Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud related to a roofing business that they operated. Travis Slaughter is also charged with failing to account for and pay over payroll taxes to the IRS and evading personal income taxes for the years 2017 through 2019. Tripp Slaughter is also charged with filing false personal income tax returns for the years 2016 through 2019.

The wire fraud conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and the tax fraud conspiracy and evasion of taxes counts each carry a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. The filing false tax return counts each carry a maximum penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to seek forfeiture of a total of approximately $3 million, the estimated amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the wire fraud conspiracy.

According to the indictment, Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter operated a roofing business in Jacksonville under the name Great White Construction, Inc. (a/k/a Florida Roofing Experts, Inc., a/k/a 5 Star Roofing Services LLC). The company contracted with professional employer organizations ("PEOs") to prepare payroll checks for the company's employees, after making deductions for payroll taxes, and to file payroll tax returns and forward tax payments to the governmental authorities.

However, the company did not provide the PEOs with information about all of the hours worked by or all of the wages due to its employees. Instead, the company also paid the employees directly, with separate checks drawn on company bank accounts, and did not deduct payroll taxes from these checks. By paying employees with “split checks”—one from the PEO and one from the company—the company avoided paying the full amount of payroll taxes due to the IRS.

On many occasions, the company issued checks from its checking account in lump sum amounts to work crew leaders for work performed by the crews. Many of the workers on these crews were citizens of other countries who were living and working in the United States illegally. The work crew leaders obtained cash for the checks and paid the workers on the crews in cash. Paying the workers in cash helped these undocumented non-citizens to continue to live and work in the United States illegally.

During the period of January 2017 through July 2020, the PEOs issued payroll checks to the employees totaling approximately $4,930,613, after deducting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due. During that same period, the company issued checks to the employees totaling approximately $18,545,845, with no payroll taxes being deducted or paid. The unpaid payroll taxes on that amount—including only the Social Security and Medicare taxes and income tax that should have been withheld from the employees’ pay—was $2,768,377.

The PEOs also secured workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the company. The premiums charged by the workers’ compensation insurers were based on the total amount of payroll that the company reported to the PEOs. If the company had reported the actual amount of payroll, the insurers would have charged additional premiums totaling millions of dollars.

Travis Slaughter evaded the payment of income taxes for the years 2017 through 2019 by, among other things, failing to file a tax return for 2017 and not filing returns for 2018 and 2019 until 2021, which returns significantly underreported his income from the business. He also withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars from business bank accounts, fraudulently transferred two properties to his children, and purchased four properties that he fraudulently titled in the names of his children.

Tripp Slaughter filed false tax returns for the years 2016 through 2019 by failing to include the income he was paid directly by the company that totaled approximately $121,492 and failing to report business income that totaled approximately $847,597.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Joseph Tisone (35, Naples) to seven years and three months in federal prison for wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Tisone was also ordered to forfeit the properties, engagement ring, ammunition, and cash seized from bank accounts, as well as to pay restitution in the amount of $2,617,447.17, all traceable proceeds of the offenses. Tisone had pleaded guilty on August 26, 2022.    

According to court documents, between March 2020 and April 2021, Tisone, a convicted felon, submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), Main Street Lending Program (MSLP), and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA), as well as PPP and MSLP approved lenders. The loan applications contained numerous false representations, including the criminal history, average monthly payroll, number of employees, and gross revenues of the applicant, Tisone.

 In support of the fraudulent EIDL, PPP, and MSLP applications, Tisone submitted false and fictitious payroll and tax documents, as well as a fake commercial lease. Further, Tisone fraudulently used the means of identification of individuals who purported to work for Tisone’s companies, including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, to submit false and fraudulent payroll and payroll tax documents. Tisone also fraudulently used the means of identification of an individual, including the individual’s name, date of birth, driver license, and Social Security number, to submit a false and fraudulent EIDL application.

Tisone’s false and fraudulent representations caused the SBA, PPP, and MSLP lenders to approve and fund one MSLP, four EIDL, and five PPP loans, resulting in the deposit of approximately $2,617,447 into bank accounts Tisone controlled. Tisone then used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of residences in Naples, Florida, stocks and investment securities, a 2019 Tiara 34LS boat, a 4.02 carat engagement ring, and ammunition.

On March 20, 2022, while executing a search warrant at Tisone’s residence, FBI agents discovered more than 800 rounds of assorted .223/5.56 and 9mm caliber ammunition in Tisone’s master bedroom and garage. As a convicted felon, Tisone is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spends the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and uses at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.

The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds. 

The MSLP was designed to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was intended to help companies, that were in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the pandemic, maintain their operations and payroll until conditions normalized.

“Daniel Joseph Tisone seriously abused three federal programs that used taxpayers’ money to aid struggling small businesses through the pandemic, said Brian Miller, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. “SIGPR is glad to have played a significant role teaming with other law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney’s Office to hold Mr. Tisone accountable.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Reserve Board OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling, Suzanne Nebesky, and Julie Simonsen.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Martin Felder, Jr. (43, Orlando) to 12 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Felder to forfeit assets, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Felder had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.

According to court documents, Felder, a previously convicted felon, was under investigation for narcotics distribution in the Tampa Bay area. On two subsequent occasions, Felder sold methamphetamine and heroin to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source. A forensic laboratory test of the narcotics seized indicated that the methamphetamine was “ICE” – which is very high purity methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Callan Albritton and Maria Guzman.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jermaine Lamar Harvard (41, Lake County) guilty of distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of another. Harvard faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in October 2019, Harvard distributed a quantity of fentanyl to the victim, M.R. An analysis of the victim’s cellphone revealed that Harvard had set up multiple drug transactions with the victim. These drugs led directly to the victim’s death. Harvard represented that the substance was heroin. A medical examiner subsequently determined that the victim had died of acute fentanyl toxicity.

Harvard has prior state convictions for the sale of cocaine in 2013.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Karl Patrick Kluge (54, Fort Myers) to eight years and one month in federal prison for possession of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Kluge was also sentenced to a 15-year term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Kluge was found guilty following a bench trial on October 31, 2022.

According to court documents, in May 2021, an FBI task force agent had connected to Kluge’s computer sharing files depicting a child being sexually abused. The FBI later executed a search warrant at Kluge’s residence and seized Kluge’s laptop computer, cellphones, and a thumb drive. Kluge admitted to agents that he looked at child sex abuse images. A subsequent forensic examination of Kluge’s devices revealed in excess of 300 images and more than 150 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Marcus Jamar Fowler (32, Tarpon Springs) a/k/a “Drastic,” and Abelardo Torres (36, Tampa) with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Pierre Marquise Fowler (34, Port Richey), a/k/a “Durk,” and Cyion Craig Kerr (45, New York), a/k/a “Bling,” are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit nine pieces of real property, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, Marcus Jamar Fowler and Pierre Marquise Fowler conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount fentanyl, and 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that Kerr conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Torres is alleged to have conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.

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

Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier this week. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO-MDFL), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate.

The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy.

“Transparency and accountability are integral to establish public and private trust,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “The new Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy is an important step in encouraging corporate governance. This policy incentivizes corporations to do the right thing by reporting wrongdoing before detected by regulators and law enforcement. We hope that it will have a transformative effect in promoting positive, corporate practices within our district and nationwide.”

Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.

The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.

In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.

Download United States Attorney's Office Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and extradition of Dariy Pankov a/k/a “dpxaker.” Pankov is charged with conspiracy, access device fraud, and computer fraud. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of 47 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Pankov that the United States intends to forfeit $358,437, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.

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 pursuant to a request from the United States. Pankov appeared before United States Magistrate Christopher P. Tuite on February 21, 2023, in Tampa, Florida and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, 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, 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.

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 investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and United States Marshals Service. 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 will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

 

Download Indictment

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Jy’Quale Samari Grable (21, Tampa) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and first-degree premeditated murder of two individuals.  A federal jury had found Grable guilty on November 18, 2022.

According to evidence presented at trial, on December 22, 2020, Grable orchestrated a plan in which he and two co-conspirators drove to the Valrico Station Apartments in Brandon to conduct a robbery of marijuana. Grable went to the victims’ third floor apartment. On the back patio of the apartment, Grable shot B.B. in the neck, severing his spinal cord, and killing him instantly. Grable then shot M.M. in the chest, perforating his heart and lung, which lead to his death. Neighbors heard the gun shots and observed blood dripping from the third floor back balcony apartment down to the lower floors. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded and secured the scene.

According to evidence presented in court, Grable deleted messages and phone calls from his phone, had family members dispose of the murder weapon, and burned his bloody clothing.

“Combatting the drug-related violence plaguing our communities is one of DEA’s top priorities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Our joint partnerships were pivotal to the success of this investigation, and we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and healthy.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and David P. Sullivan.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (30, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Howard to forfeit the firearm and ammunition seized during his arrest. Howard had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2022.

According to court documents, on July 9, 2022, Howard fired approximately seven shots at his ex-girlfriend in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood of Tampa. After firing his weapon, Howard entered his vehicle and chased the victim, who had fled in a car driven by her cousin. That chase ended when Howard caused a multi-vehicle accident near the intersection of North Nebraska Avenue and East Broad Street, after swerving in and out of oncoming traffic. Howard fled the scene of that crash on foot and was apprehended by officers from the Tampa Police Department. Upon searching Howard, officers located a pistol in the pocket of his jeans. 

At the time of the incident, Howard had prior felony convictions for armed robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Thomas Bellere (40, Pasco), a/k/a Tommy Gunz, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Bellere has also agreed to forfeit the firearm, which is traceable to the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on January 30, 2022, Bellere was in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle with a stolen tag. A deputy from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office with a drug canine conducted an investigation (sniff) of the vehicle. The canine alerted on the car. Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle and observed a firearm (Smith & Wesson model 642, .38 caliber) partially under the driver’s seat. The firearm had been reported stolen. In addition, deputies located 107 grams of pure methamphetamine inside the vehicle.

Bellere has multiple felony convictions, including being a felon in possession of a firearm, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, and felony battery. 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 and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Allen Randall (70, Orange Park) has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with receiving child sex abuse materials and accessing with the intent to view child sex abuse materials. Randall faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Randall has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for February 21, 2023.

According to the complaint, an investigation was initiated by law enforcement after they had received a CyberTip from an internet service provider indicating a user had uploaded child sex abuse materials. Further investigation determined the upload was tied to an IP address for Randall’s residence. 

On February 16, 2023, agents and task force officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Randall’s residence and located a computer that was being used by Randall that had the search results for child sex abuse materials displayed on the screen. A preliminary review of the computer showed Randall had previously downloaded a file containing child sex abuse material.

A criminal complaint is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Dominic Shapiro (33, Forrest Hills, New York) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Shapiro to register as a sex offender and forfeit a cellphone that was used in the commission of the offense. Shapiro had pleaded guilty on November 18, 2022.

According to court documents, Shapiro spent approximately six weeks communicating with an undercover detective, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, over various social media platforms including Kik, Snapchat, and text messages. During these conversations, Shapiro engaged the fictitious child in sexual conversations, sent images and videos of himself masturbating, and ultimately drove to a park for the purpose of engaging in sexual activities with this child.

“Predators, like Dominic Shapiro, use the pseudo-anonymity of the internet to lure children into a false sense of security before proposing to meet in person,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of our task force officers and law enforcement partners with the St. Petersburg Police Department along with support from HSI New York, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the New York Police Department, he was sentenced to a decade behind bars.”    

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Covington has sentenced Robert Humberston (39, Sarasota) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Humberston had pleaded guilty on December 2, 2021.

According to court documents, in March 2021, law enforcement officers recovered three firearms from a felon during a probation search. The felon was prohibited from possessing firearms and informed the officers that they had purchased all three firearms from Humberston, as recently as January 2021. The felon showed the officers a series of Facebook messages where Humberston arranged for the sale of a firearm.

Law enforcement officers secured a search warrant for Humberston’s Facebook account. The account contained several pictures of Humberston holding various firearms, along with numerous posts and messages relating to the sale of firearms. The officers discovered the chain of messages where Humberston agreed to sell the firearm to the felon. Tattoos in the photos also matched those on Humberston.

Humberston has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Terry Augusta Newsome (34, Tampa) to seven years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Newsome to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Newsome had pleaded guilty on November 1, 2022.

According to court documents, on February 15, 2021, an officer from the Tampa Police Department observed Newsome driving a moped, failing to stop at a stop sign, and colliding with a bicyclist. The officer responded to the scene of the crash and called for emergency services.

When the officer arrived at the scene, he observed that Newsome and the bicyclist were both severely bleeding. The officer attempted to attend to Newsome’s injuries, but Newsome rose to his feet clutching a firearm that he had hidden under his shirt. Additional officers that had arrived on scene noticed a holster partially hidden under Newsome’s shirt. The officers restrained Newsome and retrieved a loaded firearm from Newsome’s pants.

At the time of the incident, Newsome had at least 26 prior state felony convictions, including 3 convictions for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, 5 for grand theft motor vehicle, 9 burglary, and 1 for armed robbery. Because of his prior felony convictions, Newsome 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 Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Tyler Deandre Johnson (27, Tampa) to three years and eight months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $40,039.67, which represents the proceeds Johnson obtained from these offenses. The federal sentence is to run consecutively to a three-year state prison sentence Johnson is currently serving on four Hillsborough County state cases. In those cases, Johnson was convicted of three counts of fleeing to elude, two counts of armed possession of a controlled substance, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson had pleaded guilty to the federal charges on November 15, 2022. 

According to court records, between March 16 and June 15, 2021, Johnson used Green Dot VISA debit cards and PayPal credit cards with stolen account numbers embossed on them to purchase a total of $40,039.67 worth of merchandise. The merchandise included jewelry and cellphones. Because another person’s name was embossed on these cards, Johnson used fraudulent identification cards to corroborate the names on the debit and credit cards as his own.

This case was investigated by the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, Southeast and Caribbean Regional Investigations Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region, Amtrak - Office of Inspector General, Central Region, the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, the Davie Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Belleview Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Synchrony Bank Special Investigations Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria (34, Tampa) to two years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent receipt of Covid-19 funds. The court also ordered Gutierrez Echeverria to forfeit $149,900, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Gutierrez Echeverria had pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022.

According to court documents, in July 2020, Gutierrez Echeverria falsely and fraudulently claimed in a federal application for Covid-19 funding that he was the sole proprietor of a business suffering an economic injury due to the Covid-19 pandemic when in fact Gutierrez Echeverria had no such business. He further claimed that he had no felony convictions when in fact he had two felony convictions. Gutierrez Echeverria submitted a fraudulent 2018 tax return, including a fraudulent Schedule C, in support of his application as purported proof that his claimed business was real. As a result of his false and fraudulent representations, Gutierrez Echeverria received a $149,900 loan to which he was not entitled. He spent the money on extravagant personal expenses.  

“The Secret Service remains committed to holding individuals accountable that attempt to exploit taxpayer funded pandemic relief programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the United States Secret Service – Tampa Field Office. “The outcome of this case is the direct result of the coordination with our partners at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

         

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Terrance Paul Snow (22, North Fort Myers) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Snow faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Snow that the United States intends to forfeit a Taurus Model 85 .38 Special revolver and 4 rounds of .38 ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to the offense. 

According to court proceedings, on January 8, 2023, Snow was at a bar in New Port Richey. After a verbal dispute with other patrons of the bar, Snow pulled a small black revolver out of his waistband and pointed it at the patrons. Officers from the New Port Richey Police Department responded to the scene and apprehended Snow a short distance from the bar. The officers located a black Taurus Model 85 .38 Special revolver hidden behind a dumpster near the location where Snow was apprehended. At the time of the incident, Snow was serving a 5-year probation term related to his prior federal felony conviction for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. As a convicted felon, Snow is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Port Richey Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Nicholas Quinton Hanson (32, Lakeland) with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and Marcus Dewonn Mobley, Jr. (22, Lakeland) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. 

According to court documents and information presented in court, on January 30, 2023, Hanson, Mobley, and others shot 11 men in Lakeland from a blue Nissan Altima in a drive-by shooting. The victims all survived. Crime scene technicians recovered 9-millimeter, .40 caliber, and 5.56 millimeter spent shell casings from the crime scene. The evidence includes DNA collected from some of those shell casings, as well as from the Altima. Mobley’s DNA was recovered from a .40 caliber spent shell casing and the Altima. Hanson’s DNA was recovered from two spent 9-millimeter shell casings. Officers also subsequently seized a loaded, 9-millimeter handgun from Hanson’s home. 

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 Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (SPARTA) unit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Lakeland Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray

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.

 

Download Criminal Complaint (Hanson)

 

Download Indictment (Hanson/Mobley)

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Zachary Ray Ellis (45, Jacksonville) has been arrested and charged with using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.  Ellis faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. At the time of his arrest on February 14, 2023, Ellis was an employee of a media and technology company.

According to court documents, on August 26, 2022, an undercover FBI agent, who was posing online as the mother (the “mother”) of an 11-year-old “child,” received a message from the user “Twiztd,” subsequently identified as Ellis, on a particular social media application. During the conversation, which eventually switched to text messages, the “mother” advised that she was looking for the “child” to get some experience and Ellis stated that he “love[s] young girls. 10-12 fav age.”  Ellis detailed his sexual interest in the “child,” telling the “mother” about the sexual acts he wanted to perform on the “child.” During the messaging, Ellis spoke directly with the “child” via text message, grooming her, and directing her on how to perform a sex act. The conversation then continued on and off throughout September, October, and November 2022, with Ellis reinitiating contact each time, checking to see if the “mother” had found anyone to help her with the “child” yet. 

On February 5, 2023, Ellis again reached out to the “mother” to find out about her progress with finding someone for the “child.” From February 6 through February 13, 2023, Ellis detailed his interest in the “child,” who was now 12 years old, including specific sexual activities he wanted to engage in with her. Ellis discussed meeting the “mother” first and then if the meeting went well, taking the “child” out separately on his own. On February 13, 2023, Ellis made arrangements to meet with the “mother” at a prearranged location and was arrested by FBI agents when he arrived. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Ocala, FL – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Aaron Haa (42, Ocala) to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Haa had pleaded guilty on July 13, 2022.

According to information presented in court, on December 9, 2020, Haa was arrested by state authorities after being found with a firearm during a traffic stop. After being released from state custody, Haa was arrested again on January 22, 2021. During that second incident, Haa led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. A deputy had to force Haa’s vehicle to stop when Haa started fleeing into the opposite lanes of traffic. After Haa flipped his vehicle, deputies took him into custody. Deputies found another firearm and 70 grams of methamphetamine in Haa’s vehicle. 

Haa has at least 21 prior state felony convictions, including trafficking in a controlled substance, fleeing and eluding, and sale of a controlled substance. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ramon Paz (52, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Paz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Paz owned and managed a construction company which he registered with the State of Florida in December 2016. This company purported to supply construction services and labor to work for construction site contractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Paz’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Providers of worker’s compensation insurance base the premiums they charge and the amount of coverage they provide on the number of employees a company has and the total annual payroll of those employees. Paz’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Paz’s employees at construction sites and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Paz or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Paz’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.

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

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kenneth Steven Landers (57, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. Landers faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, during 2020 and 2021, Landers applied for federally backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans ten times, requesting a total of $1,410,000. He submitted the applications on behalf of four different corporate entities that he controlled, specifically, the American Fallen Veterans Service Project Inc., Tire Empire LLC, Maypops LLC, and Florida United Inc. In support of each application, Landers electronically submitted false information and documents, including fictitious or altered Internal Revenue Service tax forms.

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

As part of his plea agreement, Landers agreed to forfeit $910,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud, as well as two pieces of real estate that he purchased or funded with the proceeds. 

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

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Michael J. Coolican.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Yonasky Fernandez Rosa (40, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Rosa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for access device fraud and a consecutive 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in 2018, Rosa was convicted of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft in federal court in Ohio. After serving 22 months in prison, his supervised release was transferred to the Middle District of Florida, during which he continued to commit identity theft and access device fraud. On April 6, 2021, Rosa used a victim’s personally identifiable information (PII) to purchase gasoline at a Circle-K gas station in Plant City without the victim’s authorization. The victim told law enforcement that he did not know Rosa, did not authorize the purchase, and did not give Rosa permission to possess his PII.  

On June 2, 2021, during a search of Rosa’s residence in the Town N’ Country neighborhood of Tampa, law enforcement officers discovered device-making equipment, including magnetic stripe encoders and skimmers, and hundreds of instances of PII in the form of credit card numbers, cardholder names, and PINs, on Rosa’s laptop computer.   

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Office of Agriculture Law Enforcement, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Troy Nix (30, Mount Dora) to five years and eight months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Nix had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022.

According to court records, on June 3, 2022, Nix sold a 9mm firearm to an undercover ATF agent and then fled on foot when agents attempted to arrest him. Nix is a previously convicted felon with at least eight prior state felony convictions including battery on a person 65 years of age or older, sale of cocaine, and fleeing to elude police. Because of his prior felony convictions, Nix is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mount Dora Police Department. 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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jonathan Daniels (44, St. Petersburg) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Daniels faces a maximum penalty of 62 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2023. Daniels had been indicted on August 25, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Daniels and his co-conspirators were involved in a fraud scheme to strip bank liens from 100 vehicles and obtain clear titles to the vehicles. The conspirators submitted fraudulent and counterfeit documents and fake certified mail receipts to tax collector offices in Florida to make it look like the vehicles had towing and storage liens, which enabled the conspirators to obtain clear titles to the vehicles and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for profit.

One of Daniels’s co-conspirators, Ian McGeehan, has pleaded guilty. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2023.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Curtis Tyrone Johnson (35, Melbourne) guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute various controlled substances. Johnson faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 10, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, on March 25, 2022, the Melbourne Police Department and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, along with members of the DEA and the FBI, executed search warrants at two residences on Williams Street in Melbourne. While law enforcement moved in to set a perimeter one street south, Johnson came jogging down the side of a residence holding a black bag. Upon making eye contact with law enforcement, Johnson took off running through backyards on Ryoland Street. Agents following Johnson observed him holding the black bag and a firearm. Johnson was given commands to put his hands in the air but instead threw the black bag and firearm over a fence into a church parking lot. Both items, the Glock .40 caliber pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, and a bag containing approximately 181 grams of methamphetamine, 35 grams of crack cocaine, 15 grams of fluorofentanyl, and 194 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone – a drug similar to MDMA – were recovered.

After he was arrested, Johnson told agents that they “didn’t get no gun off me” and asked if possession is nine-tenths of the law. Further investigation revealed that a vehicle located in an open field, which had been towed to the Melbourne Police Department pending a search warrant, belonged to Johnson and his girlfriend. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and located $7,000 inside a sock and two digital scales. During a jail phone call that Johnson had placed to his girlfriend after his arrest, Johnson instructed his girlfriend to get the title to the car because there were 8 “wraps” in the vehicle, which is common street terminology for a stack of $1,000.        

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Megan Testerman.

  

 

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Florida Cardiology, P.A., Sandeep Bajaj, Karan Reddy, and eight other physicians have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Florida $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting inflated claims to Medicare and Medicaid and for billing while the physicians were outside the United States.

The United States and the State of Florida previously intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Florida Cardiology and the physician-defendants on June 27, 2022. The lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims that were improperly billed or performed, and submitted or caused to be submitted by Florida Cardiology, Sandeep Bajaj, Abbas Ali, Karan Reddy, Claudio Manubens, Milan Kothari, Saroj Tampira, Sayed Hussain,Raviprasad Subraya, Harish Patil, and Edwin Martinez.

According to the lawsuit and settlement agreement, Dr. Bajaj and Dr. Reddy caused Florida Cardiology to bill for more intravascular stents than were actually inserted into patients; Dr. Bajaj caused Florida Cardiology to bill for radiofrequency ablations that were not performed by him and in some instances, were not performed by a qualifying provider; and all ten physician-defendants caused Florida Cardiology to bill for procedures and services while they were outside the United States.  According to the Complaint in Intervention, except in limited circumstances, providers cannot bill for services while outside the United States. According to the settlement agreement, Florida Cardiology submitted these false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.

“Fraud schemes represent a tangible threat to our public health programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to the integrity of these programs, and to holding providers accountable for the truth of what they represent in their claims.”

“The defendants in this case attempted to rip off taxpayers—even going as far as billing Medicaid and Medicare for services they claimed were provided to patients in Florida while these doctors were actually out of the country. As a result of their brazen scheme and the great work of whistleblowers, my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and our federal partners, these defendants will now pay for ripping off taxpayers,” stated Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

“Health care professionals participating in Medicare and Medicaid are expected to abide by rules meant to protect patients, and to properly bill the programs on which their patients rely. Physicians who put financial gain above the well-being of patients and the integrity of federal health care programs will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate such allegations to protect the beneficiaries of all HHS programs.”

“We commend the U.S. Attorney’s office, the Florida MFCU, HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their commitment to safeguarding the TRICARE Health Plan,” stated the Defense Health Agency. “Their efforts protect taxpayer dollars to ensure our service members, veterans, and their families continue to receive the highest degree of medical care.”

“False claims threaten the integrity of the Federal health care programs and waste American taxpayer funds,” said Conrad J. Quarles, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, OPM OIG. “We applaud our partners at the Department of Justice for holding providers accountable for fraudulent billing practices.”

The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Relators Derrick Graham and Jesse Frauenhofer.  The Relators sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting private citizens to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The Relators will receive $420,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with the Defendants.

This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the Florida Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”), the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor and Florida MFCU’s Senior Assistant Attorney General Matthew Vitale led the investigation.

The case is captioned United States and the State of Florida ex rel. Graham and Frauenhofer v. Florida Cardiology, P.A., et al, Case No. 18-cv-1444-Orl-RBD-LHP. The settlement resolves the United States and the State of Florida’s claims in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

 

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Evan Ingram (42, Clearwater) with seven counts of distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Ingram faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the distribution charges and a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison on each of the possession of firearm and ammunition charges.

According to the indictment, on seven separate dates in August and September 2022, Ingram distributed cocaine. On four dates during that time frame, he possessed a firearm. The indictment also alleges that Ingram has previously been convicted of seven felonies, including three or more violent felonies or serious drug offenses. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. 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 the arrest and the return of an indictment charging Carl Stephen Smith, Jr. (32, Green Cove Springs) with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials using the internet. If convicted, Smith faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith was arrested on January 31, 2023, and has been detained pending trial in this case.

According to court documents and evidence proffered in open court, in July 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline report from an online social media application (app) that three child sexual abuse videos had been uploaded on the app by a user named “daddysir142.” The IP address used to upload these materials resolved to an internet service provider in Green Cove Springs. An investigation commenced by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office revealed nine other CyberTipline reports submitted by several online social media apps for IP addresses that traced back to either the same internet service provider account at Smith’s residence or a cellphone service carrier used by Smith.

On January 31, 2023, members of the Northeast Florida Intercept Task Force, including agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Clay County Sheriff's Office, and other state and local investigators, executed a federal search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized a cellphone belonging to Smith. A forensic review of this device revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and 14 images depicting young children being sexually abused. The review also showed Smith had distributed one such video over the internet on January 6, 2023, using a social media app. 

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, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 16 individuals, charged in 3 indictments, have all pleaded guilty to their respective roles in conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine, in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) “Operation Titan Fall” investigation. This investigation yielded evidence from three drug trafficking organizations, and each defendant faces penalties of up to life in federal prison (see chart below):

Name

Drugs, Drug Quantities, Other Charges

Date of Plea

Sentencing Date

Sentence or Sentencing Range

Alexander Acosta-Zapata

5 kilograms cocaine; 400 grams fentanyl

12/13/22

4/10/23

15 years to life

Frank Cadiz

5 kilograms cocaine

12/14/22

3/20/23

15 years to life

Adal Antonio Navas-Feliciano

400 grams fentanyl

1/18/23

4/10/23

15 years to life

Jonathan Andres Marte-Rodriguez

5 kilograms cocaine

2/8/23

TBD

10 years to life

Juan Felipe Sanchez

40 grams fentanyl

2/7/22

4/24/23

10 years to life

Nimesh Rashmikant Patel

500 grams cocaine

2/9/23

TBD

10 years to life

Joseph Juan Torres-Torres

500 grams cocaine

9/7/22

12/21/22

5 years

Gabriel Isaac Irizarry-Aponte

500 grams cocaine

2/10/23

TBD

5-40 years

Jacob Nelson

500 grams cocaine

1/25/23

4/17/23

10 years to life

Carlos Alberto Roman

cocaine, firearm w/silencer possessed in furtherance of drug offense

12/6/22

3/14/23

30 years to life

James Richard Howell

cocaine, fentanyl

12/5/22

3/14/23

Up to 20 years

Joely Manuel Burgos

40 grams fentanyl

12/28/22

3/13/23

5-40 years

Kenneth Angel Vera

cocaine

12/6/22

3/14/23

Up to 20 years

James Mirabal

5 kilograms cocaine

12/27/23

3/20/23

10 years to life

Jonathan Beharry

5 kilograms cocaine

11/29/22

2/13/23

15 years to life

Vilnarie Figueroa-Matos

5 kilograms cocaine

1/30/23

4/17/23

10 years to life

According to plea agreements and other court documents, during the course of this investigation the DEA seized an estimated 110 kilograms of cocaine along with kilograms of fentanyl through the mail, traffic stops, and search warrants. Many of the communications between Acosta-Zapata, Cadiz and their conspirators related to the “brand” or “logo” of the cocaine – for example, an anchor or Ferrari – that was visible on the exterior of the packaging of the cocaine that was seized.  

A search warrant executed on Carlos Alberto Roman’s home on August 9, 2022, yielded 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition, depicted here along with three firearms seized from Cadiz’s home.

Mirabal and his conspirators were linked to a seizure of 50 kilograms of cocaine in April 2022, and the seizure of 20 kilograms of cocaine seized in Beharry’s apartment in the Baldwin Park area in October 2022 (pictured below):

In addition to controlled substances, the DEA seized proceeds and other assets used in the offenses. Upon the arrest of Beharry on October 17, 2022, the DEA seized $39,560; upon the arrest of Mirabal on October 31, 2022, 24 cellphones and $124,598 was seized (pictured below):

 This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Operation Titan Fall is a multi-agency Organize Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) 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, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawn Curtis Robinson, Jr. (33, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Robinson had pleaded guilty on December 28, 2021.

According to court documents, Robinson started selling methamphetamine to an undercover detective in March 2021. The methamphetamine purity level was very high, with one laboratory testing placing its purity level at 100%. Robinson was ultimately held responsible for the distribution of almost one-fourth kilogram of pure methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Taylor and Frank Talbot.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Felipe Kearley (28, Jacksonville) to 13 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Kearley had pleaded on October 20, 2022. In June 2022, Kearley’s co-defendant, George Walters (32, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison. Walters was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on February 4, 2021, Kearley met with a cooperating individual who made contact with the methamphetamine supplier, Walters, and received a pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $5,500. On February 19, 2021, Kearley arranged another transaction with Walters in a public parking lot. Walters fled from law enforcement on foot and threw two packages, one containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98.9%, and the second containing cocaine weighing 27.9 grams.

“Methamphetamine is a poison that erodes our communities and our culture,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This 13-plus-year sentence is a direct result of outstanding law enforcement partnerships between HSI, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol, and serves as a strong notice that we will continue to seek out and prosecute those who introduce illicit narcotics into our communities.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each of the two counts of selling fentanyl, a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in prison for each of three counts of selling methamphetamine, a minimum of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive, for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Thomas’s sentence for the methamphetamine sales was enhanced because of his prior conviction for second-degree murder. The government intends to forfeit the two recovered firearms, which were used in the offenses.

According to court documents, Thomas had been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in Florida (2002) and was in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections from April 2002 through December 2017. In 2021, an individual who knew Thomas by the street name “Gorilla” informed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that they could purchase drugs from Thomas at a hotel in the area of the Jacksonville airport. On August 20, 2021, Thomas sold that individual a quantity of fentanyl.

In 2022, a second individual informed ATF that they could purchase drugs from “Gorilla,” who was then operating out of a hotel on Jacksonville’s southside.  During the summer of 2022, at the direction of ATF, the individual purchased drugs from Thomas at that hotel, on several occasions. On two occasions, Thomas sold the individual approximately an ounce of methamphetamine that was up to 99% pure. During one of those drug sales, Thomas kept two firearms within his reach while measuring the drugs he was selling. On July 28, 2022, Thomas was arrested during a traffic stop on a federal arrest warrant. ATF agents searched Thomas and recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from his pants pocket, and a search of Thomas’s vehicle yielded an FN Herstal 5.7 x 28mm pistol, magazines loaded with ammunition, and drugs – including approximately a half ounce of fentanyl that was 95% pure.

As a convicted felon, Thomas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor. The asset 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 – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cory Lee Kelly (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, on April 28, 2022, Kelly was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper for a seatbelt violation. The vehicle was occupied by Kelly and a two-year-old child. At Kelly’s driver’s side window, the trooper smelled marijuana. Kelly did not possess a valid driver license and the trooper also determined that Kelly had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unresolved charge of driving with a suspended license. Kelly was detained, and based on the smell of marijuana, his vehicle was searched. During the search, the trooper located remnants of marijuana and a Glock-type pistol, which once the driver’s side door was opened, was readily visible under the driver’s seat. The pistol had no serial number, was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition, and had a so-called “Glock switch” – a device converting the pistol into a machine gun; allowing it to fire multiple rounds with the single pull of the trigger – visibly installed at the rear of the slide. A search of Kelly’s criminal history determined that he had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a felony offense. The trooper arrested Kelly for, among other things, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, a state offense. On May 3, 2022, while his state case was pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond.

On July 19, 2022, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw Kelly driving a car while speeding, with illegal window tint, and an expired registration. The officer signaled Kelly to pull over, which he did. As the officer approached the driver’s side window, Kelly rolled it down a minimal amount. When asked to roll it down further, Kelly complied, and the officer smelled marijuana. Kelly was alone in the car and visibly within his reach was an AR-style semi-automatic pistol on the passenger-side of the car. When asked, Kelly could not produce a driver license and confirmed that he was a convicted felon. Kelly was detained, and pursuant to a search, in addition to the semi-automatic pistol (loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition), officers located counterfeit currency, and bags of marijuana and crack cocaine. Kelly was arrested for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

On September 1, 2022, while his two state prosecutions were pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond. On September 15, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was arrested at his home on September 22, 2022, pursuant to that indictment. When officers entered the home, they located a loaded shotgun on the floor of a bathroom. As a convicted felon, Kelly is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

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 Anthony Jermaine Robinson (31, Covington, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 32 in federal prison, to include a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Robinson made his initial appearance in federal court on November 3, 2022, pursuant to a writ from a Georgia State Prison, where he is serving a prison sentence for violating parole on a fraud-related crime. He was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the plea agreement, in 2019, a deputy from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) stopped a car driven by Robinson for a cracked windshield. Based on a probable cause search of the car, the deputy located counterfeit Social Security cards and driver licenses with the identities of genuine individuals, genuine credit cards in the names of individuals, and multiple phones. Pursuant to a search warrant, the CCSO conducted a forensic examination of Robinson’s iPhone and determined that it contained text messages between Robinson and his co-defendant, Kiana Fina Alphonse. The text messages outlined instructions on how to fraudulently set up business bank accounts using, among other items, fraudulent business documents for non-existent businesses, identification documents and Social Security numbers (SSNs).

Further investigation by law enforcement determined that, in 2019, Robinson and Alphonse obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of multiple victims. They then obtained counterfeit driver licenses, purportedly from Washington and Delaware. The counterfeit licenses contained the PII of victims, but Alphonse’s photo. Using the PII, including the SSNs of victims, the counterfeit licenses, and documents created for fictitious businesses, Alphonse set up fraudulent business bank accounts in the names of various victims. These bank accounts were then utilized as part of a scheme to defraud multiple victims involving the online purchase of nonexistent cars. Once the bank accounts received funds from the victims, Robinson, Alphonse, and co-conspirators withdrew the money for their own personal use.

Kiana Fina Alphonse (28, Covington, Georgia) appeared in federal court on September 27, 2022. Her trial is set for March 2023.  

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 Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brandon Corey Skeith (40, Jacksonville) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Skeith had pleaded guilty on November 3, 2022.

According to court documents, Skeith was selling drugs out of a motel near Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville. In April 2022, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit observed Skeith selling fentanyl from the motel and obtained a search warrant for his room. During the execution of the search warrant, Skeith was caught with fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, scales, beakers and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed the pistol and found Skeith’s DNA on the firearm.    

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran handled the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.

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

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Lester Lee Nash (47) guilty of two counts of forcibly assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury, and one count of possessing a prohibited object (shank) while incarcerated in a federal prison. Nash faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 17, 2023. Nash was indicted on August 31, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Nash was incarcerated at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County, serving a life sentence for murder. On June 11, 2021, Nash attacked one of the correctional officers in his cell block, striking him from behind and causing severe injuries. He then charged another nearby correctional officer and struck him repeatedly. After Nash was subdued and searched, prison staff found a shank made from a sharpened toothbrush handle hidden in his underwear.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Sarah J. Swartzberg.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Thomas Johnson to three years in federal prison for his role in the preparation of well over a thousand false and fraudulent income tax returns. The court also ordered Johnson to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $1,688,931.90. Johnson had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.

According to court documents, Johnson owned and operated a tax preparation business located in Seffner, Florida. Between 2015 and 2017, Johnson aided in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of his clients. The fraudulent returns that Johnson helped to prepare contained false entries as to education credits that his clients were supposedly owed and Schedule C business losses for businesses that his clients denied having. The filing of these false tax returns led to the overpayment of tax refunds to his clients and the loss to the IRS of $1,688,931.90.

Johnson often concealed his activity by listing other persons as the preparers of most of the false returns that he created and filed. The false education credits and Schedule C business losses that Johnson submitted on behalf of his taxpayer clients generated large refunds that were unjustified. Johnson also required that his clients split those large refund amounts with him after the IRS processed these tax returns and paid those refunds.

“While most tax return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, it only takes a few dishonest return preparers to negatively impact thousands. IRS-CI works year-round to investigate fraudulent return preparers and protect the American taxpayers’ money,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker.  “Return preparers must comply with the same tax obligations as the clients they serve. No one is above the law.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Giovanni Francois (23, Naples) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and MDMA, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Francois faces up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing the firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possessing with the intent to distribute MDMA and fentanyl. 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. A sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.

According to court documents, in January 2022, a deputy from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop for routine traffic violations on a vehicle in which Francois was a passenger. After the lights and sirens were activated, the driver continued driving without pulling over. During that time, Francois, a convicted felon, threw items from the car two different times. The first time, Francois discarded a white and yellow bag containing various items including a chamber-loaded 9mm pistol and a large clear bag containing multiple empty packages consistent with narcotics sales. The second time, Francois discarded a rectangular box containing various types and quantities of drugs, including 33 units of suspected MDMA, more than 28 grams of cocaine, and a bag of powder containing suspected fentanyl. Inside the car’s rear floorboard, on the passenger side, deputies located a plastic bottle with additional suspected fentanyl powder and two small clear plastic baggies containing cocaine base.

This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kimberly Michelle Claridy Walker (46) and Neal Merrell Walker (51), both of Jacksonville, to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Walkers were also ordered to forfeit over $167,000 in cash, a .38 caliber pistol, a 2015 BMW 5501, a 2015 Lexus IS 250, a 2013 Audi AS L Quattro, a 2020 Ryker Rally Edition motorcycle, and numerous other items, such as Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewelry, and designer clothing and shoes.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, the Walkers, a married couple, were the leaders of an armed drug trafficking organization that distributed synthetic stimulant drugs, known as “flakka,” and other narcotics out of “trap” houses in Jacksonville. The organization distributed the drugs beginning no later than July 2018 through April 2021.

The Walkers employed sellers at the trap house who worked in regular shifts, usually three per day. The trap house was almost always staffed by at least one seller, 24 hours a day. Over the period of the conspiracy, the Walkers sold kilogram quantities of drugs each week.

In April 2019, July 2019, and January 2020, the Walkers, with the assistance of co-defendants, laundered approximately $120,000 by making numerous cash deposits into financial institutions—in amounts of less than $10,000, to avoid federal reporting requirements—and then obtaining cashier’s checks that they used to buy six properties in Jacksonville, five through Duval County tax deed auctions.

On April 13, 2021, law enforcement agents searched the Walkers’ residence and found more than $148,000 in cash, approximately two kilograms of synthetic narcotics, drug packaging material, digital scales, a .38 caliber pistol under the mattress in the Walkers’ bedroom, and numerous luxury items.

Ten other members of the organization were also sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy, as follows:

Name

Age

Role

Sentence

Marcus Antonio Peterson

37

Supplier

 7 years, 11 months

David Lee Geathers

26

Seller

6 years, 8 months

Mar’Quez Maurice Mickler

22

Seller

5 years, 6 months

Ramone Lazai Astin

37

Seller

5 years

Eugene Antwonn Farmer

25

Seller

4 years, 2 months

Alfred Eugene Bell

38

Seller

3 years, 4 months

Michael Shaquille Lee

25

Seller

3 years, 4 months

Antwan Le’Queze Major

25

Seller

4 years’ probation

Porschee Laneal Walker

30

Bagger/Transporter

4 years’ probation

Brandiesa Tylese Williams

26

Bagger/Transporter

4 years’ probation

Geathers and Williams were ordered to forfeit more than $18,000 and four firearms that were seized during a search of their apartment. Bell was ordered to forfeit $5,654 seized from him when he was arrested.

“We share our partners’ unwavering commitment to help keep Florida’s communities safe,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Coes. “These individuals earned steep sentences for committing serious federal crimes.”

“These sentencings are important victories for the American public. The role of IRS-CI in narcotics investigations is to follow the money to financially disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” said Ronald A. Loecker, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “One of our most powerful weapons is our ability to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement partners to unravel intricate money laundering schemes and seize associated assets.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Margaret Catherine Lynch (36, Bradenton) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lynch had pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.

According to court documents, on October 27, 2020, Lynch and a co-conspirator sold 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On November 5, 2020, Lynch and her co-conspirator sold an additional 56 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

On July 22, 2021, law enforcement officers served a search warrant at Lynch’s residence. The officers seized more than 70 grams of methamphetamine and drug packaging materials during the search of the home.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced former United States Postal Service contract mail carrier Randolph Varbelow (48, Jacksonville) to time served, approximately four months’ imprisonment. Varbelow was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims. He had pleaded guilty to theft of mail matter on November 15, 2022.  

According to court documents, Varbelow worked as a contract mail carrier from November 2021 through January 2022 and was assigned to deliver mail on a route in Duval and St. Johns Counties. In response to complaints about missing mail on his route, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General conducted an investigation and linked multiple stolen Target gift cards to Varbelow through transaction records and surveillance video. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Robert Butzlaff (57, Volusia County) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Butzlaff to pay restitution in the amount of $57,296, and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $57,296, the proceeds of the access device fraud. A federal jury had found Butzlaff guilty on September 21, 2022.

According to evidence presented at trial, Social Security beneficiary M.B. was reported missing in October 2014 and has never been located. M.B.’s disappearance was not reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA continued to make benefit payments on his behalf. M.B.’s SSA benefits were being deposited into an account held jointly with his son, Butzlaff, at the time of his disappearance. Following M.B.’s disappearance, Butzlaff opened a new bank account using M.B.’s personally identifiable information and redirected M.B.’s SSA benefits to the new account. The new account was solely in M.B.’s name. Butzlaff obtained and used two debit cards issued in the name of M.B. to withdraw the funds that were being deposited by SSA into the new account. Butzlaff used the SSA funds intended for M.B. for his own personal expenses.

“This sentence of 70 months’ imprisonment holds Mr. Butlzaff accountable for intentionally misusing Social Security benefits, intended for his father, for his own personal gain. This is a federal crime, and we will continue to pursue perpetrators of Social Security fraud,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. “I want to thank the Ormond Beach Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Huyler for their efforts in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Ormond Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Desmond Dondre Williams (34, Jasper) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud. Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the United States government. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in April 2021, Williams submitted two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to two different lenders authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. Both PPP loan applications falsely claimed that Williams operated his own business – “Tastebudz.” Throughout the loan applications Williams made multiple false statements regarding his purported gross income and business expenses associated with operating Tastebudz. In support of his PPP loan applications, Williams submitted a false IRS Form 1040 “Profit or Loss From Business” for Tastebudz. It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for his purported business. In truth, Tastebudz did not exist. In reliance on the false statements in his two PPP loan applications, the SBA funded a PPP loan for Tastebudz in the amount of $16,386 and a second PPP loan in the amount of $22,941. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds into his bank account, Williams began making withdrawals and spending it on personal expenses.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Cody Richard Hawk (51, Ocklawaha) with possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Hawk faces up to 15 years in federal prison.  

According to the indictment, on October 9, 2022, Hawk possessed a Savage Arms rifle and Winchester ammunition. At that time, Hawk had five previous felony convictions, including second-degree murder with a firearm, statutory rape, felon in possession of a handgun, failure to comply with registration law, and possession of methamphetamine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

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

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

This case is part of the 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 for 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 Jose Javier Galvan (52, Atlanta, GA) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Galvan faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in July and August 2021, Galvan and others conspired to distribute kilogram quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Guadalajara, Mexico to Atlanta and Tampa. 

Galvan drove from Atlanta to Tampa to plan for the distribution of the methamphetamine. He agreed to sell several kilograms of methamphetamine for approximately $5,700, with more quantities of the drug to follow by deliveries from his drug courier.

The drug courier drove from Atlanta to Plant City and delivered 1.89 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine imported from Mexico. The methamphetamine was transported in a bright green laundry detergent box.

On or about July 22, 2021, Galvan again traveled from Atlanta to Temple Terrace, Florida to collect more than $11,000 in drug proceeds owed to him for the methamphetamine delivery. The following week, Galvan and a coconspirator agreed to deliver another multi-kilogram package of methamphetamine into the Middle District of Florida from the Atlanta area. The drug courier drove from Atlanta with methamphetamine contained in two bright orange laundry detergent boxes. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle in Lowndes County, Georgia. During the traffic stop, the officers discovered the laundry detergent boxes containing an aggregate amount of approximately 4.9 kilograms of methamphetamine. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winter Haven Police Department, the Plant City Police Department, and the Lowndes County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results of a more than four-year gun violence reduction initiative between local, state, and federal law enforcement in Marion County. Since July 2018, the Ocala Division of the United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the City of Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fifth Judicial Circuit Office of the State Attorney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in a joint effort to federally prosecute defendants who illegally possess firearms and ammunition in the Marion County area.

Between July 2018 and December 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Ocala Division) prosecuted 57 firearms cases involving 60 defendants. Many of the cases were adopted from the state system with the support of the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office; others were handled jointly between state and federal investigators. As of December 31, 2022, 49 of the 60 defendants have been sentenced in federal court to a combined 388 years in federal prison.

“Combating violent crime requires the commitment and cooperation from everyone in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “The partnerships displayed here today have existed for many years and we look forward to working with the dedicated men and women of these local, state and federal agencies and our citizens in making this community a safer place to live.”

“Keeping our neighborhoods safe from gun violence is a shared responsibility that requires local law enforcement to collaborate with state and federal authorities,” said Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken. “I am extremely proud of the incredible work these partners are doing to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions. The efforts of this unified partnership should be celebrated as it has been relentless in the pursuit of justice and has made tremendous strides to ensure that citizens feel safe in their community.”

“In a world where criminal activity and violent gun crimes are at the forefront of citizen concerns, I am proud to live here in Marion County. In this county, we have joined forces on a federal, state, and local level to fight against this. We support, protect and defend the Constitution and have a great appreciation for those lawful gun owners that simply wish to live peaceably. But, we will come together bringing all of our available resources to maintain that peace when the violent, evil person tries to disrupt that. We cannot accomplish this on our own. It takes our citizen’s support and the cohesive working relationship with our fellow law enforcement agencies to keep Marion County one of the safest places to live, work, and play,” stated Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.

We’re proud to help contribute the firepower of the federal government to the horsepower of our state and local partners to protect Central Florida’s communities,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Coes. “No agency can tackle the issue of violent crime alone.”

“The FBI is committed to assisting our state and local law enforcement partners and enhancing their ability to impact or mitigate violent crime by providing analytical resources and agents to support their investigations when needed,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “In today’s world, the threats we face are too diverse, too dangerous, and too all-encompassing for any of us to tackle alone. This is a team approach, and the men and women of the FBI are committed to doing their part to help protect our communities across Florida.”

“Our primary mission at the State Attorney’s Office is public safety. In collaboration with the US Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners throughout Marion County, we strive every day to seek justice on behalf of victims of crime, and I consider it a privilege to work and live in our community,” stated State Attorney Bill Gladson.

This initiative in Marion County is part of the larger 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 of Justice 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 today sentenced LaTavis Deyonta Mackroy (29, Orlando) to 20 years in federal prison for three bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery. A federal jury had found Mackroy guilty after a trial on November 4, 2022. 

According to court documents and evidence presented during the three-day trial, Mackroy was a federal prisoner residing at a halfway house in Orlando. After staying at the halfway house for more than a month, Mackroy was given a home pass which allowed him to spend the weekend with his family. On April 16, 2022, while on his home pass, Mackroy robbed the Fairwinds Credit Union in Winter Park by passing a demand note and threatening the teller. He left the credit union with $3,231 and returned to the halfway house the following day. The next weekend, Mackroy was again given a home pass. He robbed one bank on Friday, one bank on Saturday, and attempted to rob another bank on Saturday, which was not successful. During the robbery on Friday, April 22, 2022, Mackroy took $4,000 from a teller at Chase Bank in Kissimmee, after passing her a threatening demand note. The following day, he robbed the TD Bank in Winter Park and took $2,820. During the final robbery at a Regions Bank in Orange City, the teller walked away from his station after reading the demand note, which caused Mackroy the flee the bank empty-handed.

Although he wore a face mask and sunglasses to conceal his identity during all four robberies, Mackroy failed to retrieve the demand note after the final, attempted robbery at the bank in Winter Park. That note was processed for fingerprints and contained four prints matching Mackroy’s fingerprints which were on file with the FBI. An ensuing investigation revealed additional evidence showing Mackroy’s presence at all four robbery scenes, including clothing retrieved from Mackroy at the halfway house that matched the clothes on the bank surveillance videos, location data from the cellphone Mackroy was carrying at the time of the arrest, and location data from the car Mackroy was driving at the time of the arrest. At the time of the April 2022 robbery spree, Mackroy was still serving a federal sentence for a robbery of a pawn shop in Apopka in 2014.

During the sentencing hearing, the court enhanced Mackroy’s sentence because of his extensive criminal history, because he threatened one teller by stating that he had a gun in the note he presented, and because in 2014 and 2022, Mackroy obstructed legal proceedings by taking the witness stand in pre-trial proceedings and lying about his involvement in the robberies. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange City Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Michael P. Felicetta.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Hector Enrique Veliz Villeda (31, Hialeah) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Veliz Villeda had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.

According to court documents, in June and July 2022, Veliz Villeda and others were part of a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy moving kilogram quantities of high-purity methamphetamine throughout cities located in the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida and the Northern District of Alabama. Veliz Villeda received shipments of high-purity methamphetamine from a coconspirator in Birmingham, Alabama and subsequently transported the methamphetamine into the Miami and Tampa metropolitan areas for resale.

On June 14, 2022, at his home in Hialeah, Veliz Villeda obtained high-purity crystal methamphetamine from a coconspirator in Alabama. He later sold the drugs to a confidential source in Bradenton. On July 14, 2022, Veliz Villeda again traveled from Hialeah to Bradenton and sold more high-purity crystal methamphetamine he had received from coconspirators.        

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bradenton Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.