, Karpushkin conspired with others to purchase and receive over $139 million in metal products from two companies that Karpushkin knew were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. Karpushkin and his business associates, acting through the Florida-based company Metalhouse LLC, entered into contracts and purchase orders for pig iron, steel billets, and wire rods from these companies, received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies, and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. Karpushkin and his business associates intentionally concealed from U.S. banks and government officials the ultimate source and origin of the goods they sought to acquire, knowing that they did not have the necessary authorization or license from OFAC to transact with Kurchenko and companies owned and controlled by Kurchenko.

Karpushkin pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit international promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Karpushkin also agreed to forfeit $4,723,625 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment charging alleged co-conspirator and Metalhouse president John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of IEEPA, 10 counts of violating IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, and 10 counts of international money laundering was unsealed on April 17, and Unsalan has been detained pending further court proceedings.

The FBI Tampa Field Office and the International Corruption Unit  of the FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI Miami Field Office.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Latrel Jackson (26, Chicago, Illinois), aka “Kobe,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Jackson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His co-defendant, Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh,” pleaded guilty to the same charges last week. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Passion Lajodia Jackson (30, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $20,132, representing the proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

On April 2, 2021, Jackson electronically submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to the Small Business Administration. Her application included false statements. Jackson also provided a fictitious Internal Revenue Service document in support of her application. Based on the false information she provided, Jackson fraudulently received a PPP loan of $20,132 on April 6, 2021. The loan was electronically wired to her bank account. Within 30 days of receiving the loan, Jackson withdrew the funds in cash.

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

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

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

Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Carlos Tejeda (62, Cape Coral) to 16 years in federal prison, Juan Tejeda (35, Cape Coral) to 15 years in federal prison, and Pedro Pelaez (59, Cape Coral) to 6 years in federal prison for their roles in a large-scale credit card fraud scheme which operated in Cape Coral between late-2015 and mid-2018. On April 27, 2023, a federal jury had found father-and-son ringleaders Carlos and Juan Tejeda guilty of 44 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit money laundering, production of counterfeit access devices, and possession of device-making equipment. For his role in the fraud, the jury found Pelaez guilty of 11 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Carlos Tejeda recruited several friends and associates, including Pedro Pelaez, to create shell companies, obtain credit card processing terminals for their shell companies, and then permit Carlos Tejeda to swipe counterfeit credit cards fraudulently encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers using the shell company credit card terminals. Evidence showed that Juan Tejeda’s primary role was to encode the counterfeit cards for his father Carlos Tejeda, but that he personally swiped counterfeit cards on the shell company terminals as well. Each fraudulent transaction was typically between $1,000 and $3,000, but the same stolen card number was often used several times across multiple shell companies before victim cardholders from across the United States realized that their card numbers had been compromised.   

After the stolen funds were deposited into the shell company bank accounts, the shell company owners would kickback a pre-determined percentage of the fraudulent proceeds to Carlos or Juan and keep the remainder for themselves. In total, nine shell companies were used to perpetrate the fraud, including those personally opened by Carlos and Juan Tejeda. Credit card transaction data presented to the jury showed that during the duration of the fraud, thousands of credit card charges totaling more than $2.6 million were attempted or conducted on the shell company terminals. In total, nine people have now been convicted and sentenced for their roles in this fraud, including the three above-named individuals.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (43, Orange Park) to five years and eight months in federal prison and Matthew Raymond Hoover (39, Wisconsin) to five years in federal prison for conspiring to transfer and transferring unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Ervin additionally was sentenced for structuring cash withdrawals from his bank account consisting of proceeds of the sale of the devices. The court also ordered Ervin to forfeit $68,000, representing the amount of funds involved in the structuring offense. Ervin and Hoover were found guilty by a federal jury on April 21, 2023.

According to court documents, in January 2021, Ervin’s bank contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report that employees believed that Ervin was trafficking in machinegun conversion devices.  Subsequent investigation revealed that Ervin was running an online business selling machinegun conversion devices, known as lightning links, etched into metal cards, which he referred to as Auto Key Cards. Ervin described the Auto Key Card as a “pen holder,” a “novelty,” and a “political sculpture.”

In February 2021, federal agents from ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) surveilled Ervin and observed him dropping off dozens of packages at an Orange Park post office, each of which was determined to contain unregistered machinegun conversion devices. A lightning link can be dropped into an otherwise legal AR-15 type firearm and convert it into a fully automatic machinegun.

ATF examined the Auto Key Cards, and a firearms enforcement officer was able to remove the pieces of a lightning link from an Auto Key Card using a common Dremel rotary tool in about 40 minutes. When the firearms enforcement officer placed the two pieces of the lightning link into an AR-15 type firearm, it converted the semi-automatic firearm to be fully automatic – that is, a machinegun. 

Hoover operated a YouTube channel called CRS Firearms on which he advertised Auto Key Cards. Hoover stated that his viewers could cut a lightning link out of the Auto Key Card, “drop it in your receiver, scratch your full auto itch, throw it away when you’re done” and “no one’s the wiser.” 

Hoover’s videos advertising the Auto Key Card led to a substantial increase in Ervin’s sales. Ervin sold more than 2,000 Auto Key Cards in only a few months.  Multiple purchasers of the Auto Key Card testified at trial that they had learned about it from Hoover’s videos and purchased the Auto Key Card intending to use it to convert their AR-15 type weapons into machineguns. Ervin compensated Hoover for his advertisements by sending cash through the mail and, on one occasion, a Louis Vuitton purse.

In March 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ervin’s home and recovered Auto Key Cards containing etchings for more than 1,500 lightning links.  In total, the evidence showed that the conspiracy involved at least 6,600 individual lightning links.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and David B. Mesrobian. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

“Investigating this case required dedication and tenacity on behalf of ATF’s Jacksonville Field Office and our partner agencies on this matter—the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard, whose agency led the investigation. “Our work was necessary to prove the true nature of the Auto Key Cards being sold by Ervin and Hoover and disrupt their audacious scheme to circumvent federal firearms laws.”

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.

Anyone in possession of an Auto Key Card should contact his or her nearest ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS and make arrangements to surrender the device to ATF so that it can be destroyed.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nilda Medina-Veguilla (38, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to making false statements in an application for a United States passport, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government property. Medina faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment. Medina-Veguilla has also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the plea agreement, Medina-Veguilla is a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico. In 2005, she was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation. In 2008, a warrant was issued for her arrest. That same year, Medina-Veguilla left Puerto Rico and moved to the continental United States. There, she assumed the identity of “N.T.D.,” an individual she knew from Puerto Rico. Medina-Veguilla was married and divorced, arrested, employed, and taxed, all in the victim’s name. In February 2021, Medina-Veguilla applied for a U.S. passport using N.T.D.’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and birth certificate. She also applied for and received “SNAP” benefits in N.T.D.’s name. The Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP” – formerly known as “food stamps”) is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that was authorized by congress to provide federal benefits to help low-income families buy food. In total, Medina-Veguilla fraudulently obtained more than $43,000 in SNAP benefits.

Medina-Veguilla’s fraudulent activity was exposed when Consular Affairs discovered the real N.T.D. had been issued a U.S. passport several years before Medina-Veguilla’s application.

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Louis Michael Pasquazzi (53, Lehigh Acres) to 18 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. The court also ordered Pasquazzi to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he illegally possessed. Pasquazzi had previously pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023.

According to court documents, on July 12, 2022, Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance on a residence in Lehigh Acres when they observed Pasquazzi enter the driver’s seat of a black Cadillac Escalade that was backed into the driveway. Detectives then observed the Escalade rapidly exit the driveway, travel eastbound, and fail to stop at a stop sign. Detectives initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and made contact with Pasquazzi at the driver’s side window. While speaking with Pasquazzi, detectives could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. An LCSO canine unit was deployed and conducted a free air sniff of the Escalade and alerted to the presence of narcotics inside. LCSO detectives searched the Escalade and located a black SCCY 9mm firearm under the driver’s seat and a Ruger .40 caliber S&W firearm in the glovebox. Detectives also found a bulky plastic bag containing 62.01 grams of cocaine on Pasquazzi’s person.

LCSO detectives then obtained a search warrant for the residence from which Pasquazzi had been observed leaving. Inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, LCSO detectives located a Marlin Arms .22 rifle, a Masterpiece Arms 9mm sub-machine gun, a Taurus G3 9mm firearm, a Ruger AR-556 rifle, and more than 500 rounds of assorted ammunition. The safe in Pasquazzi’s bedroom closet was also accessed and searched by detectives. Inside of the safe, detectives located approximately 353 grams of cocaine. Also, inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, detectives found articles of drug paraphernalia used to distribute and manufacture controlled substances, including measuring cups, packaging material, and cutting agents.

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

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, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Javonte Keyon Whitfield (25, Fort Myers) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Whitfield to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Whitfield had been found guilty by a federal jury on May 11, 2023.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, shortly before 1:30 a.m. on May 14, 2021, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) were alerted to multiple gunshots near the intersection of Linhart Avenue and Evans Avenue in Fort Myers. While investigating the origin of the gunfire, FMPD officers spoke with an occupant of a duplex on Evans Avenue, who denied hearing any gunshots and claimed that he was alone in the residence with his three young children.  Shortly thereafter, in direct contradiction to what he had just told the officers, six adult males—including Whitfield—and three young children exited the residence. Officers observed that one of the men who exited the residence was suffering from a gunshot wound, and EMS was summoned. During a later search of the residence, FMPD personnel found seven unsecured firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and cocaine. FMPD recovered a loaded NORINCO SKS rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine from under the bed in one of the two bedrooms of the home. Subsequent forensic analysis of that firearm determined that a latent fingerprint lifted from the metallic bayonet of the rifle belonged to Whitfield, a previously convicted felon who had been released from prison approximately five months earlier. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth and Patrick L. Darcey.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jerome Miller, Jr. (39, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as an Armed Career Criminal. The court also ordered Miller to forfeit the ammunition and a firearm. Miller had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023. Miller qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his extensive prior criminal history which included three prior delivery of cocaine convictions in Tampa.

According to court documents, on February 6, 2022, Miller went to the victim’s residence in Tampa, threatened the victim with a firearm, and demanded his vehicle. The victim was forced to sign over his vehicle to Miller. Miller then took the vehicle registration and car keys and left the residence. Law enforcement officers were called to the residence to complete a report of the robbery and interview the victim. The victim’s vehicle was reported stolen and entered into law enforcement databases. Two days later, Miller was located while driving the victim’s vehicle and was arrested and searched. A loaded magazine and narcotics were found in Miller’s coat pocket during the search. The magazine contained six rounds of Aguila .380 caliber ammunition. The officers also located a semi-automatic firearm in the vehicle’s center console. That firearm was loaded with eight rounds of Aguila .380 ammunition. The firearm was impounded and sent for further forensic DNA testing.  The testing concluded that Miller’s DNA was on the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sean Peter Brewer (32, Oldsmar) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brewer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be imposed consecutive to any other sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, officers from the Clearwater Police Department (CPD) responded to a gas station after receiving a report that a man was unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked at a gas pump. CPD and the Clearwater Fire Department personnel discovered Brewer unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle. After Brewer was assessed by the emergency services responders, CPD officers administered a field sobriety test, which Brewer failed. Officers arrested Brewer for driving under the influence and conducted a search incident to the arrest. That search revealed a backpack containing a scale with clear plastic baggies that are consistent with narcotics distribution, marijuana, multiple types of pills, 61 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Shield pistol (SN RJX7660), and a “Cash App” debit card. 

Brewer possessed the methamphetamine found in the backpack with the intent to distribute it. At the time, Brewer had a prior felony conviction and therefore he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Paul Edward Lee, Jr. (44, Jacksonville) to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 14-year-old child to produce and send him videos and images depicting the victim’s sexual abuse. Lee was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. In 2011, Lee was convicted of lascivious molestation and lascivious exhibition involving a 10-year-old child in Jacksonville and was at that time designated as a sexual predator. Lee has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case on May 2, 2018. A federal jury had found Lee guilty in this case on March 23, 2023.

According to evidence and testimony introduced at trial, in April 2018, an FBI agent in Illinois discovered that a 14-year-old child was having online contact with an adult male in Florida through a smart phone gaming application (app) designed for use by children. The messages sent to the child by the adult male were increasingly graphic and sexually explicit. The FBI intervened and identified this individual as Lee, a registered sexual predator living in a Jacksonville residence, along with eight other registered sex offenders. On April 25, 2018, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, posing as the 14-year-old child, began text messaging with Lee. During these communications, Lee told the “child” in graphic terms how he wanted to have sex with the “child,” and sent several images and videos of his own genitalia to the “child.” On April 27, 2018, Lee repeatedly texted and solicited the “child” to produce and send him graphic images and videos of “her” genitalia. When FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence on May 2, 2018, Lee tried to damage his cellphone to destroy evidence of his criminal activity and was arrested.    

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

This case was 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 victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodney Devon Jones (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking offense, and a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, up to life, imprisonment on the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2021, Jones and two others committed a carjacking in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Jones and the two other men jumped out of a stolen Toyota, pointed guns at the victim, and stole his wallet and jewelry. They demanded that the victim identify his car. The victim pointed out an Alfa Romeo. One of the men then used the victim’s car keys to drive off in the Alfa Romeo and the others followed in the Toyota. Two days later, officers from the Orlando Police Department arrested Jones after they found him in the stolen Toyota. The officers recovered a firearm with Jones’s DNA on it near the Toyota.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Seminole Police Department, and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement that work to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

This case is also 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 Marvin Harris, Jr. (25, Fort Myers), aka “Mesh,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Harris, Jr. faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

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

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

On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home with a gunshot wound to the head. After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago area on a commercial bus on November 3, 2019.

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

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

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

Orlando, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States, filing a false tax return and to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Rafael Ramos, of Orlando, recruited clients and prepared tax returns on their behalf that falsely claimed banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of taxes from the clients’ income, thereby entitling them to refunds from the IRS. To further the scheme, Ramos and his co-conspirators filed false documents with the IRS, purporting to have been issued by the banks, to support the false withholding information reported on the returns.

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

Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 30 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 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 Jeffrey McLellan, Ezra Spiro and Caroline Pearson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Emmanuel Dourthe (24, Deltona) and Brendan Wells (27, Tampa) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. For each of the controlled substance charges, if convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. If convicted of the firearm offense, each faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years, and up to life, in federal prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

According to the indictment, between February 6 and 14, 2023, Dourthe and Wells conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 40 grams or more or a mixture containing fentanyl, and a mixture containing cocaine. The indictment further alleges that Dourthe and Wells possessed these substances with the intent to distribute them. Dourthe and Wells possessed a firearm during their commission of their drug offenses.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Edward Sherwood Gustafson, IV (30, Green Cove Springs) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Gustafson faces a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison on the drug charge and up to 15 years in federal prison on the firearm and ammunition charge. Gustafson also agreed to forfeit a Smith and Wesson pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition traceable to the firearm offense. Gustafson was arrested on May 9, 2023, and ordered detained. A sentencing date has not yet been set.   

According to court documents, on January 21, 2023, members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were looking for Gustafson based on an active felony arrest warrant for him. A CCSO deputy observed Gustafson driving and initiated a traffic stop. Upon stopping, Gustafson immediately got out of his truck and a struggle ensued between him and the deputy. The deputy eventually handcuffed and arrested Gustafson on the felony arrest warrant. During a subsequent search of Gustafson’s truck, law enforcement located a loaded Smith and Wesson pistol. Underneath the truck’s hood, a travel bag was zip-tied to the engine bay area which contained cocaine, methamphetamine, a scale for weighing drugs, approximately 50 small baggies, and numerous pills. Further investigation determined that the total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 22 grams and that Gustafson had seven prior felony convictions to include felony domestic battery, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and shooting a deadly missile. As a convicted felon, Gustafson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Antoine Danielle Pearson, Jr. (28, Jacksonville) to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense. Pearson had pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023.

According to court documents, on August 12, 2022, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) attempted to pull over Pearson due to a traffic infraction. After he stopped, Pearson fled from the vehicle on foot, armed with a Glock pistol, an extended magazine with 24 rounds of ammunition, and a Glock switch. A Glock switch enables a semi-automatic firearm to operate as a fully functioning machine gun. Pearson was apprehended by JSO canine officers.

At the time of the offense, Pearson had multiple prior felony convictions and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.   

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Keith Critchfield (68, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of child exploitation material. The court also ordered Critchfield to forfeit a laptop, which was used in the commission of the offense. Critchfield had pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023.

According to court documents, Critchfield is a registered sex offender based on a 1998 state of Florida conviction for lewd or lascivious exhibition and using a child in a sexual performance. In May 2020, after receiving cybertips regarding child exploitation material, agents searched Critchfield’s residence and found that he possessed child sexual abuse images.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Sarasota). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Keith Dewayne Drayton, Jr. (27, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. Drayton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, on the night of June 17, 2023, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Drayton was the front-seat passenger. The vehicle did not stop, and by the time the officers caught up to the vehicle, both the driver and Drayton had fled from the vehicle on foot. On the ground near the front passenger door of the vehicle, officers found a loaded Glock handgun. Inside the vehicle, officers found a satchel which contained a prescription pill bottle bearing Drayton’s full name, as well as a baggie containing almost a half-ounce of crack cocaine. Drayton was later located by officers hiding in a nearby dumpster.

As a convicted felon who previously served time in federal prison for a firearms offense, Drayton 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 Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

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

Ocala, FL – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Raeqwon Munnerlyn (27, Ocala) to 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Munnerlyn had pleaded guilty on May 5, 2023.

According to documents and information presented in court, on July 12, 2022, Munnerlyn was the passenger in a vehicle that led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. After the vehicle crashed, Munnerlyn fled on foot, and was apprehended after a short pursuit. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Munnerlyn also had approximately $12,000 in cash on his person. DNA and fingerprint analysis confirmed Munnerlyn had possessed both the firearm and the drugs. Munnerlyn has multiple prior state felony convictions, including robbery and attempted kidnapping. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.

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 – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Joel Gamez-Orozco (43, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation for an aggravated felony. Gamez had been indicted on December 11, 2019. He entered a guilty plea on November 23, 2022.  

According to the court records, Gamez is a native and citizen of Mexico. On August 28, 2006, he was convicted of a felony – trafficking in marijuana – and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Following his release from state prison, Gamez was deported to Mexico on August 2, 2008. On September 14, 2019, law enforcement officers from Lake County, who were arresting Gamez on new state criminal charges, discovered Gamez had illegally returned to the United States after he was deported.

This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Michael Felicetta.

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Antonio Eugene Brutton (36, Ocklawaha) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana. Brutton had pleaded guilty on February 23, 2023.

According to documents and information presented in court, Brutton sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source on two separate occasions in 2021. On a third occasion in October 2022, law enforcement located more than 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of fentanyl, 250 grams of heroin, and approximately 5 kilograms of marijuana during a search of Brutton’s residence. Two firearms were also located within the residence as well as nearly $30,000 in cash. Brutton has multiple prior state felony convictions including the sale of cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Steven Lee Carty (55, Live Oak) with possessing child sex abuse images. If convicted, Carty faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison, a potential life term of supervised release, and payment of restitution to the victims of his offense. Carty has been ordered detained pending trial.

According to the complaint, in July 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Carty in response to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had been provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The CyberTip indicated that child exploitation material had been uploaded to an account with an electronic service provider. Account information was provided for the user, which was connected to Carty. The IP history for the account that had uploaded the material was traced to Carty. FDLE obtained a state search warrant for that account, and it was determined to contain the file from the CyberTip, along with additional files containing child sex abuse material.

HSI learned that there were additional CyberTips connected to Carty indicating that accounts associated with Carty had uploaded child sex abuse material, including within a chat conversation with another user. 

During their investigation, law enforcement learned that Carty was listed as an offender on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry following 2005 federal convictions for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sex abuse material.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

It is another case that 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.

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.     

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Demetrius Lamar Rahmings (28, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Rahmings to forfeit a Taurus G2C 9mm Pistol and 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Rahmings had been found guilty on May 30, 2023, following a bench trial.

According to court documents, on October 8, 2020, Rahmings was wanted on several outstanding warrants for violent crime charges in state court. Deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit and officers from the Tampa Police Department were monitoring a residence in Tampa that was known to be frequented by Rahmings’s associates. Law enforcement officers observed Rahmings at that residence and when they approached him, he fled on foot into the home. The officers pursued him into the residence, and once inside, Rahmings dropped a bookbag in the hallway and then hid in a bedroom. Rahmings was taken into custody. The officers recovered a Taurus 9mm firearm with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and an orange ski mask from the backpack.

At the time of this offense, Rahmings had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of multiple felonies, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (2013); aggravated assault with weapon (2013); aggravated battery (2013); possession of a firearm as a felon (2019); and fleeing to elude law enforcement (2019). As a convicted felon, Rahmings is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Rahmings had recently been released from Florida Department of Corrections on February 5, 2020.  

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

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 Jonathan Kyle Eva (51, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Eva faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to court documents, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, after responding to 911 call, encountered Eva at the front door of his residence in the area of 59th Street and North Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota. The deputies entered Eva’s residence and retrieved five firearms (three rifles and two pistols) from the closet in Eva’s bedroom. Among those were a SKS Norinco 7.62x3.99 rifle, a Marlin Firearms Co. Model 60 .22 caliber rifle, and a H&R Arms Co. .22 caliber pistol. During an interview conducted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Eva stated that he was a felon and that he had possessed the firearms. As a convicted felon, Eva is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Devin Ryan Maresca (33, Newcastle, PA) guilty of 10 counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Maresca faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count and a minimum of two years in federal prison on the aggravated identity theft count. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Maresca had been indicted on November 2, 2022.

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

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

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Patrick Darcey.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a 39-count indictment charging Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) and Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee), with dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and causing an FLL to maintain false information in its official records. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.  

According to evidence and documents presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 89 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. During that same period, Rodriguez purchased approximately 40 firearms. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson and Rodriguez each falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that they were the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, they were purchasing the firearms for other individuals. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in the Bahamas and Canada.

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

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Shawntae Jamell Clark (44, Clay County) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clark faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison on the drug charge, and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the firearm charge. Clark also agreed to forfeit two firearms, ammunition, and cash traceable to his offenses. Clark was arrested on July 6, 2022, and ordered detained. His sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2023.  

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

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

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Craig Anthony (25, Alabama) with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Anthony faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents, beginning on May 31, 2023, Anthony distributed multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse to a filesharing account operated by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Lake County, Florida. Anthony also discussed with the undercover agent his desire to travel to Florida to have sex with a minor. On August 3, 2023, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Anthony’s residence. At least one image of child sex abuse was confirmed on Anthony’s cellphone.

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

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Raymond Joseph (19, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to destroying records with the intent to impede or obstruct a federal investigation. Joseph faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, FBI was investigating a terrorism case involving a threat to conduct a violent attack against Jewish individuals and synagogues. As part of the investigation, Joseph was interviewed regarding whether he had knowledge of or involvement in this threat. During the investigation, FBI special agents specifically requested that Joseph preserve certain records of communications on his cellphone with a suspect in another district. Within moments of their departure from his residence, Joseph deleted one of the records that the FBI had discussed with him.  

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Cherie Krigsman, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Adetunji Adejumo and Ibrahim Jinadu have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi, of London, United Kingdom, remains pending extradition for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021.

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

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