Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging former Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aaron Zahn (42, Jacksonville Beach) and former JEA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ryan Wannemacher 40, Santa Rosa Beach) with conspiring to steal and obtain by fraud funds from the City of Jacksonville, which would have been generated from the sale of the JEA, Jacksonville’s municipal electric and water utility company. If convicted on all counts, Zahn and Wannemacher each face up to 25 years in federal prison.

According to the

indictment , Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to devise a lucrative bonus plan known as the Performance Unit Plan (PUP) that would have paid millions of dollars to Zahn, Wannemacher, and others had JEA been sold during the Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) in 2019. Ultimately, once information began to develop about the true nature of the PUP and the certainty of significant bonuses paid from the net proceeds to the City of Jacksonville from the sale of JEA, the JEA Board stopped the ITN process on December 24, 2019. During the ITN, Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to craft the PUP formula using JEA’s financial statements and net position to ensure that they would receive millions of dollars when JEA was sold. The indictment alleges that Zahn and Wannemacher made material misrepresentations about and otherwise hid the true nature of the PUP from the JEA Board, members of the Jacksonville City Council, other JEA executives, and members of the public. During the ITN, Zahn crafted minimum requirements for the sale of JEA that would appeal to the JEA Board, members of City Council, and the public and, at the same time, ensure that the PUP bonus plan would pay out millions of dollars to holders of PUP units, the overwhelming majority of which would have been available to Zahn, Wannemacher, and certain others, had JEA been sold.

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 investigators from the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tysen Duva.

Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Rafael Antonio Bracero-Navas (50, Kissimmee) guilty of seven counts of sexually exploiting a minor child. Bracero-Navas faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count and will be required to register as a sex offender. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 1, 2022. Bracero-Navas had been indicted on August 4, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between approximately July 2018 and April 2021, Bracero-Navas used a minor child to produce pornographic pictures that depicted the lascivious exhibition of the child’s pubic area. He did so surreptitiously from outside a bathroom door, taking pictures using a cellphone camera pointed through the crack under the door as the child was stepping out of the shower. Although Bracero-Navas later deleted the full-sized images from his phone, thumbnail images remained and were later discovered by law enforcement. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. L. Chang and Amanda S. Daniels.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Raymond Malara (38, Tampa) to nine years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. The Court also ordered Malara to forfeit $ 37,820, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Malara had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021.

According to court documents, between October 2020 and February 2021, a law enforcement investigation revealed that Malara and others had been distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Malara and observed him obtaining and distributing narcotics throughout the Middle District of Florida, including his barbershop in Pinellas County, the Westshore Plaza shopping mall in Tampa, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and various other locations.

On January 21, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at Malara’s apartment and located cardboard boxes containing vacuum-sealed bags of cocaine and marijuana, scales, and piles of cash stacked next to a money counter. Agents also located several firearms, including two fully loaded automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Malara had previously been convicted of second-degree murder. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Agents also searched Malara’s vehicle and recovered fentanyl pills and approximately four kilograms of marijuana from the trunk of the car.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego Novaes and Suzanne Nebesky.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Jarran Riley (37, Clearwater) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics. Riley had pleaded guilty on December 9, 2021. 

According to court documents, on June 5, 2019, at approximately 10:30 p.m., detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Dunedin Cove Motel regarding the opioid overdose death of N.R. On the same day, detectives interviewed Heidi Kalous who had distributed the narcotics to N.R. Motel video surveillance and phone records showed that Kalous had obtained the narcotics from Riley before Kalous distributed them to the victim.  Riley later distributed narcotics to confidential informants on two occasions in August 2019.

On October 8, 2019, Riley was arrested for fleeing and eluding, a state offense, and was released on a bond the same day. Approximately 14 hours after bonding out of state custody, on October 8, 2019, Riley was captured on video surveillance distributing controlled substances to M.J. Less than five hours later, M.J. was pronounced dead, the result of a multi-drug overdose. The following day, Riley was arrested again by local law enforcement. On November 15, 2019, Riley posted bond and was released from state custody.  While on bond for his state distribution offenses, and after N.R. and M.J. had died, Riley continued to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, doing so on January 21, 23, and January 28, 2020.  On February 12, 2020, agents executed a federal search warrant at Riley’s residence, and Riley was taken into federal custody.

Kalous was also charged with drug distribution offenses. On February 24, 2022, she was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clearwater Police Department as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

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

 

Jacksonville, Florida– United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Justin Marland Fisher (41, Orange Park) with knowingly aiming a laser at an aircraft. If convicted, Fisher faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on September 1, 2021, Fisher knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a United States Coast Guard helicopter while it was conducting a training mission in Green Cove Springs, 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.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), dangerous laser strikes topped all previous records in 2021. The FAA received 9,723 reports from pilots last year, a 41 percent increase over 2020. Laser strikes on aircraft remain a serious threat to aviation safety. Intentionally aiming lasers at aircrafts poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law. Many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots flying aircraft that may be carrying hundreds of passengers. Please visit https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/laws for additional information.

This case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Miranda Delee Farleigh (25, Ocklawaha) has pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail. Farleigh faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Farleigh had been indicted on February 1, 2022. 

According to court records, Farleigh worked as a contract employee of the United States Postal Service delivering mail for the Lady Lake Post Office. Farleigh’s route included mail delivery services to postal stations in The Villages. On or about November 23, 2021, Farleigh’s supervisor discovered several tubs and bags of U.S. Mail in Farleigh’s possession that had been rifled (unlawfully opened). When confronted, Farleigh admitted to law enforcement that she had been opening outgoing mail in Lake and Sumter Counties for a month with the intent to steal money and gift cards to support her heroin addiction. In total, approximately 4,000 pieces of mail had been rifled through by Farleigh.   

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, also known as “the Monkey Whisperer” (57, Parrish), today pleaded guilty to having violated the Endangered Species Act and Lacy Act in connection with a conspiracy to sell a protected primate to a celebrity client in California. Hammonds faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court records, Hammonds owned and operated The Monkey Whisperer, LLC, a business engaged in the breeding and selling of wildlife. From September 2017 until February 2018, Hammonds conspired to sell a capuchin monkey to an individual in California, even though that buyer could not lawfully possess a capuchin monkey in California. Hammonds facilitated the transportation of the capuchin monkey from Florida to California through individuals who were not permitted to possess that species of monkey in either state. The client had paid more than $12,000 for the animal. Law enforcement later seized the monkey from the client’s California residence.

In addition, Hammonds illegally sold cotton-top tamarins, which are primates listed as an endangered species, to buyers in Alabama, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. To conceal his unlawful wildlife trafficking, Hammonds submitted false records to a law enforcement officer and attempted to persuade a witness to lie to a law enforcement officer by saying that they had purchased the cotton-top tamarins at a flea market.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced three former Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex officers for violating the civil rights of an inmate. Coty Michael Wiltgen (32, Live Oak) was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release; Ethan Burkett (25, Valdosta, GA) was sentenced to 31 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and William Story Shackelford (25, Valdosta, GA) was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release. Wiltgen, Burkett, and Shackelford were ordered to surrender to their facility of designation no later than 2:00 p.m. on April 28, 2022.

On June 4, 2021, June 9, 2021, and July 22, 2021, Shackelford, Wiltgen, and Burkett, respectively, had pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of an inmate.  

According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford, on-duty correctional officers at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex (HCI) in Jasper, Florida, struck an inmate multiple times while the inmate was handcuffed and lying on the ground. Specifically, Wiltgen, and Shackelford escorted the victim to an outdoor area at HCI and assaulted the victim following an earlier altercation involving the victim and Burkett. The victim had pushed Burkett off his path while he was chasing after another inmate. After pushing Burkett and walking away, the victim was sprayed with pepper spray by Wiltgen. The victim laid down on the floor, showed no signs of resistance, and was handcuffed by Wiltgen. Wiltgen and Shackelford then escorted the cooperative and compliant victim outside of the facility, and out of camera view, and made the victim fall to the ground. Wiltgen kicked the victim in the face approximately 15 times while he was face down on the ground. Wiltgen was also observed calling the victim a racial epithet and spitting on the victim. Shackelford held the victim on the ground with his knee in the victim’s back to keep him from moving and struck the victim in the side. When Burkett arrived outside, he went up to the victim and hit him twice with an open hand to the upper back and punched the victim. The victim was screaming during the assault and was knocked unconscious by Wiltgen kicking him. This assault lasted approximately one to two minutes. Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford knew that the use of force was unnecessary and excessive, counter to their training and completely unjustified at the time that they used, and watched others use, force against the victim. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered several injuries.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Harrison Holland Frith (40, Ponte Vedra Beach) to 7 years and 11 months in federal prison for receiving a video depicting child sexual abuse. Frith was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim of his crimes, to serve 10 years of supervised release upon his release from prison, and to register as a sex offender. Frith had pleaded guilty on October 27, 2021.

According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Jacksonville received information from HSI agents in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that the agents had identified a man in Arkansas who was communicating online with others, including Frith, via Zoom and RingCentral meeting platforms to share child sexual abuse material. The content shared included videos of the Arkansas man sexually abusing a child between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. Frith is seen on a video made by the Arkansas man masturbating while watching a video of the Arkansas man sexually abusing the child. Frith can be heard expressing his desire to sexually abuse the child as well. HSI (Fayetteville) discovered Frith in other social media chatrooms, in which child sexual abuse material was discussed and shared.

On May 18, 2021, HSI (Jacksonville) executed a federal search warrant at Frith’s residence in Ponte Vedra Beach and encountered Frith at home. In an interview with agents, Frith admitted to receiving child sexual abuse videos over the internet and to participating in online video meetings with others during which child sexual abuse videos were played. He also acknowledged requesting videos of the sexual abuse of children as young as 8 years old. Frith told agents they would find files of child sexual abuse material on his laptop computer. He also said that he had viewed such material the night before agents had arrived. A search of Frith’s electronic devices yielded child sexual abuse material on four devices including two laptop computers, an iPad, and a thumb drive. One such file received by Frith in April 2021 showed an adult male removing the diaper from a baby boy and then his sexual assault of the baby.  

“A child is re-victimized every time a predator views or shares child pornography,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI Jacksonville, and our partners with Clay County Sheriff’s, St. Johns Sheriff’s Office and HSI Fayetteville, are working diligently to ensure these predators are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for these heinous crimes.”   

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tracy Lee Jedlicki (55, Delray Beach) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for her role in the operation of international boiler rooms which defrauded victims via the sale of worthless investments. Jedlicki faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the plea agreement, Jedlicki and her co-conspirators operated international boiler rooms in Panama and elsewhere which used high-pressure sales techniques to defraud individuals who believed they were investing substantial amounts of money in regulated financial products or markets, such as options in commodities and stocks. The majority of the victims targeted by these boiler rooms were located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Jedlicki and her co-conspirators laundered the fraud proceeds generated by the boiler rooms through several money laundering rings to overseas accounts; the launderers received a percentage of the funds they had moved. Jedlicki's duties included, among other tasks, arranging travel for boiler room workers to the boiler room locations, calling victims while posing as an employee of a fake investment firm to set up loading calls for co-conspirators operating the boiler rooms, serving as a liaison between the boiler rooms and a money laundering organization, and reconciling payments between the boiler rooms and the money laundering organization. Jedlicki received a 2% referral fee for referring victims’ funds to a money laundering ring and used the funds to perpetuate the conspiracy and for her own personal enrichment. Jedlicki and her co-conspirators wired or caused to be wired victims’ funds in the approximate amount of $3,244,500 to money laundering accounts in furtherance of the wire fraud conspiracy.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Craig Gestring.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nicholas Primo (35, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to distributing a substance that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Primo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 According to court documents, on November 13, 2019, Primo distributed narcotics to two individuals in the parking lot of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. One of the individuals injected himself with the substance and died. Primo was later captured on video surveillance returning to the vehicle, and after realizing the victim had died, fleeing the garage. Primo was later interviewed and admitted to purchasing $1,600 worth of heroin prior to distributing it.  Primo later contacted a friend and attempted to move the victim’s car out of the Hard Rock Casino.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.  This case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez-Covington has sentenced Jordan Jysae Pulido (27, Trinity) to 10 years in federal prison, and his father, Roberto Santana Jimenez (62, Trinity) to 20 years in federal prison for child exploitation offenses. The Court also ordered both men to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, register as sex offenders, pay restitution in the amount of $2,715, and forfeit electronic devices that were used in the commission of their offenses.

On October 28, 2021, a federal jury found Pulido guilty of enticement and coercion of minor, traveling out of the country to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transporting a minor into the country to engage in sexual activity. The jury also found both Pulido and Jimenez guilty of conspiracy to transport a minor into the country to engage in sexual activity.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, then 23-year-old Pulido met a 14-year-old child who resided in and is a citizen of Croatia on a social networking website in 2017. Pulido began a teacher-student relationship with the child and promised to teach the child to play the guitar. After a few months of guitar lessons, however, Pulido began to romantically pursue the child. For nearly a year, Pulido used the internet to entice and coerce this child to engage in sexual activity with him. During this time, Pulido and Jimenez planned Pulido’s trip to Croatia and Pulido sought Jimenez’s advice and counsel on how to persuade the child to engage in sexual activity when he traveled to Croatia. Jimenez coached Pulido on what to do and say to the child and directly communicated with the child about her sexual relationship with Pulido. Jimenez falsely portrayed himself as a medical doctor and provided advice and counsel to the child about her fertility and precautions to take to avoid pregnancy.

On June 14, 2018, Pulido traveled from Florida to Croatia, proposed to the child on her 15th birthday, and engaged in sexual activity with the child. In the month that followed, Pulido and Jimenez conspired to transport the child from Croatia to Florida, again so that Pulido could engage in sexual activity with her. On or about July 23, 2018, Pulido did in fact transport the child from Croatia to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Once in Florida, Jimenez took the child’s passport and identification documents and refused to allow the child to travel back to Croatia with her family. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement rescued the child from the Pulido/Jimenez family home in Trinity, Florida on August 12, 2018.

“A child victim was rescued from these predators, and we hope this sentencing provides some closure on the path to recovery for them,” said HSI Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Westlove. “This case would not have been possible without the local and international law enforcement partnerships between HSI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Koprivnica-Križevac County Police Administration of the Republic of Croatia Ministry of the Interior Criminal Police, the International Criminal Police Organization and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.”

FDLE Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said, “This case highlights the ability and compassion of our FDLE agents.  What began as a routine welfare check soon escalated.  Picking up on subtle signs, our agent knew something wasn’t right, and, by quickly gaining the victim’s trust, he was able to rescue this child from sexual abuse.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Koprivnica-Križevac County Police Administration of the Republic of Croatia Ministry of the Interior Criminal Police, and the International Police Organization. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

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 – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced eight members of a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization to federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine in the Tampa Bay area. Each of the eight individuals had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:

Name

Age, Residence

Sentence

Jacques Orsini-Martinez

a/k/a “Papi”

45, Bayamon, PR

13 years’ imprisonment

Juan Carlos Orsini-Martinez

a/k/a “Tio Cano”

46, Incarcerated

5 years’ imprisonment

Jose Manuel Robles Negron

a/k/a “Chelo”

27, Bayamon, PR

10 years’ imprisonment

Pedro Javier Hernandez Sosa

a/k/a “Javi Carolina”

31, Carolina, PR

6 years, 8 months’ imprisonment

Raymond Jose De La Cruz

a/k/a “Sanky”

46, Largo, FL

7 years, 3 months’ imprisonment

Briss Malone Warren

43, Port Richey, FL

4 years, 3 months’ imprisonment

Luis Daniel Agosto Morales

30, Tampa, FL

5 years’ imprisonment

Josue Antonio Chinea Santos

36, Bayamon, PR

5 years’ imprisonment

The court also ordered Luis Agosto-Morales to forfeit $24,587, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to court documents, the individuals were part of an organization that trafficked in cocaine delivered from Puerto Rico via parcels sent to the Middle District of Florida. Proceeds of the cocaine sales were delivered to Raymond Jose De La Cruz and Jose Manuel Robles Negron, to be returned to Jacques Orsini-Martinez and others in Puerto Rico. The cocaine sent from Puerto Rico was supplied via a transnational criminal organization operating in and around the Dominican Republic and Colombia. Juan Carlos Orsini-Martinez was in federal prison at the time of the conspiracy but used a contraband cellphone to discuss the payment of drug proceeds back to Puerto Rico.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and Tampa Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego Novaes and Dan Baeza.

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.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Marcos Antonio Tejeda to 18 months in federal prison for preparing false tax returns for himself and others. Tejeda had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021.

According to court documents, Tejeda owned and operated a tax preparation and accounting business. Tejeda provided personal and business accounting and tax preparation services for “S.M.” in 2016, 2017, and 2018. As a part of these services, Tejeda maintained a business bank account into which S.M. deposited money for estimated tax payments to the IRS. In 2016 and 2017, Tejeda prepared a 1040 tax return for S.M. Each year Tejeda prepared two versions of the same tax return, one he claimed was accurate, and one he knew was false. The accurate tax return included the estimated tax payments S.M. made and was predominately correct. This first version in both 2016 and 2017 also showed that S.M. owed money in addition to the money he had paid in estimated tax payments. Tejeda then created a second, fraudulent tax return for tax years 2016 and 2017. The fraudulent tax returns were filed with the IRS. These fraudulent returns misrepresented S.M.’s business gross receipts, capital gains, gross income, adjusted gross income, and other statutory adjustments under the provisions of the Internal Revenue laws to fraudulently decrease the amount of taxes owed.

Tejeda then embezzled the money that S.M. had provided for estimated tax payments and to pay the taxes that S.M. believed were owed based on the first version of the tax return created by Tejeda. In total, Tejeda embezzled $120,329.46 from S.M.

Additionally, Tejeda did not report a substantial amount of his income on his personal or business taxes. As such, the amount of income that should have been reported on his Individual Tax Return for 2017 was an amount substantially more than the amount Tejeda had reported.

“We are in tax filing season, and those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the consequences as evidenced today,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The sentencing of Tejada emphasizes that the IRS will continue our aggressive pursuit of those who attempt to defraud America’s tax system.”

This case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Robert Lee Ward (53, Fort Myers) guilty of conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and of tampering with an informant by killing. Ward faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Ward had been indicted on November 27, 2018.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Ward was the leader of a drug trafficking organization in Fort Myers that distributed cocaine in Fort Myers and other locations for more than a decade until Ward’s arrest in 2018. Ward and his co-conspirators routinely purchased kilograms of cocaine from Ward’s supplier in Miami and distributed the drugs in Fort Myers and Panama City. Federal investigators used confidential informants (CIs) to make multiple purchases of cocaine from Ward’s co-conspirators. A CI who had purchased cocaine from Ward was relocated by investigators after they learned of a threat against the CI’s life.  

In 2012, the FBI obtained the assistance of Kristopher Smith, a member of Ward’s organization, who agreed to cooperate in the investigation against Ward. After learning about Smith’s cooperation with investigators, Ward solicited James Broomfield to kill Smith. Broomfield agreed to kill Smith in exchange for $30,000. Ward provided Broomfield with a loaded firearm and told him where to locate Smith. On January 7, 2013, Broomfield and another individual followed Smith and his girlfriend as they drove to their son’s school in Fort Myers. Smith remained in the vehicle while his girlfriend entered the school to deliver lunch to their son, who attended first grade at the school. Broomfield and his accomplice parked their vehicle behind the CI’s car and Broomfield ran up to the car and shot Smith several times, killing him.

In February 2014, investigators obtained a search warrant for a storage unit in Tampa that Ward had rented. Investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash hidden inside the storage unit.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Candace Rich.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeffrey Siegmeister (53, Live Oak) has pleaded guilty to four felonies pursuant to a plea agreement. Specifically, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity—specifically, bribery and extortion—conspiracy to commit extortion, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return. Siegmeister faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to commit extortion and wire fraud, 5 years in federal prison for conspiring to use a facility of commerce for bribery and extortion, and 3 years in federal prison for filing a false tax return. Siegmeister also agreed to forfeit $518,803.50 and 7,372 shares of The Coca-Cola Company common stock, proceeds he obtained through his commission of the offenses.

According to court documents, Siegmeister was the elected State Attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida from 2013 through 2019, and Marion Michael O’Steen was a defense attorney who represented clients being prosecuted by Siegmeister’s office. Florida’s Third Judicial Circuit encompasses Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. As part of the conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity, between approximately November 2017 and May 16, 2019, O’Steen requested official acts from Siegmeister—including the favorable disposition of charges filed against his clients and the delay of official actions in order to enable O’Steen to obtain additional “fees” from at least one of his clients—for which Siegmeister solicited bribes from O’Steen. The plea agreement states that, on April 16, 2018, Siegmeister sent O’Steen four photographs of bulls he was selling, after the sentencing of one of O’Steen’s clients, indicating that Siegmeister expected O’Steen to purchase a bull from him in exchange for the favorable treatment Siegmeister had provided O’Steen’s client.

With respect to the extortion count, O’Steen solicited Siegmeister to resolve a case against another of his clients, referred to as “Client B,” through pre-trial intervention (“PTI”). The plea agreement indicates that Siegmeister made it clear to O’Steen that if O’Steen wanted Client B to get a PTI agreement, O’Steen would have to buy one of Siegmeister’s bulls. On August 17, 2018, O’Steen told Client B, “I can make everything go away all, your brothers, the other two nolle pros with you sign an agreement to pay their cost of investigation, you leave, you will not have to report but one time, uh, ah, I need $75,000 and everything goes away and you pay the money,” representing that O’Steen had favors with Siegmeister for which people would pay him.   

Siegmeister also admitted to committing wire fraud by defrauding the probate court and the estate of a man identified by the initials “L.T.” when serving as the voluntary guardian of L.T. While serving as the voluntary guardian, Siegmeister admitted to inflating the expenditures incurred by L.T. in a filing to the probate court and to diverting more than $500,000 in assets from L.T.’s estate to pay Siegmeister’s own personal expenditures in 2015 and 2016. Siegmeister also admitted that he had failed to report the diverted funds on his tax returns.

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 Rolanda Wingfield (39, Tampa) with two counts of access device fraud, one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Wingfield faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each of the access device offenses, as well as a consecutive two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity offenses. The indictment also notifies Wingfield that the United States intends to forfeit any proceeds, which are alleged to be traceable to the offense. 

According to the

indictment , between May and July 2020, Wingfield obtained personal identifying information of other persons and submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to various state workforce agencies for UI benefits. These UI benefits were then transferred to bank accounts or loaded onto debits cards issued in the names of other persons. Wingfield then used, and attempted to use, the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs. On July 28, 2020, Wingfield was found to be in possession of 15 unauthorized access devices, specifically Social Security numbers of other individuals.

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.

In March 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who were not ordinarily eligible for benefits.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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

This case was investigated by the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Pizzo and John Cannizzaro.

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Benjamin Townsel (23, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2022. Townsel had been indicted on July 21, 2021.

According to court documents, on three different occasions Townsel was found with a firearm after officers from the Ocala Police Department conducted traffic stops of vehicles in which Townsel was a passenger. DNA comparison analysis confirmed the presence of Townsel’s DNA on each of the firearms. The traffic stops occurred on August 7, 2020, December 3, 2020, and February 15, 2021, the latter two occurring after Townsel had been released from jail on bond on state charges. The firearm found during the first incident also had an obliterated serial number, in violation of federal law.

Townsel has four prior state felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Kevin Hohn (66, Brooksville) to 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Hohn was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000, a special assessment of $20,000, and $6,000 in restitution to the victims. Hohn will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release upon his release from prison and to register as a sex offender. Hohn had pleaded guilty on November 19, 2021.

According to court documents, in September and December 2020, investigators identified a certain internet protocol (IP) address as having distributed images and a video depicting children being sexually abused. The IP address used to distribute these materials was traced to Hohn’s residence in Brooksville. Investigators determined that Hohn is a retired Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and former mayor of the City of Brooksville.

On February 19, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Hohn’s residence and found Hohn sitting in his office at a computer that was connected to an external hard drive. An examination of the external hard drive revealed more than 100 images depicting child sexual abuse materials. The investigators also discovered 40 videos and several hundred images depicting children that had been covertly recorded inside of Hohn’s home. The children were unaware that Hohn was recording them as they were dressing and undressing, exiting the shower, and engaging in other innocent activities. Hohn created screen captures of videos that depicted the children naked and zoomed in on one child’s genitalia.

“While child exploitation is disgusting and vile in all circumstances, it can be especially traumatic when the predator is in a position of leadership and trust,” said HSI Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Silliman. “Because of the efforts of HSI special agents and the Hernando County and Pasco Sheriff’s Offices, the community can rest assured this criminal will harm no more children.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was 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.

Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nikesh Ajay Patel (38, formerly from Orlando) has been arraigned on charges related to almost $20 million in fraud that he perpetrated while on federal pretrial release. Patel has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and eight counts of money laundering. Patel faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy and wire fraud and up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering. His trial is currently scheduled for the April 2022 trial term.

According to court documents, in 2014, Patel, a Central Florida resident, was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois for a $179 million fraud scheme. He was arrested and released on bond. For the next several years, Patel claimed that he was cooperating with authorities and using his business skills to get funds to repay some of what he owed. In fact, Patel had devised a new scheme that netted him almost $20 million.

Patel’s new fraud scheme involved three parts. First, Patel fabricated fraudulent loan documents that falsely represented that a bank in Miami had authorized loans to be made to convert hotels in rural areas into assisted living facilities. Although the bank in Miami exists, it had never made any of the loans.  The person who was listed as signing the loans (“Ron Elias”) does not exist, but was a fictitious identity used by Patel to perpetrate his conspiracy and scheme. Second, Patel applied to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to guarantee the fake loans pursuant to its Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.  Third, after the USDA agreed to guarantee the fake loans, Patel sold the guaranteed portion of the fake loans to the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, also known as Farmer Mac. 

Patel executed the scheme on three occasions, receiving almost $20 million in proceeds. Patel used a portion of the funds from that scheme to pay some of his restitution, but he was saving much of it to flee the United States.

Patel’s sentencing in the Northern District of Illinois was set for January 9, 2018. Three days before that, Patel was arrested at the airport in Kissimmee. Patel had chartered a flight to Ecuador where he was going to request political asylum and live off the proceeds that he obtained from his new scheme. Instead, Patel’s bond was revoked and the U.S. Marshals Service transported him to the Northern District of Illinois. On March 6, 2018, Patel was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his case in the Northern District of Illinois. 

Patel’s indictment in the Middle District of Florida relates to the conspiracy and fraud scheme that he executed while on he was pretrial release. 

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 United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joseph Ellicott (43, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Ellicott faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2022, before Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell.

According to court documents, in January 2017, Ellicott was hired by a government agency in Seminole County (Governmental Agency) as a Special Projects Manager. The elected head of the Governmental Agency was a public official and Ellicott’s friend (Public Official). Beginning at least by January 2017, and continuing through 2019, Ellicott, the Public Official, and a contractor with the Governmental Agency (Contractor Conspirator) conspired with each other to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud.  

The conspiracy involved the Contractor Conspirator and the Contractor Conspirator’s company entering into a contract with the Governmental Agency to provide goods and services to the Governmental Agency. The Contractor Conspirator and the Contractor Conspirator’s company submitted inflated invoices for payment.  The Public Official agreed to use his official position to provide favorable official action on behalf of the Contractor Conspirator and the Contractor Conspirator’s company, including by continuing to employ the Contractor Conspirator and the Contractor Conspirator’s company and by causing the Contractor Conspirator and the Contractor Conspirator’s company to be paid, including for the inflated invoices. In exchange for the Public Official providing such favorable official action, the Contractor Conspirator agreed to pay bribes and kickbacks to the Public Official.  Ellicott’s role in the conspiracy was to serve as the intermediary for the payment of a bribe and kickback of $6,000 that was made on September 25, 2017.

Further, for at least two years, Ellicott illegally sold Adderall to others. Over the course of at least two years, one of Ellicott’s customers paid him more than $5,000 for hundreds of Adderall pills.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Amanda S. Daniels and United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Richard A. Kirkendall (34, Oviedo) to 24 years in federal prison for using the internet to receive and possess images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and torture of children. Kirkendall was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Kirkendall had pleaded guilty on September 23, 2021.

According to court documents, Kirkendall used a particular peer-to-peer file sharing software to download child sexual abuse materials over the internet. In that process, he distributed child-pornographic videos to an undercover FBI agent. The videos distributed by Kirkendall depicted toddler-aged children being sexually abused and sodomized.

On May 10, 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kirkendall’s residence and seized three cellphones belonging to Kirkendall. Forensic analyses of these devices revealed that they contained approximately 321 images and 103 videos depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of children, including material depicting infants and very young children being raped and sodomized. 

The analyses also showed email communications dating back to 2012 through which Kirkendall traded child sexual abuse materials with another person over the internet. In the emails, Kirkendall stated, among other things, that he was interested in extremely violent child sexual abuse images and videos and wanted to see “blood.” Kirkendall also explained in detail how the other user could sexually assault a 3-year-old child that the user had access to through the use of deception. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced David Milton Kissner, Jr. (34, Orlando) to 80 years in federal prison for two counts of using children to produce child sexual abuse materials and one count of distributing this material over the internet. Kissner was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Kissner had pleaded guilty on October 8, 2021.

 According to court documents, in May 2021, Kissner created a number of videos depicting three different young children being sexually abused. In several of these videos, Kissner can be seen molesting two of these children, one of which was toddler-aged. Kissner then distributed images and videos depicting this sexual abuse online, including several to an undercover law enforcement agent.

In one of these videos, Kissner can be heard saying, “I love molesting kids.” In another video, Kissner induced a child to remove the child’s clothing by asking if the child wanted a “toy.” During an online chat with an undercover officer, Kissner stated that he was a pedophile who liked both preteens and toddlers and that he was going to try to molest a child at his place of work, an Orlando area water park. Kissner also suggested that he and the undercover agent should meet to trade child victims.

During a subsequent interview with law enforcement agents at his workplace, Kissner admitted that he had committed hands-on sexual abuse of two children, and further that he had been sexually abusing these children since January 2021. A forensic examination of Kissner’s cellphone revealed that he had 16 videos and 4 images depicting child sexual abuse saved on the phone.

“When you consider the abuse and fear this monster forced upon his young victims, 80 years in prison is still not enough. I commend the dedicated special agents who make it their job to remove the individuals from our society who prey on innocent children,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.

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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Michael Tyrone Young (32, Ocala) with possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. If convicted, Young faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury had indicted Young on December 7, 2021, he was arrested on February 15, 2022. 

According to court documents, officers from the Ocala Police Department encountered Young during a routine patrol of a local public housing complex on the night of August 31, 2021. The officers observed Young dropping a heavy metallic object that resembled a firearm. Young, who was not a resident of the complex, had a strong odor of marijuana about his person. During a subsequent search, a loaded 9mm handgun fell out of Young’s pants. The officers also located MDMA (ecstasy) on his person. A record check showed that Young had prior state felony convictions for possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of cannabis with the intent to sell, and possession of oxycodone with the intent to sell. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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 City of Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marrin Maurice Baker (49, Williston) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Baker faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Baker had been indicted on November 9, 2021.

According to court documents, Baker is a felon with prior state convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer and sale of cocaine. On or about August 25, 2021, officers from the Ocala Police Department attempted to stop a truck being driven by Baker, but he refused to pull over. Once he finally stopped, officers searched the truck and recovered a loaded 9mm firearm by the driver’s seat and approximately 121 grams of marijuana on the floorboard. Baker admitted these items belonged to him and added that he had the firearm because of shootings in the local area and that he didn’t want “anyone to try [him].” As a convicted felon, Baker is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

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

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.     

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeffrey Walt Boston (45, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing cocaine. Boston faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Boston had been indicted on July 20, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, Boston is a felon who previously had been convicted in state court of resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, delivery of cocaine, and possession of cocaine. On June 4, 2021, while in Lake County, Boston tossed a cigarette box containing cocaine from the window of the car he was driving. A nearby deputy retrieved the box, recognized the contents, then pursued and stopped Boston. During the pursuit, Boston discarded a bag of marijuana that hit the deputy’s windshield. A subsequent search of the car revealed a matching cigarette box with cocaine, a stolen, loaded pistol under the driver’s seat, 13 bags of cocaine, 5 Alprazolam pills, and marijuana. Boston admitted that all the drugs and the loaded firearm belonged to him. He also confirmed that his fingerprints would be on the firearm. As a convicted felon, Boston is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

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

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

         

 

 

 

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Edward Alan Hardin (35, Clay County) has pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production of child sex abuse material and one count of possession of such material. Hardin faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, at various times in 2018, 2019, and 2020, Hardin had access to three female children who were in his custody. One of those children – referred to as Minor Victim 1 – had known Hardin since she was a toddler and considered Hardin to be a father figure. Beginning when Minor Victim 1 was about 12 or 13 years old, Hardin provided money and gifts to Minor Victim 1 in exchange for the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 1.

On May 8, 2020, a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office observed Hardin’s truck parked at a shopping center in Orange Park. As the deputy approached Hardin’s truck on foot, he observed Hardin in the driver’s seat of the truck, and then observed Minor Victim 1 sit up in the passenger seat of the truck. The deputy smelled the aroma of marijuana emanating from the truck. As the deputy approached the passenger door of the truck, he could see that Hardin’s pants were unzipped and that Hardin and Minor Victim 1 appeared nervous. Minor Victim 1 agreed to speak with a detective and disclosed text messages between she and Hardin that showed that Hardin, on multiple occasions, had made arrangements to pay Minor Victim 1 for sex. Minor Victim 1 stated that Hardin had been sexually abusing her in the truck prior to the deputy approaching. Hardin was arrested and admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with Minor Victim 1 earlier that day, but he claimed it was the first time and that it had been consensual.

Minor Victim 1 also identified two other child victims who had been sexually abused by Hardin.

Minor Victim 2 was interviewed and disclosed that Hardin had transported her to Valdosta, Georgia to visit a particular theme park in July 2018, when she was 15 years old. Minor Victim 2 informed detectives that Hardin had sexually abused her during the trip, and continued to maintain a sexual relationship with her until around March 2020, during all of which time Minor Victim 2 was underage.

Minor Victim 3 was interviewed and disclosed that when she was 13 years old she had attended a sleepover with Minor Victim 1. During the sleepover, Hardin provided Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 1 with marijuana, and Minor Victim 3 was encouraged to allow Hardin to sexually assault her, and he did so. Hardin then gave Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 1 $20 as payment for the sex act.

Hardin’s phone was searched and contained photos of Minor Victim 2 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, Hardin’s phone contained text messages to Minor Victim 1 in which Hardin repeatedly requested that Minor Victim 1 produce pornographic images of herself and provide them to Hardin.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found an unidentified Jamaican man, who was charged as John Doe, guilty of three counts of obstructing his deportation. Doe faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison for each count. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 16, 2022. Doe had been indicted on October 24, 2019.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Doe was first encountered by immigration authorities in January 1985 in Miami when he attempted to enter the United States from Jamaica by claiming to be a U.S. citizen named Freddie Davis. When authorities determined that he was not a U.S. citizen, he was allowed to voluntarily return to Jamaica. Doe attempted to enter the country again the next month in West Palm Beach, claiming to be a citizen of the Bahamas and using a fraudulent Bahamian passport in the name of Joseph Gordon. This ruse was discovered, and he was deported to Jamaica.

Sometime later, at an unknown place and time, Doe successfully entered the United States illegally and was encountered by immigration authorities in Dallas in September 1988, after serving a prison sentence. Doe said then that his name was Joseph Gordon and at first said that he was a U.S. citizen born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, but later said that he was a citizen of the Bahamas. An immigration judge subsequently ordered him to be deported to Jamaica, but he was not deported at that time.

In June 2018, after completing a prison sentence in Florida, Doe was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Miami, this time using the name Ricardo Jones, the name under which he was convicted. Because Doe’s true identity could not conclusively be determined, the Jamaican authorities told ICE they needed more information to verify that he was a Jamaican citizen. Over the next several months, ICE and Jamaican authorities attempted to determine Doe’s true identity but were unsuccessful. Doe repeatedly was warned that he could be prosecuted if he continued to obstruct his deportation.

On January 18, 2019, Doe was scheduled for an interview with the Jamaican consulate, but he refused to speak to them. When an ICE officer, asked him his name, he responded “Only God knows my name.” Later that month, Doe was transferred to ICE custody in Baker County. In March 2019, ICE again attempted to obtain a travel document to deport Doe to Jamaica. The Jamaican consulate once again informed ICE that it could not issue a travel document for Doe, because there was no conclusive evidence that Doe was a citizen of Jamaica.

On April 17, June 20, and July 23, 2019, ICE attempted to obtain Doe’s cooperation in identifying him, and Doe refused to cooperate. Doe also claimed that he needed an attorney to advise him.

In addition to the identities discussed above, Doe has also used the names Dave Davis, Patrick Melbourne, Frank Douglas, and Danny Brooks while he has been illegally present in the United States.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway has sentenced Marc Anthony Hayes (48, Haines City) to three years in federal prison for possessing 3D printed auto sear devices. Hayes had pleaded guilty on November 3, 2021.

According to court documents, between January 12 and 30, 2021, Hayes engaged in the unlawful possession and sale of seven auto sear devices (a device used to convert a semi-automatic firearm to fully automatic firing mode). Hayes coordinated the sales through Facebook instant messages. 

A firearms expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive’s (ATF) Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) forensically analyzed the auto sears and found that the devices were 3D printed, meaning the devices had been manufactured using a 3D printing device. The ATF FATD expert also tested the functionality of the auto sears by installing each device into a semiautomatic AR-15 type rifle. When installed, the device caused the rifle to function as an automatic machinegun. Thus, the auto sears were found to be parts designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun. 

On June 30, 2021, ATF special agents executed a search warrant at Hayes’s residence and seized two auto sears, a silencer, and a short-barreled rifle. The auto sears were test-fired and found to function as machineguns. ATF also examined the silencer and short-barreled rifle, which were found to meet the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFA) registration guidelines. Hayes was found to be in violation of NFA registration requirements.

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

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that George Utley (56, Oklahoma City, OK) has pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government property (Department of Labor disability benefit payments). Utley faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He has also agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $732,459.46, representing the value of the stolen funds. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Utley is a former mail handler for the United States Postal Service (USPS). In January 2009, Utley falsely claimed a job-related back injury to receive workers’ compensation disability benefits through the Department of Labor - Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP). The monthly payments ranged from approximately $2,600 (2011) to upwards of $3,300 (2019). These payments were the product of theft because Utley failed to truthfully report his prior accidents/injuries, his other sources of income and employment, and any improvements to his purported injury.

An investigation by the USPS – Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed that Utley had falsely testified in a 2011 DOL deposition that he had never suffered a previous back injury or been in an automobile accident. Despite Utley’s allegations of tremendous, debilitating back pain, he had only received $14 worth of prescription pain medication during the 10-year benefit period. Utley also failed to report his other sources of income and employment—he had incorporated and operated a rubbish removal business for many years and had received monthly government housing assistance payments of $1,412 as the landlord for a property in Pennsylvania. Recorded video surveillance captured Utley doing yard work at his Florida home, repeatedly lifting and carrying heavy items, working on a racecar, and hitching a flatbed car carrier, box trailer, and fifth-wheel RV to his truck. A search of Utley’s email account and Facebook postings revealed photographs of Utley’s vacations (Key West and the Grand Canyon) and extensive physical activity (weightlifting, bicycling, deep-sea fishing, etc.). Utley’s fraudulent activity resulted in him receiving $732,459.46 in disability benefit payments to which he was not entitled.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judges Paul G. Byron and Carlos E. Mendoza have sentenced 11 members of an Osceola County-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) to federal prison sentences ranging between 15 and 300 months for a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin. One individual was also sentenced for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. These 11 individuals were charged in 5 separate indictments and informations beginning in August 2019 and culminating in an indictment charging 7 members of the conspiracy in February 2020.  The charges and sentences are as follows:

Defendant

Charge(s)

Prison Term

Roberto Nunez-Cebrero

(42, Kissimmee)

Conspiracy

25 years

Yenitza Garcia-Cosme

(27, St. Cloud)

Conspiracy

7 years, 3 months

Michael Agosto-Martinez

(33, Kissimmee)

Conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

11 years, 3 months

Eric Velazquez-Cosme

(36, Ohio)

Conspiracy

2 years, 9 months

Timothy Smith

(50, Illinois)

Conspiracy

7 years, 3 months

Jorge Alberto Quijada-Moreno

(31, Mexico)

Conspiracy

9 years, 1 month

Jose Robles-Roque

(40, Orlando)

Conspiracy

3 years, 10 months

Antonio E. Moya

(68, Illinois)

Conspiracy

3 years, 5 months

Luis Vazquez-Trujillo

(33, Illinois)

Conspiracy

10 years

Jose Antonio Cruz-Garcia

(43, Honduras)

Conspiracy

1 year, 3 months

Roberto Oduardo-Suarez

(39, North Carolina)

Conspiracy

10 years

 

Beginning in November 2017, a law enforcement investigation learned information about when shipments of heroin would be delivered from Mexico to Chicago and from Chicago to Osceola County by the DTO, which was led by Roberto Nunez-Cebrero. In addition, law enforcement learned when money would be paid by conspirators in Chicago and oftentimes transported to Osceola County. Based on their investigation, law enforcement seized more than 10 kilograms of heroin while it was en route to Osceola County from either Chicago or directly from Mexico, by Antonio E. Moya, Luis Vazquez-Trujillo, Jose Antonio Cruz-Garcia, and Roberto Oduardo-Suarez. Once the heroin was in the Middle District of Florida, Yenitza Garcia-Cosme, Michael Agosto-Martinez, Erik Velazquez-Cosme, Jorge Alberto Quijada-Moreno, and Jose Robles-Roque distributed the heroin to others. Michael Agosto-Martinez and Yenitza Garcia-Cosme also traveled to Chicago to pick-up money and transport heroin back to the Middle District of Florida. Timothy Smith was a Chicago-based drug trafficker who received his heroin from this drug trafficking organization. In total, from January 2012 through August 2019, this DTO was responsible for more than 100 kilograms of heroin coming into the Middle District of Florida. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Dean Dumont (23, Inverness) with possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (machinegun). If convicted, Dumont faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Dumont was indicted on December 7, 2021. He was arrested on February 14, 2022.

According to the facts presented in court, in November 2021, Dumont unwittingly reached out to a law enforcement confidential informant and offered to sell the informant a fully automatic, Glock-style handgun for $900. At that time, Dumont was on state felony supervision for an unrelated matter. Dumont sent the informant text messages and video files confirming that the firearm was a machinegun. The informant subsequently purchased the machinegun from Dumont. Law enforcement testing verified that the firearm discharged more than one round of ammunition from a single pull of the trigger. A record check confirmed that this machinegun was not registered to Dumont in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. Investigators also determined that the firearm sold by Dumont was a “ghost gun”—it had had no manufacturer serial number.

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 Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.         

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway has sentenced Carlo Dorelli (36, O’Brien) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it. Dorelli had pleaded guilty on August 16, 2021. 

According to court documents, on January 16, 2021, deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) executed a search warrant at Dorelli’s residence and seized 990 grams of cocaine that was concealed by snake bedding inside of a glass tank in the living room. The deputies also seized firearms and ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Dorelli, a felon on probationary status, admitted that he had purchased the “brick” of cocaine for $39,000, and intended to sell it for an $8,000 profit.    

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Damian Sierra (43, Port St. Lucie) guilty of possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Sierra faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Sierra had been indicted on January 20, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, agents conducting surveillance observed Sierra drive to a location, get out of his car with a Christmas gift bag, and meet with another person. After Sierra left the location, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office pulled him over for a tint violation on his vehicle. Inside the car, agents recovered a Christmas gift bag containing a kilogram of cocaine wrapped in tape, personal items belonging to Sierra, and a drug ledger. At the time of the incident, the drugs found with Sierra had a wholesale value of approximately $40,000.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan L. Albritton.

Ocala, FL – United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Tralvaster Epps (34, Ocala) to 10 years and 2 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Epps had pleaded guilty on November 18, 2021.

According to court documents, on July 22, 2020, officers from the Ocala Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a stolen Jeep that Epps was driving. Officers recovered approximately 140 grams of cocaine, a loaded firearm, nearly $12,000 in cash, and three cellphones from the vehicle. After his arrest, Epps made multiple phone calls from jail ordering family members to move multiple bags containing narcotics. Agents from the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, a drug task force, located and confiscated the bags. After receiving a search warrant for the contents of the bags, the agents found approximately 775 grams of fentanyl, 530 grams of methamphetamine, 440 grams of cocaine, 620 grams of marijuana, large amounts of various pills, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $51,000 in cash.

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.

 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Georgi Milenov Solakov (29, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Solakov had pleaded guilty on September 2, 2021.

According to court documents, beginning in approximately April 2020, Solakov and a confidential informant (CI) exchanged text messages in which Solakov offered to sell narcotics to the CI. Solakov also asked if the CI needed any firearms and stated that he had some brand-new AR-15s that he could sell to the CI for a “great deal.” In March 2021, Solakov sold 174 MDMA (ecstasy) pills, a rifle, 379 rounds of ammunition, and approximately one kilogram of cocaine to the CI. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.  

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Steven Brickner has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Brickner faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in 2017, Brickner raised money from investors allegedly for use in the creation of a marijuana growing and distribution enterprise. Brickner failed to report to his tax preparer approximately $1.05 million of “income” that he had earned during that tax year. The source of that income was the investment activity that he operated during 2017. Brickner used a significant portion of that income to purchase high-end vehicles for his own use and for other purposes and activities that were not business-related. Had Brickner reported all of those funds as “income,” the inclusion of these funds would have resulted in a substantial amount of an additional tax due and owing by him for that year. Thus, Brickner’s failure to report the income caused a significant loss of tax revenue to the United States.

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

NCH Healthcare System (NCH), which operates two hospitals in Collier County, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $5.5 million to resolve allegations that it made donations to local units of government to improperly fund the state’s share of Medicaid payments to NCH. 

The Florida Medicaid program provides medical assistance to low-income individuals and individuals with disabilities, and is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. Under federal law, Florida’s share of Medicaid payments must consist of state or local government funds, and not “non-bona fide donations” from private health care providers, such as hospitals. A non-bona fide donation is a payment — in cash or in kind — from a private provider to a governmental entity that is then returned to the private provider as the state share of Medicaid. The private provider’s donation triggers a corresponding federal expenditure for the federal share of Medicaid, which is also paid to the private provider. This unlawful conduct causes federal expenditures to increase without any corresponding increase in state expenditures, since the state share of the Medicaid payments to the provider comes from and is returned to the provider. The prohibition of this practice ensures that states are in fact paying a share of Medicaid payments and thus have an incentive to curb Medicaid costs and prevent unnecessary services.  

The United States alleged that, between October 2014 and September 2015, NCH made improper, non-bona fide donations by: (1) providing free nursing and athletic training services to the Collier County School Board; and (2) assuming and paying certain of Collier County’s financial obligations. Both types of donations were designed to increase Medicaid payments received by NCH, without any actual expenditure of state or local funds. In particular, NCH’s donations freed up funds for the county and school board to make payments to the State as the state share of Medicaid payments to NCH. This state share was “matched” by the federal government before being returned to NCH as Medicaid payments. The Medicaid payments NCH received were thus funded by the federal government and NCH’s own donations, in violation of the prohibition on non-bona fide donations. 

“States and local units of government must use their own money when seeking federal Medicaid matching funds to help ensure that Medicaid payments are determined by beneficiaries’ medical needs rather than donations by hospitals or other health care providers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When private parties violate the rules by making improper donations to fund the state share of Medicaid, they endanger the integrity of the Medicaid program.”

“Millions of Floridians depend on the Medicaid Program for medical care and related services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This settlement underscores our commitment to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program by ensuring that government funds are legally obtained and used for their intended purposes.” 

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

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Alison B. Rousseau and Jonathan T. Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn B. Tapie.

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

WASHINGTON – NCH Healthcare System (NCH), which operates two hospitals in Collier County, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $5.5 million to resolve allegations that it made donations to local units of government to improperly fund the state’s share of Medicaid payments to NCH. 

The Florida Medicaid program provides medical assistance to low-income individuals and individuals with disabilities, and is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. Under federal law, Florida’s share of Medicaid payments must consist of state or local government funds, and not “non-bona fide donations” from private health care providers, such as hospitals. A non-bona fide donation is a payment — in cash or in kind — from a private provider to a governmental entity that is then returned to the private provider as the state share of Medicaid. The private provider’s donation triggers a corresponding federal expenditure for the federal share of Medicaid, which is also paid to the private provider. This unlawful conduct causes federal expenditures to increase without any corresponding increase in state expenditures, since the state share of the Medicaid payments to the provider comes from and is returned to the provider. The prohibition of this practice ensures that states are in fact paying a share of Medicaid payments and thus have an incentive to curb Medicaid costs and prevent unnecessary services.  

The United States alleged that, between October 2014 and September 2015, NCH made improper, non-bona fide donations by: (1) providing free nursing and athletic training services to the Collier County School Board; and (2) assuming and paying certain of Collier County’s financial obligations. Both types of donations were designed to increase Medicaid payments received by NCH, without any actual expenditure of state or local funds. In particular, NCH’s donations freed up funds for the county and school board to make payments to the State as the state share of Medicaid payments to NCH. This state share was “matched” by the federal government before being returned to NCH as Medicaid payments. The Medicaid payments NCH received were thus funded by the federal government and NCH’s own donations, in violation of the prohibition on non-bona fide donations. 

“States and local units of government must use their own money when seeking federal Medicaid matching funds to help ensure that Medicaid payments are determined by beneficiaries’ medical needs rather than donations by hospitals or other health care providers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When private parties violate the rules by making improper donations to fund the state share of Medicaid, they endanger the integrity of the Medicaid program.”

“Millions of Floridians depend on the Medicaid Program for medical care and related services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This settlement underscores our commitment to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program by ensuring that government funds are legally obtained and used for their intended purposes.” 

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

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Alison B. Rousseau and Jonathan T. Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn B. Tapie.

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

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Otis L. Shivers (49, Jacksonville) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Shivers faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Shivers that the United States intends to forfeit a revolver and six live rounds of ammunition. 

According to the indictment, on October 29, 2021, Shivers was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers outside a motel in the Lane Avenue area of Jacksonville. Shivers had a revolver loaded with six live rounds in his possession. At the time, Shivers had five previous felony convictions for selling drugs and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.

This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced Jesus Manuel Rodriguez-Castillo (39, Kissimmee) to eight years and four months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl-laced heroin. Rodriguez-Castillo had pleaded guilty on October 5, 2021.

According to court documents, Rodriguez-Castillo sold approximately 290 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin to a cooperating source and an undercover DEA agent on four separate occasions, from December 2018 through August 2019, for a total of $16,790. Rodriguez-Castillo was previously convicted for robbery in 2010 and aggravated assault with a firearm in 2015, and therefore, determined to be a career offender under federal sentencing rules. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Winter Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Douglas Edward Bennett (77, Clearwater) to 22 years in federal prison for assuming another’s identity, applying for a passport in that identity, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Bennett was also ordered to pay a fine of $200,000. Bennett had pleaded guilty to the federal charges on September 30, 2021. After serving his federal sentence, Bennett will be transported to Connecticut to serve a 9 to 18-year state sentence.

According to court documents, in 1975, a Connecticut jury convicted Bennett of several violent felony and sex offenses, including robbery, kidnapping, sexual contact, rape, and two counts of deviate sexual intercourse, pursuant to which he was sentenced to 9-18 years in state prison. After his conviction, Bennett was permitted to remain out of custody pending appeal. After Bennet’s conviction was affirmed, he never surrendered to begin serving his sentence, and instead assumed the identity of Gordon Ewen, under which he lived for more than 40 years. According to Massachusetts death records, the real Gordon Ewen died in 1945.

Around July 2016, Bennett submitted a passport application using the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of Gordon Ewen and failed to disclose Bennett’s true identity.

On November 4, 2020, Bennett was arrested on the federal charges and on a warrant from the State of Connecticut. A fingerprint comparison confirmed that Bennett was the same person convicted in Connecticut in 1975. That same day, federal agents executed a search warrant at Bennett’s home where they discovered handwritten notes detailing the first time Bennett used Ewen’s identity and details on how he originally obtained Ewen’s identification documents. Additionally, inside Bennett’s home, investigators discovered and seized five firearms and nearly five thousand rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

“The sentence in this case sends a strong message: The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to ensuring violent criminals who commit identity theft to evade justice face consequences for their actions,” said Peter Kapoukakis, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS Miami Field Office. “DSS’ collaborative relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida and our law enforcement partners continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice.” 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with substantial support from the Department of State’s National Passport Center, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Connecticut U.S. Marshals Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Paul Gillis (64, Jacksonville) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing a computer disk drive containing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. If convicted, Gillis faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Gillis was arrested at his home by FBI agents on February 2, 2022.

According to court documents and information provided in open court, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Gillis’s residence on February 2, 2022, and seized a computer hard disk drive that was inside a desktop computer belonging to Gillis. A forensic review of this disk drive revealed that it contained videos depicting prepubescent children being sexually abused.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jose Angel Vazquez (60, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for knowingly making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Vazquez had pleaded guilty on November 3, 2021.

According to court documents, Vazquez attempted to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer on October 31, 2020. Vazquez falsely stated on the required ATF Form 4473 that he was not a felon, when in fact he had numerous prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault, felony petty theft, possession of an anti-shoplifting device countermeasure, possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, resisting a police officer, burglary, and possession of burglary tools.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.

This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Loyd Tomlinson II (58, Ellenton) to six years and six months in federal prison for defrauding a federally insured financial institution out of more than $20 million. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $240,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud. Tomlinson had pleaded guilty on September 28, 2021.

According to court documents, Tomlinson II and his father, Loyd Tomlinson Sr., owned and operated LTA International Global Services LLC (“LTA”), a distribution company. In or around 2015, LTA began to have severe financial problems. In 2016, Tomlinson II and Tomlinson, Sr. devised a plan to fabricate documents and records to raise money from investors and financial institutions in hopes of salvaging LTA’s business.

Tomlinson II and others created fake bank statements, inflated sales, accounts receivable, and inventory documents; borrowed money from private investors (who were often also provided fake documents) as off-the-book loans; used other entities as possible alter egos to raise money or divert sales off the books; and concealed from others the true facts about the financial state of LTA. Based on these false statements and representations, in or around July 2019, a financial institution made a loan to LTA for approximately $20.6 million, which was not recovered.

Tomlinson, Sr. pleaded guilty for his involvement in the scheme on August 5, 2021. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2022.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Dennis Michael Aigotti (54, Bradenton) to 36 months in federal prison for possessing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court also ordered Aigotti to forfeit a laptop and color printer, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

Aigotti had pleaded guilty on October 13, 2021.

According to court documents, on May 18, 2021, Aigotti, attempted to pass a $10 counterfeit Federal Reserve note at Hudson’s Grocery Store located in Boca Grande. After the cashier indicated that the bill was counterfeit, Aigotti left the store in his vehicle and authorities were called. Law enforcement located Aigotti and a search of the vehicle revealed multiple counterfeit notes, a printer, laptop, resume paper, and scissors. During the investigation, the United States Secret Service recovered a total of $410 in counterfeit currency. At the time of the offense, Aigotti was on federal supervised release for passing and counterfeiting Federal Reserve notes; he was sentenced to credit for time served for the supervised release violation.

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Patsy Truglia (54, Parkland) to 15 years in federal prison for his role in two consecutive conspiracies to commit health care fraud and for making a false statement in a matter involving a health care benefit program. As part of his sentence, the Court ordered Truglia to pay $18.3 million to the affected government health programs and an insurance company. The Court also entered a money judgment against Truglia in the amount of $10,117,738 and ordered him to forfeit numerous assets, including $9,308,235.86 seized from various financial accounts, high-end automobiles (Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, and Mercedes), jewelry, and Truglia’s lakefront home, all of which were traceable to the charged criminal conduct. Truglia had pleaded guilty on October 5, 2021.

According to court documents, beginning in January 2018 and continuing into April 2019, Truglia and other conspirators, including co-defendant Ruth Bianca Fernandez (who worked under Truglia’s supervision), generated medically unnecessary physicians’ orders via their telemarketing operation for certain orthotic devices—knee braces, back braces, wrist braces, and other braces—referred to as durable medical equipment (“DME”). Through the telemarketing operation, federal health care program beneficiaries’ (i.e., Medicare beneficiaries’) personal and medical information was harvested to create the unnecessary DME brace orders. 

The brace orders were then forwarded to purported “telemedicine” vendors that, in exchange for a fee, paid illegal bribes to physicians to sign the orders, often without ever contacting the beneficiaries to conduct the required telehealth consultations. The fraudulent, illegal brace orders were then returned to Truglia’s telemarketing operation, which used the orders as support for millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims submitted to the Medicare program. To avoid Medicare scrutiny, Truglia and Fernandez spread the fraudulent claims across five DME storefronts operated under Truglia’s ownership and control and Fernandez’s day-to-day management. In all, through their five storefronts, Truglia, Fernandez, and other conspirators caused approximately $25 million in fraudulent DME claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in approximately $12 million in payments.

On April 9, 2019, multiple federal law enforcement agencies participated in a nationwide action referred to as “Operation Brace Yourself.” The Operation targeted ongoing schemes, such as Truglia’s, in which companies were paying illegal bribes to secure signed physicians’ DME brace orders for use as support for fraudulent claims submitted to the federal programs. In the Middle District of Florida, the April 2019 Operation included, among other efforts, the execution of search warrants at several of Truglia’s DME storefronts and a civil action under which, among other ramifications, enjoined Truglia and (by extension) his five storefronts from engaging in any further health care fraud conduct.

Undeterred, beginning in or around April 2019 and continuing into July 2020, Truglia and other conspirators—some of whom had worked with Truglia in the earlier conspiracy and some of whom were new conspirators—carried out a similar conspiracy using three new DME storefronts and different “telemedicine” vendors. Through this conspiracy, Truglia and his conspirators caused an additional approximately $12 million in fraudulent DME claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in approximately $6.3 million in payments.

“Every defendant in this case shared a common trait—greed,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The desire for money fueled them to commit crimes against our healthcare system and prey upon those in our society who deserve our highest respect, the elderly and military veterans. Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of IRS-CI special agents, as well as our partner federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, these criminals are off the street and are facing the consequences of their actions.”

“The significant sentence and financial restitution imposed today reflects the serious nature of Mr. Truglia’s criminal conduct and underscores that the Government will continue to vigorously prosecute health care fraud cases and seek the recovery of all illicitly obtained assets of these greed-fueled fraud schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of HHS-OIG. “Collaborating closely with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to thoroughly investigate fraudsters who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable members of the public.”

“We have dedicated agents and analysts focused on uncovering the deceitful tactics used to cheat our federal healthcare system,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. “The cost of healthcare fraud impacts all of us. The FBI will continue to engage with our partners to protect taxpayers from fraudsters like Mr. Truglia and those identified in Operation Brace Yourself.”

“The sentence imposed today holds this defendant accountable for his prominent role in a reprehensible healthcare fraud scheme involving CHAMPVA and Medicare,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Southeast Field Office.  “The VA OIG is committed to ensuring healthcare spending is directed only to deserving veterans and those who serve them.  We thank and commend our outstanding law enforcement partners in this important joint investigation.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service –Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant, Tiffany E. Fields, and James A. Muench. The civil action is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn B. Tapie.

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Cornelius Michael Turner (34, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. Turner received 15 years on each count, to be served concurrently. He had pleaded guilty on October 21, 2021. 

According to court documents, in May 2019, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Turner’s vehicle, but Turner fled from the officers. Turner eventually stopped his vehicle in a restaurant parking lot but refused the officers’ commands to exit his vehicle. While Turner was in his vehicle, officers observed Turner stuffing things down his pants. Officers removed Turner from his vehicle, and during a subsequent pat down, a loaded firearm and fentanyl were found in Turner’s pants. At the time of the incident, Turner had multiple prior felony drug convictions and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54, Dunnellon) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms and knowingly causing a licensed gun dealer to maintain false information in its official records. Hopkins faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He was indicted on December 15, 2021.

According to the evidence introduced in court, on or about November 23, 2021, Hopkins entered a federally licensed firearm dealer in Crystal River and attempted to purchase two handguns. While completing the mandatory firearm transaction paperwork, Hopkins certified that he had not previously been convicted of a felony. A criminal background check, however, revealed that Hopkins had prior felony convictions for robbery, conspiracy to deal cocaine, and intimidation. As a convicted felon, Hopkins is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. When subsequently confronted by law enforcement, Hopkins admitted that he was the person who had attempted to unlawfully purchase the firearms.     

This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia D. Barksdale has sentenced Timothy Terrance DeJoris (42, Ponte Vedra) to six months’ probation and a $2,500 fine for importing from China a mislabeled erectile dysfunction drug and distributing it online and in the Jacksonville area. DeJoris had previously administratively forfeited $50,000 in proceeds from the offense. DeJoris had pleaded guilty on November 4, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, on June 18, 2019, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted two large packages that had been shipped from China. Each package was found to contain a barrel of blue capsules. An invoice for one of the barrels claimed that the capsules contained “Shiitake Mushroom Extract.” The packages were addressed to “Dr. Seltzer, LLC, Tim DeJoris” at an address in Ponte Vedra. The capsules were tested and found to contain sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra and other prescription medications used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. A search of a CPB database reflected that a similar shipment, described in the same way, had been delivered to DeJoris from the same supplier in China on June 11, 2019.

During the course of the investigation, investigators discovered a website with the address of “hardonhelper.com” that sold “Dr. Seltzer’s Hard-On Helper,” which was claimed to be a “100% Natural Male Enhancement Dietary Supplement.” Investigators also discovered that, in addition to being sold on that website, the capsules were also being sold on Amazon and eBay. The price on all three websites was the same, one capsule for $10.99, six capsules for $52.99, eight capsules for $61.99, and twelve capsules for $79.99. The product was also being sold at Adam and Eve adult stores in the Jacksonville area.

Records obtained from Amazon reflected that, for the period of January 1 through August 6, 2019, there were 8,043 sales of the capsules for a total of $453,413.07.

When investigators questioned DeJoris about the shipments, he said that he had paid $4,000 for each shipment of 50,000 capsules. Investigators seized over 25,000 capsules from DeJoris and his business partner.

“The importation of illegal, dangerous and/or mislabeled drugs is not only a crime, but it is a danger to the communities that we live in. This criminal thought he could circumvent our nation’s laws by doing just that,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to the law enforcement partnerships between HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Tri-County Narcotics Task Force, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this criminal was identified, investigated, and prosecuted, making our communities safer for everyone.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Tri-County Narcotics Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.