Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Pagan (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death. The court also ordered Pagan to forfeit $105,932, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found her guilty on March 24, 2021.

According to testimony presented at trial, Pagan supplied coconspirators with heroin and fentanyl that was distributed in Hillsborough County. On December 19, 2019, a Tampa woman obtained a substance containing fentanyl from one of Pagan’s distributors, Jackylin Bonifacio. The victim used the fentanyl and shortly thereafter she collapsed and died. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the overdose death and identified Bonifacio as the person who had distributed the fentanyl to the victim. On December 20, 2019, Bonifacio was arrested and had 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution in her possession.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim had died from ingestion of substances, including heroin and fentanyl. Baggies recovered from Bonifacio and residue from a syringe found near the victim at the time of the overdose were analyzed and identified to contain fentanyl. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures were all very similar and, based on the circumstances of the death and the toxicology from the autopsy, the victim’s use of the fentanyl caused the victim’s death. 

A joint investigation led by the FBI identified Pagan as Bonifacio’s supplier. During a series of covert operations, Pagan distributed fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant and received payments from that informant. Pagan was arrested on September 1, 2020, and investigators recovered 97 grams of fentanyl and more than $105,000 from her residence.

On February 12, 2021, Bonifacio pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in death. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2021.

This investigation is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

Fort Myers, Florida – Gerald Michael Abraham (76, Naples) has pleaded guilty to three counts of dispensing controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.

According to court documents, Abraham was a licensed medical doctor practicing in Naples, Florida. In October 2019, the DEA began an investigation after receiving a tip that Abraham was illegally prescribing strong opioids to patients who had no need for the medication. Over the course of the next year, the DEA conducted 18 undercover patient visits to Abraham’s office, each time receiving prescriptions for oxycodone. 

Abraham ignored signs of drug abuse the undercover patients pretended to have and prescribed them oxycodone without ever examining them. Additionally, Abraham repeatedly increased the strength of the prescriptions simply because the patient asked him for more. In one instance, he prescribed an undercover patient oxycodone after telling him the medical paperwork “shows you are completely normal.”

The investigation also revealed that Abraham frequently prescribed Adderall to patients for no legitimate reason. Adderall is the brand name of a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and contains amphetamine, a frequently abused controlled substance. On multiple occasions, law enforcement observed Abraham prescribe Adderall simply upon a patient’s request, without asking any questions or engaging in any examination justifying the prescription. 

Abraham’s clinic operated on a cash only basis, with patients paying $400 per visit. Investigators traced the proceeds of Abraham’s criminal activities to multiple high-end vehicles he purchased and hundreds of thousands of dollars he held, all of which they seized. In connection with his plea agreement, Abraham has agreed to forfeit the following to the United States: a 2020 Acura NSX, a 2020 Porsche GT4, a 2021 Toyota Supra, a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2020 Aston Martin, a 2020 Nissan 370Z, a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, two 2020 Ford Mustangs, $190,496.56 paid towards a 2021 Aston Martin, and $249,598.52 in cash.

This case was investigated by the DEA Miami Tactical Diversion Squad  and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Naples Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman is prosecuting the criminal charges, and Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Cream and James Muench are prosecuting the forfeitures. 

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Lumpkin, a/k/a “Jamari” (26, Land O’Lakes), with one count of enticement and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, two counts of using a minor child to produce videos depicting sexual abuse, and one count of possessing matters containing child sex abuse materials.  If convicted on all counts, Lumpkin faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the indictment, between July 2019 and February 2020, Lumpkin enticed and attempted to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. In February 2020, Lumpkin used a child to produce sexually explicit videos. Lastly, on or about July 24, 2020, Lumpkin knowingly possessed certain matters that contained visual depictions of children under the age of 12 being sexually abused.

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 Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. 

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Freddie Miguel Velez-Gonzalez (53, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin. 

Velez-Gonzalez had pleaded guilty on March 22, 2021.

According to court documents, Velez-Gonzalez was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed controlled substances including, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and tramadol, in the Middle District of Florida. On six dates between approximately April 23 and August 11, 2020, at the direction of law enforcement, a confidential source negotiated and met with Velez-Gonzalez at the same designated location and purchased from him a total of over 100 grams of mixtures containing heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two substances. Velez-Gonzalez sold the drugs to the confidential source to further a drug trafficking conspiracy with other members of the DTO, including Inginio Santos-Garcia, a co-defendant of Velez-Gonzalez.

On September 8, 2020, authorities arrested Velez-Gonzalez and Santos-Garcia at an address on Brosche Road in Orlando from which they were distributing narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. Santos-Garcia pleaded guilty on November 9, 2020, and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on April 14, 2021.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Ilianys Rivera-Miranda.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Jack R. Dove, III (40, Lakeland) to nine years and two months in federal prison for receiving and possessing videos and other images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The court also ordered Dove to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses and to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the offenses.

Dove had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2021.

According to court documents, Dove used bitcoin to pay for membership to a particular Darknet marketplace that contained more than 100,000 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, the largest volume of child sexual exploitation materials on the Darknet. In March 2018, the Korean National Police Agency in South Korea seized the computer server that was used to operate the website.

This particular Darknet marketplace exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for purchase and downloading by members of the website using bitcoin. An analysis of the server revealed that Dove had created multiple accounts. In January and February 2017, Dove used one of his accounts to purchase “points” from the website. Dove then used those “points” to download and received nearly 9 gigabytes of child sexual abuse materials. In August 2018, Dove used another account to pay for “VIP” membership to this website, granting him unlimited downloads from the website for a six-month period. During his VIP membership status, Dove downloaded and received 38 videos depicting children being sexually exploited and abused, including children under the age of 12.

On November 30, 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Dove’s residence and seized several electronic devices. Forensic analyses of those devices confirmed Dove had in fact received the child sex abuse videos he had previously purchased from the Darknet marketplace and, also, that he possessed additional materials depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of young children, including infants and toddlers.

“As crimes become more sophisticated and advanced technology is being used to sexually exploit young children, our HSI special agents, and all of law enforcement must stay ahead of the criminals,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley. “This case is an example of a child predator who thought he could hide behind the Darknet and international borders, but was instead caught and will now be held accountable for his crimes against children.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The original international investigation was led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, and the Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Ilyssa Spergel, with assistance provided by U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Steele has sentenced Casey David Crowther (35, Fort Myers) to three years and one month in federal prison for two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering. The court also ordered Crowther to forfeit $2,739,081.21, $630,482.37, and a 40’ catamaran boat, which were the proceeds of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud and the mortgage fraud offenses.

At trial, a federal jury had found Crowther guilty of committing bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering on March 26, 2021, which were related to a PPP fraud scheme. Before the trial started, Crowther pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, which were related to a mortgage fraud scheme. As part of the mortgage fraud scheme, Crowther created false bank statements to justify a loan he had used to purchase a nearly $1.3 million waterfront house in St. James City, Florida.

According to evidence at the trial, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he had intended to use the money to make payroll and pay rent and utilities for his company Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. However, Crowther intended to use the money to enrich himself and, once the loan was obtained, quickly used the proceeds to make a series of personal purchases including a nearly $700,000 boat and a $100,000 payment to a former business partner. Crowther concealed the scheme by providing false explanations for the expenditures to his bank, calling the boat “equipment” and the payment to his former partner “payroll.” Under the terms of the PPP program, Crowther did not have to pay back the loan if he used at least 60% of the proceeds on payroll. To falsely make it appear he met that threshold, Crowther created dozens of fake employees to whom he purportedly paid wages: by adding multiple family members to his company’s payroll, even though they did not actually perform work; and, separately, by creating 39 other fake employees, for whom he obtained fake identification documents -- including Social Security cards -- that he provided to his company’s Human Resources to be placed in the files of the “employees.”

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.

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

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Derremy Jerrell Walker (31, Sanford) guilty of two counts of using, or attempting to use, children to produce sexually explicit videos. Walker’s sentencing hearing has been set for September 21, 2021. 

According to evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, Walker was a contracted janitor at Oviedo High School in November 2019, when two 15-year-old female students discovered an actively recording cellphone hidden under the sink inside a toilet stall in a student bathroom. The girls took the phone to school administrators, who then contacted the Oviedo Police Department.

Forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed Walker had placed the phone in the same location on two prior dates in November 2019, each time creating a one-hour video of students in that stall. On the date the girls found the phone, it had been recording video for about 15 minutes before they discovered it. In each of the three instances, Walker had angled the cellphone’s camera in an effort to capture the genitalia and pubic areas of those in the stall.  School administration officials and law enforcement officers were able to identify six of the ten students unknowingly captured in the videos Walker created.

Further analysis revealed Walker had also set up a surreptitious cellphone camera to record in the school’s faculty bathroom earlier that month.  

This case was investigated by the Oviedo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Angel Vazquez, (59, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federal firearms dealer. If convicted, Vazquez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, Vazquez attempted to purchase a handgun from a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer on February 2, 2021, after having been convicted of numerous felonies on multiple occasions.

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. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce Federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the Fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced John Michael Breen (33, Lehigh Acres) to 29 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a child and taking photos of this abuse. Breen was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Breen had pleaded guilty on August 19, 2020.

According to court documents, between April 28 and July 20, 2018, Breen used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of this abuse. Breen subsequently uploaded these photos over the internet to a cloud-based storage service. On December 13, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Breen’s residence. During an interview with law enforcement, Breen admitted that he had sexually abused a 7-year-old child at his home and took pictures of the abuse using his cellphone.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Paublo “Chandito” Rondon Quinones (30, Jacksonville) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. 

Quinones had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2019. As part of his plea agreement, Quinones agreed to the administrative forfeiture of an assortment of jewelry and numerous vehicles, including two jet skis, four motorcycles, two sport utility vehicles, a Porsche Panamera luxury sedan, and a Ferrari F430 sports car.

According to court documents, Quinones led a drug trafficking organization that supplied kilo-quantities of cocaine to drug dealers in Jacksonville. His organization had multiple sources of supply and obtained shipments of cocaine via couriers and through the U.S. Mail from suppliers in Puerto Rico and Orlando.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces today that the Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC and Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery, LP have agreed to pay the United States $3.4 million to resolve allegations that both companies violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for kidney stone procedures that were not medically justified and for engaging in an illegal kickback arrangement. 

The United States previously intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against SCA and the Orlando Center on October 15, 2019. The lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a procedure used to break up kidney stones. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Patrick Hunter was a urologist who performed lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center, a facility affiliated with SCA. According to the settlement agreement, between January 2010 and April of 2016, the Orlando Center submitted claims for lithotripsy procedures performed on Medicare and TRICARE patients by Dr. Hunter that were medically unnecessary because the procedures were not medically indicated or because the patients did not have kidney stones. 

The settlement agreement also resolves allegations that Dr. Hunter, SCA, and the Orlando Center engaged in an illegal kickback arrangement, where Dr. Hunter performed the lithotripsy procedures in exchange for per-procedure payments from the Orlando Center. Dr. Hunter allegedly agreed to perform his lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center in exchange for payments from the Orlando Center, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. SCA vetted and approved the agreement. These procedures were then billed to and paid by Medicare and TRICARE in violation of the False Claims Act.

“Medicare and TRICARE patients are some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann. “The United States Attorney’s Office will always pursue providers who seek and pay illegal kickbacks or bill for baseless procedures.” 

“My office remains steadfast in our commitment to address illegal kickback arrangements within the federal healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals and entities who pay or receive kickbacks.”

“We owe it to our beneficiaries to ensure their needs are placed first and the commitment to their care is unwavering. Any time the government is defrauded, it is unacceptable to the American taxpayer, and in this case, Medicare also was a victim. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for working to maintain trust and transparency by ensuring medical providers continue to put their patients’ needs first,” said Defense Health Agency Director, Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, M.D.

The settlement resulted from a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Scott Thompson. Mr. Thompson sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The United States intervened in this matter and litigated the case. Mr. Thompson will receive $748,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with SCA and the Orlando Center.

Dr. Hunter passed away in March of 2019.  In November 2020, Dr. Hunter’s estate paid the United States $1.75 million to resolve the government’s claims arising from Dr. Hunter’s alleged participation in the scheme. 

The United States’ intervention in and settlement of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). 

This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Health Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy R. Bloor and Sean Keefe led the investigation.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Thompson v. Surgical Care Affiliates et al., Case No. 6:16-cv-2189-PGB-LRH. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims against SCA and the Orlando Center in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Raphael Simean Bennett, Jr. (35, Bradenton) and Andre Renodd Ackerman, Sr. (34, Palmetto) for their respective roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Bennett was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and Ackerman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

Bennett had pleaded guilty on March 10, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Ackerman had pleaded guilty on March 11, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents, on August 14, 2019, Bennett and Ackerman sold one ounce of fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI) in Bradenton. On four other occasions, Bennett sold multiple ounces of fentanyl to the CI. On September 5, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bennett’s residence and seized 626 grams of cocaine and 8 grams of fentanyl. On July 9, 2020, a deputy from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office lawfully searched Bennett’s car and found 8 grams of fentanyl, 13 grams of heroin, and 16 grams of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Andrew Christian Hammock (48, Boca Raton) guilty of attempting to entice a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and produce visual depictions of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hammock faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is set for September 20, 2021.  

Hammock was arrested on March 17, 2020, at his place of employment, the Margate (Florida) Police Department, where he worked as a sworn police officer.

According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child made contact with Hammock, who was using the screen name “playful_guy,” and who later used the name “Florida Guy.”  The undercover agent responded to Hammock’s online advertisement that read, “Feel like peeking and being peeked at by a younger girl.”  Hammock and the undercover agent exchanged private messages for more than a month using a social media app.  On February 16, 2020, Hammock told the “child” that he (Hammock) was employed as a police officer and sent the “child” a photo depicting the waist area of an individual wearing tactical clothing seated in what appeared to be a police vehicle.  Between February 14 and March 15, 2020, Hammock sent more than 4,000 messages to the “child,” providing graphic descriptions of the sexually explicit images that he wanted the “child” to take and share with him.  Hammock also described in detail the types of sexual activity that he wanted to engage in with the “child.” 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, with assistance from the Margate Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Jorge Ramirez (41, Clearwater) to 15 years and 8 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Ramirez had pleaded guilty on August 25, 2020.

According to information presented during Ramirez’s sentencing hearing, in 2011, Ramirez was convicted in state court (Pasco County) for trafficking cocaine. After serving more than three years in state prison, Ramirez—also known as “Dientes,” “Cha-Ching,” and “Ching”—resumed selling large amounts of drugs, distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine for years before he was ultimately arrested in this case. By the time Ramirez’s Spring Hill, Florida-based, Mexican cartel-affiliated suppliers were arrested in April 2019, Ramirez had sold at least 40 kilograms of highly pure methamphetamine over the previous five months.

In December 2020, United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced each of Ramirez’s suppliers, Adan Barajas Maldonado and Juan Carlos Arias Castillo, to 25 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.

Ocala, Florida – Glenn Edward Davis, Jr. (35, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Davis faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison on each of the drug counts, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the firearm charges.

Davis had been indicted in November 2019.  

According to the facts presented in court, on the night of March 16, 2019, an officer from the Ocala Police Department attempted to stop Davis’s car. Davis quickly abandoned the car and fled on foot, but left behind his driver license, a loaded handgun, and methamphetamine packaged for distribution. On July 10, 2019, a detective from the Ocala Police Department spotted Davis driving a different car. When the detective attempted initiate a traffic stop, Davis again fled on foot. Once apprehended, Davis struggled with and injured the detective. A subsequent search of Davis’s car revealed another loaded handgun, ecstasy pills, heroin, and pure methamphetamine packaged for distribution. Laboratory testing confirmed Davis’s DNA on the firearm.

With 14 prior state felony convictions, Davis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.  

This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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 – Samuel Christopher Templeman (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to sex traffic a child. His wife, Deborah Lynn Templeman (50, Jacksonville), has pleaded guilty to possession of child sex abuse material. Samuel Templeman faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, and Deborah Templeman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreements, in 2018, Samuel Templeman and the child victim began regularly using heroin and crack cocaine together. Also at that time, a pimp began directing the child victim to engage in sex acts in exchange for drugs.

In July 2019, a court terminated the Templemans’ custodial rights over the child victim and ordered them not to have any contact with the child.  The child was then placed in foster care, from which the child ran away.  In late August 2019, Samuel Templeman received over $25,000 in inheritance, which the Templemans used to entice the child to return to them.  By mid-October 2019, the Templemans had spent the entire inheritance, primarily on drugs for Samuel Templeman and the victim.

Thereafter, the only legitimate income for the Templemans and the victim was Deborah Templeman’s bi-weekly salary, which they spent 1-2 days after receipt. During the remaining portions of each month, the Templemans’ only income was derived from their sex trafficking of the child victim for money and the victim’s occasional panhandling. The Templemans spent most of that money on drugs and the rest on living expenses.

On December 11, 2019, a detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office went to Deborah Templeman’s place of employment in an attempt to locate the victim. While there, the detective overheard phone conversations in which Samuel Templeman told Deborah Templeman that he was taking the victim to a “date,” a common slang term for an appointment for the child to have sex for money, and that he would then come pick up Deborah Templeman. When Samuel Templeman later arrived at Deborah Templeman’s workplace, authorities arrested him and recovered the child victim.

Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators reviewed Deborah Templeman’s cellphone and found it contained sexually explicit images of the child victim. Deborah Templeman admitted that she knew those images were stored on her phone.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.

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 Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Justin Case Lebarron (28, Pasco County) to life imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.

A federal jury had found Lebarron guilty on April 22, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Lebarron and his girlfriend, co-defendant Brittney Smith, operated a drug house in New Port Richey where they sold fentanyl and methamphetamine. They also allowed addicts to use narcotics and sleep there. On the night of January 7, 2020, a fatal overdose occurred in the house. Lebarron ordered three people to carry the victim’s body outside and dump it in an empty lot as he fled the area. A few hours later, Lebarron resumed distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and continued to do so until his arrest on March 5, 2020.

On June 16, 2021, Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. She faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison for each conspiracy and possession count, and up to 20 years in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2021.

“As a result of the hard work and efforts made together with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, a dangerous drug dealer has been removed from the Tampa area and a life sentence ensures he can no longer endanger people’s lives.” said DEA Miami Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Donald P. Garrett. “We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to rid communities of drug traffickers who threaten the safety and well-being of Floridians.”

“The Pasco Sheriff's Office is thankful for our strong partnership with the Department of Justice which resulted in taking these predators off of Pasco County’s streets,” said Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco. “We know there is a delineation between those who suffer from substance abuse and addiction and those who prey on those individuals for their own monetary gain. We are committed to holding these predators responsible for the harm and destruction they cause on those suffering from substance abuse and addiction, their families and our community while connecting those suffering from substance abuse and addiction with resources available in our community.”

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration Tampa District Office and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

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

 

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Steven Phillip Griffin, II (36, Palm Harbor) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, for receiving and transporting endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Griffin to forfeit two pairs of southern white rhino horns, four African elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, three leopard skulls, ten firearms, and ammunition.

Griffin had pleaded guilty on November 10, 2020.

According to the plea agreement, Griffin communicated with a United States Fish & Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement undercover special agent for more than two years to negotiate the sale and purchase of endangered and threatened wildlife. Throughout Griffin’s communications with the undercover agent, Griffin repeatedly stated that he collects skulls, full skeletons, and other parts of a variety of endangered and/or threatened wildlife such as lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, rhinos, and elephants. Griffin also sent numerous photographs of his personal collection, as well as items on his wish list, to the undercover agent via text message. In May 2019, Griffin drove to Texas, met with undercover agents, purchased, and illegally transported two Southern White rhino horns, four elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, and three leopard skulls to Palm Harbor, Florida. Griffin paid the undercover agent $9,750 in cash for the endangered and/or threatened animal parts.

Subsequently, agents executed a federal search warrant at Griffin’s residence and seized a variety of endangered and/or threatened animal parts, firearms, and ammunition. Griffin has been previously convicted of a felony and knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition due to his prior conviction.

“This sentence sends a clear message to wildlife traffickers that we and our law enforcement partners are in the business of identifying and apprehending those who exploit protected species for commercial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Land of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS-OLE).

This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Brenton Lawrence Frank (30, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Frank was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Frank had been found guilty following a bench trial on November 4, 2020.

According to court documents, on September 16, 2019, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) stopped Frank’s vehicle for a defective equipment violation. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Frank consented to a search of his vehicle and the deputy then located Frank’s cellphone under the driver’s seat. Frank admitted to the deputy that the conditions of his supervision prohibited him from possessing the cellphone and signed a written consent authorizing the deputy to search his phone. The deputy observed images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct on Frank’s cellphone. A subsequent search and forensic analysis of Frank’s cellphone revealed approximately 300 images and 2 videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

In 2011, Frank was convicted in Fort Myers on federal charges of distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors and sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment and a 15-year term of supervised release.

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

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

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the arrest of Ashley Renea Hilligoss (37, Citrus Springs) on a criminal complaint charging her with the production and distribution of images depicting the sexual abuse of a child. If convicted on both counts, Hilligoss faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.

According to the complaint, Hilligoss took sexually explicit photographs of a child to whom she had access and sent these photos to another individual over the internet. Federal agents later searched an encrypted online file storage account belonging to that individual, which account contained copies of the photographs.

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, Ocala Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Cody Dillon Hogan (26, Leachville, Arkansas) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to solicit and pay an individual to molest a 9-year-old child and to creating a video recording depicting this sexual abuse. Hogan faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Hogan was arrested on November 9, 2020, at his residence in Arkansas and remains in custody. A sentencing date has not yet been set.     

According to court documents, in December 2019, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, who was posing as a parent of a 9-year-old child, made contact with Hogan in a particular online chat application. During an online session, Hogan, using the online name “stonetelephone,” sent the undercover agent a photo of his own genitalia and asked for “naughty” photos of the purported 9-year-old “child.”  Hogan offered to pay the “parent” to create and send him a video of the “child” being sexually abused. Hogan gave specific instructions as to how he wanted to see the “child” molested in the video, and he sent the agent a $50 gift card as payment for the requested video. For several weeks, Hogan continued to solicit the undercover agent to produce and send him a video of the 9-year-old “child” being molested, and he provided advice on various ways to send it to him over the internet using group sharing accounts and online cloud storage. During one particular online chat, Hogan stated, “After I see this video there could be all kinds of money and requests coming your way lol.”

Subsequently, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Hogan’s residence in Arkansas and placed him under arrest. During an interview with FBI agents, Hogan admitted that he had engaged in online conversations with the mother of a 9-year-old child about producing and sending him a pornographic video of the child. He also stated that he had successfully solicited at least three other children to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. A search of Hogan’s cellphone and his homemade computer revealed that these devices contained hundreds of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young children, including sadistic and masochistic conduct.      

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Memphis and the Jonesboro (Arkansas) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Clayton Patrick Sullivan (41, North Fort Myers) to 33 months in federal prison for counterfeiting Federal Reserve notes. Sullivan was also sentenced to a 3-year term of supervised release.

Sullivan had pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021.

According to court documents, on August 12, 2020, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Sullivan was a passenger. After a trained drug canine alerted to the vehicle, a search was conducted of the vehicle revealing a printer and several uncut sheets of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Multiple counterfeit Federal Reserve notes were also located in a wallet found in Sullivan’s seat. During an interview with law enforcement, Sullivan admitted that the counterfeit money and the printer belonged to him. During the investigation, the United States Secret Service recovered $901.00 in counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.   

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was  prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Travis Vance (36, Venice) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Vance was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offenses.

Vance had been found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2021.

According to court documents, on July 6, 2018, Vance received child sex abuse images over a social media application on the internet from a Canadian user. Also, on July 6, 2018, Vance distributed similar contraband images over the same social media application to the same user in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) then received information from the company hosting this social media application that Vance was sharing child sex abuse images online. The RCMP determined that Vance resided within the Middle District of Florida and shared this information with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On June 12, 2019, HSI agents and other officers executed a search warrant at Vance’s residence. A forensic examination of Vance’s electronic devices revealed that they contained more than 600 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were under the age of 12.

“This case is an example of the unique international investigative authorities of HSI special agents,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Hector Colon. “Because of the law enforcement partnership between HSI and the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation Unit, our communities will be safer with this child predator behind bars.”

This case was investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced John Dixon (76, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Dixon was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offense.

Dixon had pleaded guilty on December 20, 2020.

According to court documents, on January 26, 2019, Dixon uploaded 32 child sex abuse images to his cloud storage account. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children then received information from the company hosting Dixon’s account that Dixon had uploaded these contraband images and referred the information to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). On January 29, 2019, HCSO detectives and other officers executed a search warrant at Dixon’s residence in Tampa.

Several electronic devices were seized from Dixon. A forensic examination of these devices revealed that they contained more than 2,000 images and 100 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were under the age of 12. Additionally, some of these videos depicted children to whom Dixon had access and who were as young as three and five years old at the time the videos were created.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

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

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Thomas Coelho (52, St. Petersburg), formerly Thomas Jurewicz, with two counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Coelho faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Coelho that the United States is seeking a money judgment of approximately $1.8 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, Coelho recruited investors for a business opportunity that purportedly involved purchasing event tickets and reselling those tickets to third parties for a profit. Coelho used his association with persons and entities in the entertainment industry to give the appearance of the means and ability to acquire tickets to certain high-profile events. Instead of using investors’ money to buy event tickets, however, Coelho primarily used the funds for personal expenses, entertainment, and cash withdrawals.

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 Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and David Chee.

Jacksonville, Florida – Wayne Dale Epps, Jr. (36, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Epps faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Epps was arrested on February 18, 2020, and remains in custody.  His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. 

According to court documents, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as the family member of a 12-year-old child was contacted by the user “ksaber2040,” who was identified as Epps. The same undercover agent had previously engaged in online conversation with Epps in October 2019. Over the next several days, Epps and the agent engaged in online conversation in which Epps expressed his desire to meet the 12-year-old “child.” Epps confirmed that he wanted to meet the “child” for sex, stating “[t]his is a first for me I’m nervous but I’ve been wanting to try younger.” Epps provided the agent with graphic details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the “child.” He offered to use a “flavored condom” and requested pictures of the “child.”

On February 18, 2020, Epps drove his vehicle to a prearranged location at a shopping center in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. During an interview with law enforcement, Epps stated that it was “possible that [he] would have followed through” and engaged in sex with the 12-year-old child, and further that he “should have never made that decision.”            

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Brandon Planas (39, Orlando) to 17 years in federal prison for enticing an 11-year-old child to produce sexually explicit videos of himself and send them over the internet. Planas was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offense. 

Planas had pleaded guilty on March 2, 2021.

According to court documents, in August 2019, Planas began chatting online with an 11-year-old child via Instagram messenger. In September 2019, Planas sent the child a pornographic image over the internet that he claimed to be himself. After sending this image, Planas asked the child to reciprocate. On October 8, 2019, at Planas’s request, the child created several videos of his genitalia and sent at least one of these videos to Planas.

The child’s parents discovered these chats and contacted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office which began a criminal investigation. Between October 2019 and June 2020, Planas made several attempts to reinitiate contact with the child by sending the child messages, video chat requests, and using a different Instagram username. When the child’s parents discovered Planas’s attempts to reinitiate communication, they contacted the FBI. An undercover FBI agent assumed the child’s online identity and continued online conversations with Planas, during which Planas asked for another pornographic image of the “child.”

On July 21, 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Planas’s residence.  During an interview, Planas admitted, among other things, that he had solicited pornographic images from the 11-year-old child. The agents conducted a forensic review of his computer devices and located other social media profiles that Planas had used to solicit pornographic images from other users, including the child.           

This case was investigated by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda 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 – A federal jury has found Sergio Antonio Hood (36, Tampa) guilty of possession of ammunition as a convicted felon, obstruction of justice, and attempted witness tampering. Hood faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the ammunition and obstruction offenses, and up to, 20 years’ imprisonment for attempted witness tampering. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2021, at which time the Court will decide issues that could increase Hood’s maximum possible sentence.

Hood had been indicted on December 10, 2020. He has multiple prior convictions, including two federal convictions for possession of firearms as a convicted felon, and three federal convictions for distribution of controlled substances. Hood is also a registered sex offender as the result of a prior conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a minor.

According to evidence presented at trial, on October 27, 2019, one week after meeting and beginning a relationship with a woman, Hood showed up at her home near Ybor City.  Finding her sitting in a parked car with a friend, Hood pushed his assault-style rifle through the open window, pointed it at the woman’s head, and fired. The bullet missed the woman and went through the other side of the car. Hood was arrested on state charges the following day.

At the time of the shooting, Hood was on federal supervised release. As a result, he was transferred to federal custody to address his violations of the conditions of his supervised release. While in jail, Hood created a false alibi and asked a witness to testify falsely at a federal court hearing regarding those violations.         

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel George and Risha Asokan.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Christopher A. Defilippis (43, Brandon) guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Due to his prior felony drug convictions, Defilippis faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 8, 2021. 

Defilippis had been indicted on November 17, 2020.

According to evidence presented at trial, between March and April 2020, Defilippis distributed heroin in Hillsborough County. On April 17, 2020, Defilippis distributed fentanyl, which caused a fatal overdose. Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office immediately began surveillance on Defilippis and, on April 18, 2020, observed him distributing narcotics throughout Hillsborough County.  Law enforcement officers arrested Defilippis and found him to be in possession of fentanyl, cocaine, and packaging consistent with distribution. 

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the use of the fentanyl had caused the victim’s death. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures found near the victim were all very similar to the narcotics seized from Defilippis.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Jacksonville, Florida – Zipporan Carmel Peters (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Peters faces up to 30 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge, a 2-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge, and payment of restitution to the victims she and her co-defendant, Charles Cornelius Smith, defrauded. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Smith obtained the personal identification information, including the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a victim. Using this information, Smith provided Peters with a counterfeit South Carolina driver license using the name and identity of the victim, but with Peters’ photo on it. Smith then drove Peters to different branches of the Navy Federal Credit Union in Clay and Duval Counties. Using the victim’s identity, Peters made various fraudulent transactions involving the withdrawal of large amounts of cash and the purchase of multiple $500 gift cards, utilizing the victim’s account. Smith and Peters also visited multiple cellphone stores in Clay and Duval Counties and used the victim’s identity to obtain several thousand dollars’ worth of cellphones and accompanying merchandise.

On May 27, 2021, U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis sentenced Charles Cornelius Smith (35, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The court also ordered Smith to pay restitution to the victims he and Peters defrauded.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Donovan Davey (57, Orlando) to 32 months in federal prison for making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, and illegally reentering the United States after being deported. 

Davey had pleaded guilty on March 3, 2021.

According to court documents, Davey is a citizen of Jamaica. He does not have lawful status to reside in the United States and was physically removed from the United States to Jamaica in 2005 and 2012. In October 2009, Davey fraudulently filed an application for a U.S. passport using the name of Connecticut resident J.T. and including J.T.’s date of birth and social security number but submitting Davey’s photograph. As a result of this fraudulent application, a U.S. passport was issued to Davey in J.T.’s name. 

In March 2020, Davey fraudulently filed an application with the U.S. Department of State to renew the passport that he held in J.T.’s name. In the renewal application, Davey again provided J.T.’s personal identifying information, but Davey’s photograph. In the renewal application, Davey attested under penalty of perjury that he was “a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States,” which was not true.

In September 2020, Davey was arrested in Orlando after having returned to the United States without authorization from the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message: the Diplomatic Security Service is committed to ensuring those who commit passport fraud and identity theft face consequences for their criminal actions,” said DSS Special Agent in Charge Peter Kapoukakis of the Miami Field Office. “Our strong relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice and safeguarding our national security.”

“A U.S. passport is an important document around the world, and this criminal thought he could get one through fraud,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami Field Office Director Michael Meade. “Federal agencies working together stopped his scheme and made our communities and nation safer.”           

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Arthur Jay Traxler, Jr. (55, Monroe, Michigan) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Traxler has been detained since his arrest in November 2020. Traxler was already a registered sex offender, having been convicted of criminal sexual conduct (4th degree) in 2016, and was on probation at the time that he committed this federal offense.

Traxler had pleaded guilty on March 4, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, between July 21 and August 4, 2020, Traxler engaged in a series of conversations over the internet with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child. Unbeknownst to Traxler, this “child” was an undercover FBI agent. During the course of the online conversations, Traxler discussed in detail his desire to have the “child” send him images of the “child” engaging in sexually explicit conduct. FBI agents arrested Traxler in Michigan on November 9, 2020, and he admitted that he had been chatting online with the “child.” 

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

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 – Eddie “Macho” Martinez-Marquez (32, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  Martinez-Marquez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between December 2016 and August 2018, Martinez-Marquez supplied cocaine to a co-conspirator in Jacksonville, Florida.  The amounts varied, but Martinez-Marquez typically would supply one or two kilograms, twice per month, which the co-conspirator would then sell in the Jacksonville area.  Martinez-Marquez charged $27,000 per kilogram, and at times, “fronted” the drugs to his co-conspirator, essentially supplying the drugs on credit. The pair used couriers to transport drugs and money between each other in the Jacksonville and Orlando metro areas. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Jacksonville, Florida – Deontres Javan Taylor (27, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to disaster assistance fraud involving Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) benefits. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States in the amount of $8,083.19. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on September 4, 2017, Taylor made an application for disaster assistance benefits to FEMA. In the application, he claimed that his primary residence in Jacksonville had suffered storm damage from Hurricane Irma. Taylor stated that storm surge flooded his home and that lightning caused a power surge which resulted in the residence losing power. As a result of these issues, Taylor claimed that he had moved to a hotel and needed housing assistance. Based on the false statements made by Taylor in his application, FEMA paid $8,038.19 in benefits for Taylor. 

Follow up investigation by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, determined that Taylor hadn’t lived at the residence he had listed in his benefits application since at least 2015, and that he was not there when Hurricane Irma impacted the Jacksonville area. An inspection by FEMA of the residence that Taylor had listed in his benefits application determined that the home did not suffer storm surge damage nor lose power due to Hurricane Irma.

This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721 or submit a complaint online: https://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kenyan Shondre Scott to 18 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting others with the filing of fraudulent tax returns and for filing fraudulent tax returns on his own behalf. Scott was also ordered to pay restitution to the United States for a tax loss of $553,403. He had pleaded guilty on February 24, 2021.

According to court documents and facts presented at his sentencing hearing, Scott was the owner and operator of a Jacksonville tax return preparation business, which he had opened in 2009. Between February 2014 and April 2018, Scott prepared and filed tax returns for others in which he falsely claimed, among other things, that the taxpayers had owned businesses and had incurred deductible business expenses, were entitled to general business tax credits and educational tax credits, and had incurred deductible unreimbursed employee expenses. These representations were false and substantially increased the clients’ tax refunds.

On his own tax returns, Scott significantly underreported the income he had earned from his tax preparation business as shown in the following chart:

Tax Year

Reported Adjusted Gross Income

Tax

Refund Claimed

Approximate True Adjusted Gross Income

Approximate Taxes Owed on True AGI

2013

$43,691

$51

$97,846

$36,928

2014

$39,552

$50

$279,898

$108,033

2015

$37,943

$49

$151,216

$57,230

2016

$28,072

$44

$193,898

$72,681

 

“We want everyone who files a tax return to take advantage of the deductions and credits to which they are entitled by law; however, no one is entitled to defraud the government," said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today's sentencing of Kenyan Scott demonstrates that protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly line their own pockets by preparing false claims for refunds for themselves and others.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti today sentenced David Aaron Rockwell (45, Cape Coral) to five years in federal prison for wire fraud and bank fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $1,018,000, the proceeds of his wire and bank fraud.

Rockwell had pleaded guilty on January 14, 2021.

According to court documents, Rockwell, a financial advisor, managed investment and retirement accounts for his clients. Beginning in October 2017, Rockwell began to defraud clients and misappropriated his clients’ funds for his own purpose. Rockwell also defrauded a federally insured bank when he applied for two lines of credit, totaling $700,000, in the names of his clients, without their knowledge or permission. Rockwell forged the clients’ signatures on the loan applications and pledged the clients’ assets as collateral for the loans, all without their knowledge or authorization. Rockwell used the funds that he had obtained from the loans for his own use and benefit. 

Furthermore, Rockwell persuaded another client to invest in low-income housing in Florida. However, once the client transferred approximately $400,000 to fund the investment, Rockwell used the money to pay his personal credit cards and to purchase a home.    

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging eight individuals with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute MDMA, also known as “ecstasy” or “molly”, and α‑Pyrrolidino­pentiophenone, also known as “alpha-PVP” or “flakka.” If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit property that was used to facilitate the offense or that is traceable to proceeds of the offense, including approximately $185,000 in cash, a 2015 BMW 550i, a 2015 Lexus IS 250, a 2013 Audi A8 L Quattro, a 2020 Ryker Rally Edition motorcycle, two Rolex watches, numerous pieces of jewelry, and five firearms.

The individuals charged in the indictment are: Kimberly Michelle Claridy Walker (44, Jacksonville); Neal Merrell Walker (50, Jacksonville); Marcus Antonio Peterson (35, Lake City); Ramone Lazai Astin (35, Jacksonville); Alfred Eugene Bell (36, Jacksonville); Mar’quez Maurice Mickler (20, Jacksonville); David Lee Geathers (24, Jacksonville); and Brandiesa Tylese Williams (24, Jacksonville).

According to the indictment and other court documents, the defendants were part of an armed drug trafficking organization that distributed illegal narcotics, primarily out of a “trap house” on 14th Street in Jacksonville, beginning in July 2018 and continuing until April 13, 2021, when six of the defendants were arrested. During the course of the conspiracy, the conspirators obtained kilogram quantities of the drugs, which were broken up into small amounts and re-packaged for sale to numerous individuals.

Bank account records and public documents reflect that on two occasions Kimberly Walker and Neal Walker, with the assistance of co-defendants, laundered approximately $98,000 through financial institutions from which they had obtained cashier’s checks to buy tax deeds for five properties in Jacksonville. Bank records also reflect that between June 13, 2019, and November 30, 2020, approximately $330,000 was deposited, almost entirely in cash, into an account in the name of a business entity owned by the Walkers.

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kyle William O’Brien (28, Estero) to 7 years in federal prison for using the internet to distribute images depicting the sexual abuse of children. O’Brien was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

O’Brien had pleaded guilty on December 26, 2019.

According to court documents, an individual that O’Brien had met through an online dating application (app) contacted the FBI after O’Brien had sent her images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The woman reported that after she had met O’Brien online on the dating app, the two met in person on February 1, 2019. During their visit, the woman saw O’Brien looking at and swiping through images on his cellphone that depicted the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Later, O’Brien sent the woman an online message using the dating app to invite her to watch a child exploitation video on his television. O’Brien continued to send the woman messages, he also sent her child sex abuse images. 

On April 25, 2019, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at O’Brien’s home and seized his cellphone. During an interview with law enforcement, O’Brien admitted sending child exploitation materials to the woman from his cellphone. A subsequent forensic examination of O’Brien’s cellphone revealed that the device had been used to search for images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children and also contained more than 100 hyperlinks to websites that hosted such materials.  

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Charles Cornelius Smith (35, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The court also ordered Smith to pay restitution to the victims he had defrauded.

Smith had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2021.

According to court documents, Smith obtained the personal identification information, including the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a victim. Using this information, Smith provided his co-defendant, Zipporan Carmel Peters, with a counterfeit South Carolina driver license using the name and identity of the victim, but with Peters’ photo on it. Smith then drove Peters to different branches of the Navy Federal Credit Union in Clay and Duval Counties. Using the victim’s identity, Peters made various fraudulent transactions involving the withdrawal of large amounts of cash and the purchase of multiple $500 gift cards, utilizing the victim’s account. Smith and Peters also visited multiple cellphone stores in Clay and Duval Counties and used the victim’s identity to obtain several thousand dollars’ worth of cellphones and accompanying merchandise.

Zipporan Carmel Peters is scheduled for trial on July 6, 2021.

“Technology has forever changed the way we do business, making every day financial transactions a prime target for fraud. This case should serve as a strong deterrent to those considering exploiting the identities of others to enrich themselves through fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge, Glen M. Kessler of the  U.S. Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Matthew Zachariah Humphrey (26, Daytona Beach) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that offense. Humphrey’s co-conspirator, Janee Reve Najee Kelly (32, Daytona Beach) was sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison for the same charges.

Humphrey and Kelly had pleaded guilty on February 11, 2021, and December 8, 2020, respectively. 

According to court documents, Humphrey, Kelly, and others worked together to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Daytona Beach area. On June 17, 2020, both Kelly and Humphrey were arrested in Daytona Beach. At the time of their arrests, Humphrey possessed cocaine, fentanyl, and a stolen, loaded firearm. Kelly possessed fentanyl and a firearm as well. Collectively, the two individuals possessed more than 88 grams of fentanyl. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

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 – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Derrick S. McCullough (31, Keystone Heights) with escape from federal custody.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on March 29, 2021, McCullough escaped from custody at Keeton Corrections Residential Reentry Center, a halfway house in Jacksonville, Florida.  McCullough was confined to Keeton while serving the final portion of a sentence imposed in connection with a federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bradford County Narcotics Task Force.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Michael Craig Gorycki (50, Titusville) guilty of attempted enticement of a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Gorycki faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 12, 2021. Gorycki has been detained since his arrest on August 7, 2020.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in August 2020, Gorycki engaged in online chats with a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force agent who was acting in an undercover capacity and posing as the father of a 13-year-old girl. During the online conversation, Gorycki expressed interest in meeting the father in order to gain access to and sexually assault his minor daughter.  Gorycki expressed in detail his intention to rape the child and teach her to perform a specific sexual act. Gorycki was arrested when he traveled to meet the father at a prearranged meeting place in Titusville so that he could have sex with the 13-year-old child.

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. L. Chang and John M. Gardella.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Edgar Vazquez (36, Fort Myers) to 11 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. The court also ordered Vazquez to forfeit a firearm and ammunition that were involved in the offense. 

Vazquez had been found guilty by a jury on September 15, 2020.

According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2018, Vazquez was driving a vehicle on Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, when he was stopped by Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies for committing a traffic infraction.  After a trained drug canine unit alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered approximately 500 grams of cocaine from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search warrant was executed at Vazquez’s residence, where approximately 700 grams of cocaine, cash, and a loaded gun were seized from his bedroom.  

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon R. Eth and David P. Sullivan.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Darius Jondi Edwards (42, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and for violating his federal supervised release.

Edwards had pleaded guilty on January 25, 2021, and admitted that he had violated his federal supervision by again manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.

According to court documents, in 2015 Edwards pleaded guilty in federal court in Jacksonville to charges he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes (i.e., counterfeit currency), that he and others passed throughout the Jacksonville area.  Edwards was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

After his release from prison in October 2019, and while still on federal supervised release for those prior counterfeiting charges, the Pinellas Park Police Department arrested Edwards for possession of counterfeit currency and forging/making counterfeit bank bills. During the course of arresting Edwards at a hotel, law enforcement found him to be in possession of counterfeit currency, partially completed counterfeit currency, and computer media used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service determined that Edwards had purchased the computer media used to manufacture the counterfeit notes in Duval County and then transported the computer media to Pinellas County, where he manufactured the counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.    

This case was investigated by the Pinellas Park Police Department and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Joseph Daniel Harrison (43, Melbourne) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for participating in a wire fraud conspiracy. Harrison had pleaded guilty on February 1, 2021.

According to court documents, between September 2018 and May 2020, Harrison acted as a “money mule” for individuals believed to be located overseas who were defrauding victims. Money mules are individuals who receive and move money obtained from victims of fraud. Harrison assisted in the fraud by receiving fraud proceeds in his personal and business bank accounts. Harrison then transferred most of the fraud proceeds to other members of the conspiracy, while keeping some funds for his own use. The types of fraud through which Harrison’s co-conspirators obtained the funds included COVID-19 related unemployment fraud on the State of Washington, email compromise fraud on a school district in Illinois, email compromise fraud on businesses in Maryland, Texas, and Virginia, and romance fraud on a victim in California.

The amount of fraud proceeds that were routed through bank accounts controlled by Harrison totaled $2,091,576.50.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Jennifer Harrington.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Steven Thomas Baryla (39, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Baryla was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Baryla had pleaded guilty on January 14, 2021. 

According to court documents, Baryla knowingly possessed child sexual abuse images and videos that he had obtained from the internet; he also accessed similar images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct via social media applications such as Kik and Snapchat. On June 20, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Baryla’s residence where agents from Homeland Security Investigations recovered Baryla’s cellphone. Subsequent forensic analysis of Baryla’s cellphone revealed that it contained 106 images and 10 videos depicting children being sexually abused. The internet history of the cellphone showed certain internet search terms, including “best state for sex offenders to live 2017” and “registered sex offender name change.”  

In 2011, Baryla was convicted on federal charges of transporting child pornography in New Jersey. 

“Thanks to HSI special agents, this child predator will have a decade to think about his crimes,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran.         

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Jarrod Austin (33, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, Austin was subject to an injunction for protection against domestic violence that had issued by the Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Nassau County on December 23, 2014. The injunction specifically prohibited Austin from possessing a firearm and federal law makes it a felony for anyone who is subject to an injunction against domestic violence to possess or purchase a firearm.

In August 2019, Austin tried to buy a firearm and was denied on the background check because of the injunction. Austin contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to dispute the denial and FDLE advised Austin that he was in fact prohibited from purchasing a firearm. On December 11, 2019, Austin went to a federally licensed firearms dealer in Jacksonville and again tried to purchase a firearm. Austin falsely stated on the ATF Form 4473 that he was not subject to an injunction, specifically a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Austin was again denied on the background check and did not obtain a firearm.     

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

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce Federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the Fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jamar Maurice James (31, Fort Myers) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon in connection with a shooting at an apartment complex parking lot in Fort Myers.

James had pleaded guilty on January 13, 2021.

According to court documents, on February 17, 2020, at approximately 3:15 a.m. officers from the Fort Myers Police Department responded to a “ShotSpotter” alert at the Jones Walker Palm Gardens Apartments in Fort Myers.  ShotSpotter® is a gunfire locator or gunshot detection system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapons fire using a combination of sensors in a geographic area. When officers arrived, although they did not locate any injured persons or a gunman, they found six spent ammunition cartridge casings in the apartment complex parking lot.  A subsequent investigation revealed that James had discharged an AK-47 firearm in the parking lot of the complex and then fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

James had previously been convicted of six felonies, including multiple prior convictions for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As a result, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

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

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced James Allen Shook (49, Weeki Wachee) to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to entice or coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Shook to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Shook had pleaded guilty on February 11, 2021.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2020, Shook posted an online classified ad stating that he was seeking “young horny girls” for sex, “first timers welcome!” and “all ages welcome!” On the same day, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), acting in an undercover capacity posing as a 13-year-old girl, responded to the ad. Despite learning that the “child” was 13, Shook arranged to travel to Clay County to engage in sex acts with the child. Shook also requested a nude photograph of the child and sent the child photographs of himself, including an explicit photo. Shook offered that the child could come live with him if she wanted. When Shook arrived at what he believed was the child’s home, he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations special agents. 

In an interview with agents, Shook stated that he had a sexual interest in children and that he searches the internet daily for child sexual abuse images, that it arouses him, and that he had searched for sexually explicit materials depicting children as young as 2 years old. Shook also admitted that he had displayed his penis to underage girls in person hundreds of times. Shook has nine prior felony convictions in New Jersey for lewdness, including five for lewdness involving children under 13.

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, 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, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Diamond Hamilton (23, Tampa) to two years in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Hamilton had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2021.

According to court documents, Hamilton was an employee of a federally insured credit union (Credit Union 1) in Tampa. In 2019, Hamilton and others engaged in a scheme to defraud the credit union by fraudulently obtaining money under the credit union’s control. To accomplish the scheme, Hamilton accessed bank account information of the Credit Union 1 victim account holders without the account holders’ knowledge or permission and added email addresses controlled by other conspirators in the scheme. Hamilton also added and/or changed online passwords associated with the victims’ accounts, then caused funds to be transferred from the victim account holders’ bank accounts to accounts controlled by her and other co-conspirators. Afterwards, the funds were subsequently withdrawn and shared amongst the conspirators.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.