Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Thomas Lester Hazouri, Jr. (42, Jacksonville) to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse videos over the internet using a social media messaging application (app). The court also ordered Hazouri to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay child victims a total of $18,000 in restitution. Hazouri had pleaded guilty on August 24, 2021, and has been in custody since his arrest on September 4, 2020.  

According to court documents and information offered in open court, the company that owns and hosts a particular online social media messaging app notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that on March 26, 2020, one of its app users, later identified as Hazouri, had uploaded and distributed videos depicting children being sexually abused into a public chat room with 46 other users in it. Further investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) traced the internet protocol address used to distribute these videos to Hazouri’s residence. At that time, Hazouri was employed as a second-grade teacher at Mayport Elementary School in Jacksonville. 

The search warrants for the social messaging app account used by Hazouri, as well as for another email account used by Hazouri. Hazouri’s online social media account, contained 19 images and 45 videos depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On August 6, 2020, JSO detectives and other personnel executed a search warrant at Hazouri’s residence and seized Hazouri’s Apple iPhone and other computer media. A forensic examination of this iPhone revealed that it contained 123 images and three videos depicting children being sexually abused. Seven of these images each depicted either an infant or a toddler-aged child.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Duval County School Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.

WASHINGTON —Bladimir Moreno, 55, pleaded guilty in federal court in Tampa, Florida, to charges of conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and conspiracy to commit forced labor. A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida had previously returned a six-count indictment against multiple defendants for their roles in a federal racketeering conspiracy that victimized Mexican H-2A workers who, between 2015 and 2017, had worked in the United States harvesting fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida.

“The scheme these defendants employed trapped the victims through fear of serious harm if they did not continue to toil away for the defendants’ profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to combatting human trafficking in all its forms, including prosecuting agricultural employers who break the law to subject their vulnerable migrant farm workers to forced labor.”

“Forcing individuals to work against their will using abusive and coercive tactics is not only unconscionable but illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our human trafficking task forces to stamp out these illegal practices throughout our district and state.”

According to court documents, Moreno owned, operated, and managed Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), a farm labor contracting company, that functioned as a criminal enterprise compelling victims to work in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina. After charging Mexican farm workers exorbitant sums to come into the United States on short-term, H-2A, agricultural visas to work for LVH, Moreno and his co-conspirators coerced over a dozen workers into providing long hours of physically demanding agricultural labor, six to seven days a week, for de minimis pay. Moreno and his co-conspirators used various coercive means, including imposing debts on workers; confiscating the workers’ passports; subjecting workers to crowded, unsanitary and degrading living conditions; verbally abusing and humiliating the workers; threatening workers with arrest, jailtime and deportation; isolating workers by preventing them from interacting with anyone other than LVH employees; and threatening to physically harm the workers’ family members back in Mexico if the workers failed to comply with their demands. In addition to conspiring to subject H-2A workers to forced labor, Moreno and his coconspirators also harbored H-2A workers in the United States after their visas had expired for financial gain and committed visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting. 

Earlier this year, three co-defendants who had worked for Moreno and assisted him in operating LVH pleaded guilty to related offenses. First, Christina Gamez, 43, a U.S. citizen, who worked for LVH as a bookkeeper, manager and supervisor, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. Second, Efrain Cabrera Rodas, 32, a citizen of Mexico, who worked for LVH as a recruiter, manager and supervisor, also pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.  Third, Guadalupe Mendes Mendoza, 45, a citizen of Mexico, who worked for LVH as a manager and supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation.

The Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. The Task Force received assistance from the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of the Inspector General, the DOL Wage and Hour Division, the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Legal Services Migrant Farm Worker Division, Legal Aid Services of Oregon Farmworker Program and Indiana Legal Services Worker Rights and Protection Project.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Avner Shapiro, Maryam Zhuravitsky, and Matthew Thiman of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.  

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Ralph Puglisi (60, Palm Harbor) to 10 years in federal prison for mail fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Puglisi to pay full restitution in the amount of $12,860,744.07 to the University of South Florida and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $12,800,000, the proceeds of his mail fraud scheme. Puglisi had pleaded guilty on August 26, 2021.

According to court documents, Puglisi was employed as an accounting manager for the University of South Florida’s University Medical Services Association (UMSA). In this position, he was involved in overseeing the administration of UMSA’s credit cards. Beginning in or around June 2014, and continuing through November 2019, Puglisi defrauded UMSA by using several of that entity’s credit cards to make $12,860,744.07 in unauthorized charges for his own benefit, including rent payments, extensive home renovations, travel, chartered yachts, and contributions to women affiliated with an interactive adult website. Puglisi exploited his position as accounting manager to make false journal entries in records that created the illusion that his charges were related to UMSA’s business operations.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Julie Simonsen.

WASHINGTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit health care fraud in an $8.3 million scheme where pharmacy owners paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providers to secure orders for medically unnecessary prescriptions that were billed to Medicare.

According to court documents, Michael Murphy, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, invested in Cure Pharmacy in Jacksonville and two other pharmacies that participated in the Medicare program. From in or around November 2019 through in or around March 2021, Murphy and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketing companies in exchange for recruiting Medicare beneficiaries to accept prescriptions for various medications – mainly topical creams – which the beneficiaries usually did not want or need.

Murphy and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies that employed or contracted with physicians who signed the prescriptions. The physicians had no physician-patient relationship with the beneficiaries and typically signed the prescriptions after a cursory telephone conversation with the beneficiary or with no contact at all. After obtaining Medicare beneficiary information and the signed prescriptions, Murphy and his co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary medications, sometimes through multiple pharmacies they owned and controlled in a practice known as “recycling,” and were reimbursed $8.3 million by Medicare Part D.

Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Murphy will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mesrobian for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit health care fraud in an $8.3 million scheme where pharmacy owners paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providers to secure orders for medically unnecessary prescriptions that were billed to Medicare.

According to court documents, Michael Murphy, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, invested in Cure Pharmacy in Jacksonville and two other pharmacies that participated in the Medicare program. From in or around November 2019 through in or around March 2021, Murphy and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketing companies in exchange for recruiting Medicare beneficiaries to accept prescriptions for various medications – mainly topical creams – which the beneficiaries usually did not want or need.

Murphy and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies that employed or contracted with physicians who signed the prescriptions. The physicians had no physician-patient relationship with the beneficiaries and typically signed the prescriptions after a cursory telephone conversation with the beneficiary or with no contact at all. After obtaining Medicare beneficiary information and the signed prescriptions, Murphy and his co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary medications, sometimes through multiple pharmacies they owned and controlled in a practice known as “recycling,” and were reimbursed $8.3 million by Medicare Part D.

Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Murphy will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mesrobian for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daryl D. Shack (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody. Shack faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in 2018, Shack was convicted in federal court of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. While completing his sentence, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Shack into the custody of Keeton Corrections, Inc. Jacksonville Residential Reentry Center. When he arrived at that halfway house, a Keeton official advised Shack that his failure to remain at Keeton would be deemed an escape from the custody of the Attorney General, which could subject him to prosecution and further punishment.

In the evening of March 3, 2021, an alarm sounded at Keeton’s men’s dormitory, indicating that someone had exited the dorm without authorization. In response, an official conducted a count of all residents. Shack was not present. After searching the facility, Keeton officials could not locate him.

On July 26, 2022, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers arrested Shack in Jacksonville. In the intervening period (more than 16 months), Shack never returned to Keeton or Bureau of Prisons custody.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Florida-Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brett Avery Tipton (40, Rockledge) on a criminal complaint charging him with enticing a minor to produce child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Tipton faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Tipton made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd yesterday and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the complaint, in 2020, Tipton began communicating with the child victim (who was then approximately 12 years old) through various social media platforms, including Snapchat, Telegram, PlayStation, and Facebook. At Tipton’s request and urging, the victim sent him numerous pictures of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In return, Tipton sent the victim gifts from Amazon, games, gaming equipment (such as headphones), and food through an online delivery service. The investigation revealed that Tipton engaged in this conduct with the victim for more than one year.

According to the complaint, the investigation also revealed that Tipton distributed child sex abuse material to online groups that trade such contraband. During an interview with the FBI, Tipton stated that he used his online accounts to interact with and solicit sexually explicit material from young teenage boys and men who ranged in age from 12 to 26 years old.

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

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (Orlando and Cincinnati), with assistance from the Licking County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office, the Rockledge Police Department, and the United States Secret Service (Cincinnati). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Robert Butzlaff (57, Volusia County) guilty of four counts of fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device and aggravated identity theft. Butzlaff faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each of the fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device charges and a consecutive 2-year mandatory minimum on the aggravated identity theft charge. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 7, 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 being deposited by SSA into the new account. Butzlaff used the SSA funds intended for M.B. for his own personal expenses.

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Ahmad Al Saleh (59, Tampa) to 12 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud and to make false statements to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The court also ordered Al Saleh to make restitution to the USDA in the amount of $654,502.28.

According to court documents, Al Saleh joined in a conspiracy to defraud the USDA and to make false statements to the USDA in 2015 when he agreed to make false and fraudulent representations to the USDA that he was buying a St. Petersburg convenience store that was enrolled to accept USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program benefits. SNAP is a program that supplements the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. After the USDA prohibited the prior owner of the store from accepting any SNAP benefit purchases and prohibited him from even working at the store, he joined with Al Saleh and others to create false records and representations that Al Saleh had bought the store and that Al Saleh was operating it himself. In reality, the previous store owner continued to operate and manage the store and make profits from it, paying Al Saleh a small fee for the use of Al Saleh’s name as the store owner on USDA documents. During the time that the prior owner was still operating the store under the supposed ownership of Al Saleh, the prior owner committed numerous acts of SNAP benefits trafficking, during which he bought SNAP benefits from customers and paid for them in cash. The court determined that the losses which the prior owner caused to the SNAP program while engaging in this conduct during the time period of the supposed “ownership” of Al Saleh was at least $654,502.84.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture -Office of Inspector General, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance from the St. Petersburg Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Don V. Cisternino (46, Chuluota) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal monetary transaction. Cisternino faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the illegal monetary transaction, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in May 2020, Cisternino fraudulently secured more than $7.2 million in emergency funds through a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It was 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 was the authorization of up to $349 billion in potentially 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 allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.

Cisternino’s PPP loan application falsely claimed that Cisternino’s business, MagnifiCo, had 441 employees and monthly payroll expenses in 2019 of more than $2.8 million. In truth, MagnifiCo, had no employees other than Cisternino. In support of his PPP loan application, Cisternino submitted false W-2s for MagnifiCo’s purported employees, many of which listed the names and Social Security numbers of actual persons who were not MagnifiCo employees and who had not authorized Cisternino to use their identities.

Once he obtained the emergency loan of $7.2 million, Cisternino did not use these funds for qualifying expenses. Instead, he spent the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of a Lincoln Navigator, a Maserati, Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and a 12,579 sq. ft. residence in Seminole County, Florida (pictured below).

 

On January 22, 2021, after learning that he was under investigation for PPP loan fraud, Cisternino fled to Switzerland. He was arrested on April 11, 2021, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, as he attempted to enter Croatia from Slovenia by way of Italy.

As part of his plea agreement, Cisternino agreed to forfeit the $7.2 million in proceeds that he had obtained through the wire fraud, as well as assets traceable to the fraud, including the 12,579 sq. ft. residence and approximately $1.1 million in funds held in bank accounts controlled by him or his associates. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Cisternino’s arrest and extradition.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Andrejko and Jeremy Bloor.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces Levelle Joseph Harris (36, Kissimmee) has entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with 14 counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Harris had been indicted on June 7, 2022.

According to the court records, between May 27, 2020, and June 2, 2021, Harris applied for 14 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act using false information. As part of Harris’s scheme to defraud, he electronically submitted applications for the PPP loans over the internet, made false representations on his PPP applications, and received proceeds from the loans through wire transfers over the internet. Harris also provided fake supporting documentation for his loan applications. Once his fraudulent applications were approved, he received over $1 million in internet wire transfers that were supposed to be used to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills. Instead, Harris used the money for his 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Justin Roberson (34, Clearwater) today pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Roberson faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the facts presented at the change of plea hearing, in 2021, DEA agents in Tampa, partnering with law enforcement officers from the Clearwater Police Department (CPD), initiated an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine within the Middle District of Florida. Agents received information that Roberson was distributing methamphetamine in Clearwater.

On September 15, 2021, Roberson called a confidential source (CS) working with law enforcement and said that he (Roberson) had “a lot” of methamphetamine and was selling it “by the pound.” Through coded conversation, Roberson and the CS agreed to meet at a business associated with Roberson, on North Meteor Avenue in Clearwater, to complete the purchase of the methamphetamine. During the drug transaction, Roberson sold four individual plastic baggies, each containing a crystallized substance inside. The substance obtained from Roberson was later analyzed by the DEA and found to be approximately 893 grams (1.96 pounds) of methamphetamine hydrochloride, a controlled substance.

On July 8, 2022, agents executed a federal search warrant at the North Meteor Avenue location and located a fully loaded AR-15 rifle, ammunition, a kilogram of cocaine, numerous pills—including more than 579 grams of MDMA, a quantity of marijuana, digital scales, baggies, a currency counter, and cash. On that same date, agents also conducted a consent search of Roberson’s residence and located an AK-47 rifle, additional rifle magazines, a Glock handgun, several AR-15 style rifles, and more cash.

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

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Gregory Edward McLean (38, Jacksonville) with two counts of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and one count of possessing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children. If convicted, McLean faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, and up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies McLean that the United States intends to forfeit two cellphones, a Western Digital hard drive, and a USB drive, which are alleged to have been used in the commission of the offenses. McLean was arrested on September 19, 2022. He is being detained pending trial.

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 Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Rhode Island State Police, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase and Kirwinn Mike.

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.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Miguel Vargas-Narez (44, Mexico) to 40 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States and illegal reentry into the United States. Vargas entered guilty pleas to the charges on June 1, 2022.

According to the court records, Vargas is a citizen and national of Mexico. He has previously been deported from the United States four times and has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States after being deported on two prior occasions. On November 18, 2021, Vargas fled from Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies in a stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed. Vargas eventually crashed the vehicle in a pasture but continued to flee on foot. When apprehended by a police K-9 unit, Vargas had a loaded pistol in his waistband. In his pants pockets, deputies discovered another pistol with a scratched-off serial number, 38 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and seven rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. As an person not lawfully present in the United States, Vargas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Ray King (42, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to download and receive videos and images of children being sexually abused. King faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and forfeit certain computer media. King was arrested by FBI agents on November 18, 2021. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, in 2021, the FBI was investigating individuals who were using online networks to receive and share child sexual abuse materials. The investigation revealed that in July, August, and September 2021, King used a computer connected to the internet at his residence to access videos depicting young children being sexually abused.

On November 18, 2021, during the execution of a federal search warrant at King’s home, FBI personnel seized an external computer hard drive that was connected by a cable to a gaming computer. A forensic examination of this external drive revealed that it contained at least 250 images and at least 50 videos depicting child sexual abuse material, including young children being sexually assaulted, bestiality, and bondage. This drive also contained evidence showing dates and times that King had downloaded these child sexual abuse materials from the internet.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran is handling the forfeiture of assets.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the extradition of Jose Ramon Tejeda-Guerrero (38) from the Dominican Republic to the United States. Tejeda-Guerrero was charged in a 2012 indictment with fraudulent possession of counterfeit or unauthorized access devices and four counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Tejeda-Guerrero faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the access device fraud charge, and a mandatory two-year consecutive term of imprisonment for each of the aggravated identity theft charges. He made his initial appearance in Orlando before U.S. Magistrate Embry J. Kidd on September 15, 2022, and has been ordered detained pending trial.

According to court documents and information disclosed during his initial appearance, on July 20, 2007, Tejeda-Guerrero was arrested at the Orlando International Airport on state charges for possession or transfer of credit card-making equipment. During a search incident to his arrest, the police confiscated a laptop and two flash drives. The laptop contained approximately 13,000 credit card numbers, including active accounts belonging to individuals all around the world. The laptop also contained instructions on how to make, evaluate, and test magnetic stripes of credit cards and instructions on how to clean a card maker and its components. The actual fraud loss associated with credit card accounts found on that laptop exceeds $1 million. 

Tejeda-Guerrero was released on bail in connection with his state charges on August 23, 2007, and fled. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2012. 

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 U.S. Secret Service and the Kissimmee Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Tejeda-Guerrero to the United States. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided critical assistance. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber today sentenced Robert Reese Lyons (24, Bradenton) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Lyons to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Lyons had pleaded guilty on June 8, 2022.

According to court documents, at approximately 2:15 a.m. on January 16, 2021, near the Miromar Outlets in Estero, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle in which Lyons was the front-seat passenger.  During a search of the vehicle, the deputies recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson handgun, with an obliterated serial number, directly underneath Lyons’s seat.  At the time, Lyons was a convicted felon and a state probationer who had an active warrant for his arrest. As a convicted felon, Lyons is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Tripp (42, Clearwater) with three counts of distributing and one count of possessing child sex abuse material. If convicted, Tripp faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison for each distribution count and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession count. Tripp is a registered sex offender and has prior felony convictions for aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated statutory rape, and lewd and lascivious molestation. The grand jury also returned indictments charging Tripp’s roommates, Craigan Joyner (20, Clearwater) and Donald Shadowens (30, Clearwater), with one count of receiving and one count of possessing child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, for the receipt count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession count.

On August 19, 2022, Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens made their initial appearances before the Honorable Christopher P. Tuite. Tripp and Joyner were detained pending trial. Shadowens was released on a bond with conditions.

According to the court documents, Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens all lived together at the same residence in Clearwater. On August 18, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the home and discovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the defendants’ devices. This material included the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12 and sado-masochistic images of children.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with substantial assistance from the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

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.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Ronrico Lionel Farmer (33, Ocala) to five years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Farmer had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022.

According to court documents, on April 17, 2021, a City of Ocala police officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Farmer. Farmer gave the officer a false name to conceal his suspended license. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a powdery substance (fentanyl), which Farmer referred to as “his children’s candy,” on the driver’s door and floorboard. Also on the floorboard, the officer discovered a loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The FBI conducted a DNA analysis of the recovered firearm and determined, with a likelihood ratio of 190 sextillion, that Farmer’s DNA was on the weapon. As a multi-convicted felon, Farmer is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Marty Eugene Days, Jr. (33, Williston) to 27 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Days had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022.

According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, a City of Ocala police officer stopped an automobile driven by Days for erratic driving. Days, the sole occupant, did not have a valid driver license. After detaining Days, the officer located a bag on the ground next to the automobile that contained Days’s Florida ID card, two of his credit cards, and a 9mm handgun. Video surveillance footage from a nearby convenience store showed Days tossing the bag out of the passenger-side window. The firearm—a “ghost gun” with no manufacturer serial number—was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Days had a prior felony conviction for attempted robbery with a deadly weapon. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Charles Vincent Yannaccone (51, Apopka) with three counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of sexual abuse material. Yannaccone faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison on each receipt count. On the possession count, Yannaccone faces a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment. The indictment also notifies Yannaccone that the United States intends to forfeit his cellphone, which is alleged to have been used to commit the charged offenses.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Malachi Deloch (23, Tampa) was sentenced to four years and seven months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Deloch had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2022. He was also ordered to forfeit the semi-automatic pistol used in the offense.

According to court documents, on February 7, 2022, Deloch, a convicted felon, was in possession of multiple firearms, including a black Springfield XD 9mm with an extended magazine. As a convicted felon, Deloch is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. As pictured below, Deloch was seen openly carrying the firearm in a residential area of Tampa. Prior to his arrest, Deloch fled from Tampa Police Department officers that had arrived on the scene.

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

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging James John Melis (52, Largo) with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft.  If convicted, Melis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, 30 years for each bank fraud count, and a consecutive mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts.  The indictment also notifies Melis that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1.1 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, Melis abused his position as business manager at a private school in Tampa by attaching his personal bank account to the school’s PayPal account without authorization. When parents made tuition payments to the school’s account, Melis initiated fraudulent electronic funds transfers to his personal account. He then spent the stolen funds on travel and luxury items, such as jewelry.

Separately, the indictment charges Melis with carrying out a mortgage origination fraud scheme against a financial institution for two properties he owned. To deceive the mortgage lender into believing he was a qualified borrower, Melis used the personal identification information of another person on loan applications, and prepared and submitted false and fraudulent IRS income tax returns, fictitious satisfactions of mortgages falsely representing that his properties had equity, and lease agreements falsely showing he received substantial rental income. As part of this scheme, Melis used the means of identification of other individuals and forged their signatures on the fictitious satisfactions of mortgage and phony lease agreements submitted to the mortgage lender. Based on Melis’ misrepresentations, the financial institution approved and funded both mortgage loans.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robin Castro-Gomez (35, Colombia, South America) and his brother, Alvaro Castro-Gomez (41, Colombia, South America), have pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Robin Castro-Gomez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Alvaro Castro-Gomez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. They were indicted on March 5, 2019.

According to the plea agreement, Robin and Alvaro Castro-Gomez are responsible for attempting to traffic over 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds) of cocaine from Colombia to Central America. In 2017 and 2018, the United States Coast Guard interdicted three separate low-profile vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, each loaded with cocaine and destined for Central America. Robin Castro-Gomez was directly responsible for leading and organizing each of these drug ventures from Colombia. Alvaro Castro-Gomez, who was previously convicted in federal court for trafficking cocaine on the high seas, assisted his brother at the launch sites. He also recruited, hired, and paid one of the mariners to participate in the conspiracy.    

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. 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.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gerardo Ruiz-Martinez (21, Zitácuaro, Mexico) has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been deported. Ruiz-Martinez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Ruiz-Martinez was removed from the United States to Mexico on March 25, 2014, through Brownsville, Texas, and again on September 2, 2020, through the Miami International Airport. On May 3, 2022, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ruiz-Martinez for a theft he committed in Tampa. Ruiz-Martinez stated that he was a citizen of Mexico and that he was in the United States illegally.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection – U.S. Border Patrol, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Miguel Diaz Gonzalez (40, Orlando) on a criminal complaint charging him with production of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Gonzalez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison. Gonzalez made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer last week and has been ordered detained pending trial.

According to the complaint, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip concerning an online media storage account associated with username “Satans child,” and investigators found child sexual abuse material in that account. Usage of the “Satans child” account was traced to Gonzalez’s home in Orlando. Following the execution of a search warrant at Gonzalez’s home, law enforcement agents confirmed that Gonzalez uses the “Satans child” account and, thereafter, executed a warrant to search the account, which contained a video depicting Gonzalez raping an eight-year-old child who had previously been in Gonzalez’s care.

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

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert William Sanchez (36, Port Charlotte) to 29 years in federal prison for producing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. Sanchez was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Sanchez had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022.

According to court documents, Sanchez produced images and videos of his sexual abuse of a minor. In November 2020, an investigation was launched after the minor reported that Sanchez had harmed her, and that Sanchez had taken pictures and videos of her sexual abuse. On December 11, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence and located his digital camera. A forensic analysis of the camera revealed images and videos of Sanchez sexually abusing a 10-year-old child in May of 2018.      

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jonathan William Brown (25, Duval) with receipt and possession of child sexual abuse files. His brother, Joshua Thomas Brown (27, Duval), has been charged in a separate indictment with possession of child sexual abuse files, including files depicting young children. If convicted on all counts, Jonathan Brown faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. Joshua Brown faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the Browns that the United States intends to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the charged offenses. Both brothers have been ordered detained pending trial.  

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.

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.  They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Michael Lee Faz (44, Labelle), Abel Deleon (45, Labelle), and Genaro Deleon, Jr. (63, Labelle) to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Faz was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison, Abel Deleon was sentenced to 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment, and Deleon, Jr. was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison. Genaro Deleon, III (45, Lehigh Acres), the leader of the organization, is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2023. Each of the four had previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.

According to court documents, Genaro Deleon, III based his drug distribution organization out of his Lehigh Acres home. In an unsuccessful attempt to thwart law enforcement investigations into his organization, Deleon, III buried the organization’s stash of methamphetamine in multiple locations in the woods around his secluded property, which was patrolled by his aggressive dogs and a network of motion sensing cameras. 

Deleon, III employed his father, Deleon, Jr., and his two uncles, Abel Deleon and Faz, as dealers for the organization, responsible for making sales to customers and collecting the drug proceeds. Over the course of a year, law enforcement made at least nine undercover purchases from the organization yielding hundreds of grams of nearly pure methamphetamine. In October 2021, law enforcement arrested the defendants and executed a search warrant at Deleon, III’s house, resulting in the additional seizure of multiple firearms.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Frascella (55, Bradenton) with bank robbery. If convicted, Frascella faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Frascella that the United States intends to forfeit any property (real or personal), which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, on August 8, 2022, Frascella robbed a Fifth Third Bank located in Parrish, Florida.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Dale Perkins (44, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distribution of methamphetamine. Perkins faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense and up to 20 years in federal prison for the drug offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on April 5, 2022, Perkins, a nine-time convicted felon, sold a sawed-off .410 caliber shotgun gun and methamphetamine to an undercover ATF special agent.

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Troy Alexander Cole (28, Fort Myers) to three years and five months in federal prison for attempted possession with the intent to distribute MDMA (commonly referred to as “Molly”) and methamphetamine. Cole had entered a guilty plea on April 20, 2022. 

According to court documents, Cole worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI) in Punta Gorda. In June 2021, on three separate occasions, Cole agreed to smuggle methamphetamine or MDMA into the prison where he worked and provide the contraband to an inmate. He agreed to do so in exchange for payments of $400, $1,000, and $4,000, respectively.

On each occasion, Cole picked up a package containing what he believed were the controlled substances and then entered CCI. Cole would then conceal the packages containing the purported controlled substances and notify the inmate that they were available for retrieval.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Juan Diego Arteaga-Hernandez (Mexico, 34) to 4 years and 4 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation and being convicted of an aggravated felony. Arteaga-Hernandez had pleaded guilty on May 11, 2022.

According to court documents, on January 22, 2022, Arteaga-Hernandez was arrested on unrelated charges in Desoto County. Thereafter, he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and determined to be in the United States illegally. A criminal history check showed that Arteaga-Hernandez had been convicted in 2009 for possession with the intent to deliver heroin, which is an aggravated felony under federal law. Arteaga-Hernandez was also previously convicted of illegal reentry after deportation in 2015 and in 2019. He was on federal supervised release for his 2019 conviction when he was arrested on this charge.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ernest Maloney Page, IV (46, Madison) to six months in federal prison for conspiring to bribe the elected State Attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit. The court also ordered Page to serve an 18-month term of supervised release. Page had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2020. 

According to court documents, Page represented a client facing two separate driving under the influence (DUI) cases in the Third Judicial Circuit. The client managed a tractor dealership in Live Oak. Page arranged a meeting with then-State Attorney Jeffrey Siegmeister to discuss the client’s pending DUI cases. Page informed Siegmeister that the client had a tractor dealership, and Siegmeister told Page he wanted to purchase a tractor. Page encouraged Siegmeister to visit the client at his dealership.

In August 2017, Siegmeister told Page that he would give favorable treatment to the client for one of his pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $10,000 discount on the tractor, and that he would give favorable treatment to the client on both pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $20,000 discount on the tractor. Page relayed this information to his client, who indicated he wished to accept the offer and agreed to provide the $20,000 discount to Siegmeister. Page then told Siegmeister his client had accepted the offer.

Siegmeister arranged for the client to resolve the DUI charges by pleading to reckless driving charges, which were traffic misdemeanors.

On September 20, 2017, Siegmeister’s wife went to the tractor dealership and met with the client, who discounted the retail price of the tractor and accessories by $10,000, consistent with his agreement to pay Siegmeister a bribe facilitated by Page. The client also notated the sales paperwork to falsely state that the Siegmeister’s provided a cash down payment of $10,150, when no such down payment was made.

On September 28, 2017, Siegmeister signed an Offer of Plea, authorizing the client to plead no contest to the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving with alcohol. On the same day, the client’s plea was entered and the client was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.

In March 2020, Page admitted to the FBI that he had facilitated a bribe to Siegmeister in the amount of a $20,000 discount on a tractor in exchange for a lenient resolution of two DUI cases.  

Siegmeister previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity, that is bribery and extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return. His sentencing hearing is set for October 12, 2022. 

“The actions taken by Ernest Page put lives at risk,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks. “As an officer of the court, he facilitated corruption within the judicial system by offering items of value in exchange for reduced or dropped charges for one of his clients, who was accused of serious crimes that endangered the community. These crimes will not be tolerated by the FBI, and we will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold individuals in positions of authority within the justice system accountable. We specifically thank the IRS – Criminal Investigation team for their invaluable partnership in the case.”   

“This action demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust. In today’s economic environment, it’s more important than ever that the American people feel confident that everyone is playing by the rules,” said IRS Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The IRS is proud to have shared its hallmark expertise with FBI in following the money trail in this and other criminal schemes. IRS Criminal Investigation agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight corruption and tax fraud.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and David B. Mesrobian.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Junior Williams (44, Tampa) with four counts of bank robbery. If convicted, Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Williams that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds that Williams obtained as results of his offenses.

According to the indictment, on February 18, 2022, Williams robbed a bank in the Tampa area. Several weeks later, on March 8, 2022, he returned to the same bank and robbed it for a second time. The indictment further alleges that Williams  attempted to take money from a third bank in the Tampa area on April 13, 2022. When he was unsuccessful at this bank, Williams drove to another bank, where he was successful in obtaining money.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.   

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Devin Kelly (27, Tampa) to three years and ten months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Kelly to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Kelly had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022.

According to court documents, on July 2, 2021, Kelly, a convicted felon, and Keyshawn Watts, also a convicted felon, held and displayed a rifle during an Instagram live video. One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR .556 caliber rifle and an extended magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had features that matched those of the rifle observed by investigators on the Instagram live video. Kelly admitted that the rifle was the same firearm he had displayed on the video.

Kelly was a member of the Bloods street gang and held a leadership position within the gang. At the time he possessed the firearm, Kelly had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

Watts previously pleaded guilty to the same offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 4, 2022.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Michael Paul Gillis (65, Jacksonville) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The court also ordered Gillis to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his computer media. Gillis had pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022.

According to court documents and information provided in court, FBI agents were investigating individuals who were using a particular online network to share child sexual abuse materials. The investigation revealed that Gillis, a retired Jacksonville public school teacher, had accessed this network from his home.

On February 2, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Gillis’s home. Gillis, who was home at the time, admitted that he had been accessing child sexual abuse materials using the internet for the past 15 years, and that he had viewed materials depicting children as young as 3 years old. Gillis also stated that he viewed these images and videos while employed as a schoolteacher and would fantasize about touching children inappropriately but claimed that he had never acted on it. He acknowledged that he would continue to seek out these materials online because he would have “a hard time” stopping this behavior because it is an “urge.” During the execution of the search warrant, FBI personnel seized several computers belonging to Gillis that contained at least 2,000 images and 150 videos depicting infants, toddlers, and other young children being sexually abused.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was 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 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, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30, Ocala) on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Franklin had been indicted on May 24, 2022.

According to the indictment, Franklin has four prior state felony convictions, including two convictions for attempted second degree murder with a firearm (2010), shooting at or into an occupied vehicle (2010), and possession of a firearm by a delinquent (2010). On September 30, 2021, Franklin possessed a handgun. As a convicted felon, Franklin is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Evaristo Marin-Dominguez (34, Michoacan, Mexico) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Marin-Dominguez had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.

According to court documents, Marin-Dominguez sold a kilogram of methamphetamine to a law enforcement source in November 2020, after a broker in Mexico provided the source with Marin-Dominguez’s phone number. During a later meeting to pick up money from the source, Marin-Dominguez admitted to having just delivered 8 kilograms of methamphetamine and having another 16 kilograms available.

Marin-Dominguez was arrested in Highlands County, in the Southern District of Florida, the following year. During an execution of a search warrant at Marin-Dominguez’s residence, authorities seized almost four kilograms of methamphetamine, almost a quarter kilogram of heroin, a shotgun, a rifle, three pistols, and various drug paraphernalia.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Plant City Police Department, the Winter Haven Police Department, and the University of South Florida Police Department. 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.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Winsdell Nowelin Lamb (35) to 18 months in federal prison for escape. The court also ordered Lamb to serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. Lamb’s sentence is to run concurrently to the sentence that he was serving when he escaped. Lamb had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022.

According to court documents, in 2013, Lamb was sentenced to an eight-year prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lamb was completing that term at a Residential Reentry Center in the Middle District of Florida. In November 2020, Lamb escaped from the center and a criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued immediately. Lamb was a fugitive until January 2022 when he was arrested by the Chicago Police Department on unrelated charges. Despite Lamb giving law enforcement a false name, his true identity was determined, and the U.S. Marshals Service returned Lamb to Orlando.  

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Gardella.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Delon Adams (50, Palmetto) guilty of four counts of robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, extortion, and criminal contempt of court. Each robbery charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. Because Adams has a prior federal conviction for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, each brandishing charge carries a minimum mandatory term of 25 years, and up to life, in federal prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. The felon-in-possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The extortion charge carries up to 2 years’ imprisonment. On the criminal contempt charge, Adams may be imprisoned for as long as the Honorable Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, United States District Judge, determines. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2022. Adams had been indicted on October 27, 2020.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between August 26 and September 15, 2020, Adams robbed four wireless phone stores – three in Manatee County and one in Hillsborough County. During each robbery, he pointed a gun at store employees and stole iPhones and cash. Adams subsequently sold the stolen iPhones. Law enforcement officers arrested Adams on October 1, 2020, and found him in possession of a loaded handgun. Adams subsequently mailed a threatening communication to a witness in an attempt to obtain money and violated two court orders by refusing to be fingerprinted.

This case was investigated by the Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (SPARTA) unit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palmetto Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and 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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Roderick Tyree Irvin (28), Christopher Merchant (22), and Hakeem Thomas (26), all of Houston, Texas have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery. They each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy offense, and up to, 20 years’ imprisonment for the bank robbery offense.

According to court documents, around 3:00 a.m. on July 29, 2021, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary at the SunTrust Bank located on Memorial Highway in Tampa. Investigators determined that suspects had attached chains to the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) which was part of the SunTrust Bank building, and then attached those chains to a stolen pickup truck. The suspects then used the truck to attempt to pull the protective outer covering off the ATM machine to expose the cash held inside. The defendants were captured on surveillance video by the ATM.

Responding deputies found a stolen Ford pickup truck, with chains still attached to it, abandoned near the damaged ATM. They followed the trail and using a police helicopter, eventually located three suspects – Irvin, Merchant, and Thomas – hiding nearby in a getaway car. The car attempted to flee from deputies but became disabled when it hit a large rock. The three occupants bailed out of the car and ran away but were all arrested following a brief foot pursuit. Clothing items and other materials used in the ATM burglary were recovered from the car and the three suspects.

Around the same time, law enforcement learned of a similar burglary, an hour earlier, of an ATM which was part of the USF Federal Credit Union building located on E. Fletcher Avenue, in Temple Terrace. Like the SunTrust Bank ATM, the USF Credit Union ATM was first attacked by hand using crowbars, and then heavy chains attached to a pickup truck in an attempt to try and break open the cash vault inside the machine. Deputies also learned that the pickup recovered near the SunTrust Bank had been stolen from a Residence Inn hotel located around the corner from the USF Credit Union. The defendants were captured on surveillance video by that ATM as well.

During the arrest of Irvin, Mitchell, and Merchant, deputies located and seized several cellphones. A federal search warrant was executed on these phones and data was extracted and analyzed by the FBI. In addition to placing the three defendants in proximity to these burglaries, cellular records also placed them and other coconspirators at the scene of, or in the area of, multiple other similar ATM burglaries within the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. The investigation determined that Irvin, Mitchell, and Merchant and his coconspirators would travel around the district and elsewhere, identify, and then target ATMs attached to Bank and Credit Union buildings. Coconspirators would steal a pickup truck near the Bank or Credit Union and attach heavy chains, which would be used to pull the protective outer covering off the ATM to expose the cash inside.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Safe Streets Task Force, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Temple Terrace Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.

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 Ubertino Zavala-Perez (58, Plant City) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Zavala-Perez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, Zavala-Perez conspired with individuals in Mexico and others to distribute and import methamphetamine from Mexico. On March 30, 2022, Zavala-Perez sold half a kilogram of methamphetamine imported from Mexico to a confidential informant for $3,750. Two days later, Zavala-Perez agreed to sell one kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After his arrest, Zavala-Perez admitted to receiving methamphetamine from coconspirators in Mexico and elsewhere in the United States, and further admitted to storing the drugs in a storage unit and at his residence in Plant City.  

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Timothy James Roberts (29, Hernando) with possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon (short-barreled shotgun) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Roberts faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the possession of an unregistered NFA weapon count and up to 15 years in federal prison possessing a firearm as a convicted felon count. 

According to the indictment, on August 7, 2022, Roberts possessed a short-barreled shotgun. This firearm was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Roberts also has four prior felony grand theft convictions in state court. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by Citrus 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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Xavier Jones (27, Clearwater) to 10 years in federal prison for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release.  The court ordered Jones to forfeit a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and ammunition used in the offense.  Jones had pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022.

According to court documents, Jones was convicted of two cocaine related felony drug crimes in 2017, making him unable to legally possess a firearm or ammunition.  However, on December 20, 2020, Jones was captured on surveillance video outside a Clearwater convenience store drawing a pistol and shooting at someone in a car across the street.  Jones fled the shooting scene before police arrived but left multiple .40 caliber shell casings behind, which were traced back to him. Ten days later, Jones was arrested in an unrelated case after fleeing from police. During that incident, Jones was found to be in possession of a different loaded pistol, this time, in a backpack next to some marijuana.

Jones was again found in possession of yet another loaded pistol when he was in a car that was stopped by police in March of 2021 for traffic offenses.  Jones was a passenger in that car, along with several children.  A search of the car found the pistol, which was fully loaded and equipped with a laser sight, under the seat in front of Jones. While Jones denied knowing about that pistol, his DNA was found on the gun.     

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Gestring and Michael Gordon.

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 Demetrius Haynes (36, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and six counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Haynes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in 2021, Haynes conspired with others to distribute cocaine and fentanyl around the Tampa Bay area. During the investigation by state and federal agents, Haynes also engaged in six undercover sales of cocaine and fentanyl to law enforcement.

On February 12, 2021, Haynes was arrested by ATF agents following an undercover purchase of fentanyl and cocaine. Haynes arrived at all six narcotics transactions in the same vehicle, a Nissan Maxima. The car was searched after his arrest and was found to contain drug paraphernalia. The Nissan, which was used to facilitate the drug deals, was seized by law enforcement.

After his arrest, ATF agents, along with officers from the Tampa Police Department, executed a search warrant at a residence where Haynes had been staying. During the search, agents located a container with a chunky white substance that field tested positive for cocaine, a safe that contained approximately $34,000, a Jimenez Arms .380 caliber pistol, currency totaling approximately $6,850, approximately 30 rounds of ammunition, and an extended magazine.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.

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 found Michael Tyrone Young (32, Ocala) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Young faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15, 2022. Young had been indicted on December 7, 2021.

According to the evidence presented during the bench trial, on the night of August 31, 2021, officers from the Ocala Police Department encountered Young in the hallway of a building at a local public housing complex. The officers were patrolling the area because of recent shootings at the complex. The officers confronted Young after seeing him drop and retrieve what appeared to be a weapon. As they spoke with him, the loaded firearm fell out of Young’s pants and onto the floor. Young admitted that he had the firearm because he had been “looking for a certain person” who was “fixin’ to get him.” A records check showed that Young had three state felony convictions for drug distribution. As a convicted felon, Young is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

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

The case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Edrick D. Jackson (28, Lake City) to five years in federal prison for distributing cocaine base (“crack” cocaine) and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  The court also ordered Jackson to forfeit the ammunition and firearms involved in the offenses. Jackson had pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022.

According to court documents, on three separate occasions, Jackson sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement.  The sales took place at Jackson’s home in Lake City. After obtaining a federal search warrant, investigators searched Jackson’s home and located crack cocaine, two digital scales, a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol that had previously been reported stolen, and a Glock 9mm pistol with an extended magazine, loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition. Jackson had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and therefore is prohibited by law 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, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and 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 – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jeromy Washington (25, Jacksonville) to five years and ten months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Washington to forfeit the ammunition and firearm involved in the offense. Washington had pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022.

According to court documents, Washington was arrested at the scene of a drug transaction where he was getting paid to provide armed security during the sale of narcotics. Prior to the arrest, Washington had sold cocaine and fentanyl to undercover agents numerous times. Washington had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and therefore 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 Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Carmel Linot (32, Titusville) with bank fraud, mail fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of false representation of a Social Security number (SSN). If convicted, Linot faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 4 years in federal prison on the two aggravated identity theft counts, up to 30 years’ imprisonment for the bank fraud, up to 20 years for the mail fraud, and up to 10 years in federal prison on the two counts of false representation of a SSN.

According to the indictment and public records, Linot fraudulently obtained the SSN of another individual. Using this SSN, a counterfeit State of Georgia driver license, and false employment documents, Linot opened a bank account under a false identity and obtained a credit card from Community First Credit Union. Linot is currently on federal supervised release in the Middle District of Florida for aggravated identity theft. He had previously been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jacksonville Division.

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 Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.