Middle District of Florida

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Kenneth Wayne Pea, Jr. (39) and Travis Ramone Williams (37), both of Leesburg, with possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Pea is also charged with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.  If convicted, Pea and Williams face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. 

According to the indictment and other court documents, Pea sold approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on March 31, 2021, at a business in Belleview, Florida.  Thereafter, on April 14, 2021, officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Williams.  After a high-speed chase, Williams and Pea fled from the car on foot and discarded three bags containing 2 pounds of methamphetamine along with scales, baggies, and several bags of cocaine and heroin.

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

The case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.     

Jacksonville, Florida - Evan Andrew Bubbers (21, Bettendorf, IA) today pleaded guilty to distributing materials depicting the sexual abuse of children over the internet. Bubbers faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. Bubbers was arrested on March 30, 2021, at Naval Air Station - Jacksonville. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. 

According to court documents, on March 17, 2021, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) contacted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Jacksonville about an investigative tip, known as a “CyberTip,” that had been received by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC reported that a particular social media application (app) had filed a CyberTip indicating that videos depicting child sexual abuse had been uploaded over the internet and shared with other users on this app. A JSO investigation determined that the distribution of these videos was connected to Bubbers through the internet service for his barracks residence at Naval Air Station - Jacksonville. During an interview on March 30, 2021, Bubbers admitted to uploading and sharing material depicting the sexual abuse of children using the app, including the video from the Cybertip. This same video was also located during a search of Bubbers’s cell phone.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Kris Ralf Salvi (27, Tampa) to three years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Salvi had pleaded guilty on January 21, 2021. In September 2020, Salvi and nine others were charged in this case. The remaining cases are pending.

According to court documents, between April 14 and May 27, 2020, Salvi purchased two ounces of fentanyl from one of his co-defendants across a series of four transactions.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

This investigation is also the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Ronnie Jerome Jones (39, Jacksonville) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Due to his multiple prior felony convictions, Jones qualifies for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2021.

Jones had been indicted on March 11, 2020.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Jones, a previously convicted felon sold a .45 caliber handgun to a pawn shop in Jacksonville. Jones has been convicted of numerous violent narcotics felony offenses and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. At the time of this offense, Jones had been out of prison for less than nine months.

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

This case is also 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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert Dayon Dumas (26, Wesley Chapel) to 25 years in federal prison for robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. The Court also ordered Dumas to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the robberies, and to make restitution to the victims.

Dumas had been found guilty on January 25, 2021, following a bench trial.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during a one-week span in February 2018, Dumas used a gun to rob five Wesley Chapel businesses, including a gas station, a hotel, and a cell phone store. During the robberies, Dumas held victims at gunpoint, including a woman and her two-year-old granddaughter. He also threatened to shoot victims if they did not do what he said, at one point firing his gun above a victim’s head and stating, “the next one goes in your head!” In total, the robbery spree netted just over $2,000.

This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

A Florida man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme that resulted in the submission of approximately $3.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing.

Ivan Andre Scott, 36, of Kissimmee, was convicted by a federal jury on Jan. 8, 2021, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive unlawful health care kickbacks, and three counts of receiving unlawful kickbacks. According to court documents, Scott was the owner of Scott Global, a telemarketing call center located in Orlando. The evidence showed that Scott targeted Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing phone calls falsely stating that Medicare covered expensive cancer screening genetic testing, or “CGx” tests. Each test cost as much as $6,000. After beneficiaries agreed to take the test, the evidence showed Scott paid unlawful bribes and kickbacks to telemedicine companies to obtain doctor’s orders authorizing the tests. 

The evidence at trial showed that the telemedicine doctors approved the expensive testing even though they were not treating the beneficiary for cancer or symptoms of cancer, and often without even speaking with the beneficiary. According to the evidence presented at trial, Scott then sold the genetic tests and doctor’s orders to laboratories in exchange for illegal kickbacks. To conceal the illegal kickbacks, Scott submitted invoices to the laboratories and other marketers making it appear as though he were being paid for hourly marketing services, rather than per referral. 

Between November 2018 and May 2019, labs submitted more than $3.3 million in claims to Medicare for genetic tests that Scott had referred to them, of which Medicare paid over $1.3 million. In that timeframe, Scott personally received approximately $194,000 for his role in the scheme.

“The defendant used telemarketing and telemedicine to defraud Medicare of more than a million dollars for unnecessary genetic screening tests,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “The department will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who seek to use new technologies to plunder our government health care programs.”

“Fraudsters who steal from taxpayer-funded federal health care programs and engage in predatory telemarketing calls are a threat to our country’s health care system and its most vulnerable beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agents will continue to aggressively investigate health care fraud and hold criminals responsible for their actions.”

“The unscrupulous tactics used in this scheme to steal from taxpayers is what drives our investigators to combat healthcare fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “The FBI’s mission to protect the American people includes protecting them from fraudsters who cheat our nation’s federally funded healthcare systems.”

The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of Operation Double Helix, a federal law enforcement action led by the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, focused on fraudulent genetic cancer testing and the use of telemedicine that has resulted in charges against dozens of defendants associated with telemedicine companies and cancer genetic testing laboratories for their alleged participation in one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever charged.

Trial Attorneys Alejandro Salicrup and Jamie de Boer of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Fredrick Bernard Lewis (32, Ft. Lauderdale) to 37 months in federal prison for using unauthorized access devices at theme parks in Orlando.

Lewis had pleaded guilty on January 6, 2021.

According to court documents, between March 2018 and June 2020, Lewis used stolen credit card numbers belonging to 36 different victims to purchase theme park and hotel packages from Universal Orlando Resort valued at approximately $62,300. Lewis called the Universal call center or visited the Universal website to make the fraudulent purchases, each time using a different stolen credit card number. Most of the reservations were made via phone and, to avoid detection, Lewis utilized more than 20 different telephone numbers when calling in to make the reservations. After making a fraudulent purchase, Lewis and his associates would either use the ticket and hotel packages and/or have Universal convert the packages to Universal gift cards. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Eddrick Wright (25, Auburndale), Kaylob Davis (23, Auburndale), and Amere Benjamin (22, Auburndale) each to 14 years in federal prison for brandishing firearms while they were robbing convenience stores in Lutz and New Port Richey. The court also ordered the defendants to forfeit the firearms and make restitution to the victims.

Wright, Davis, and Benjamin each had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a robbery.

According to court documents, during the early morning of December 14, 2019, Wright, Davis, and Benjamin robbed two convenience stores, about an hour apart. In each case, they entered the store, pointed firearms at the clerks, ordered them to open the registers, and took cash. They also took products from the stores and personal property from the store employees. During the robberies, the defendants wore masks, including a Darth Vader mask.

Approximately two hours after the second robbery, Florida Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle that Wright was driving and in which Davis and Benjamin were passengers. During a search of the vehicle, the FHP trooper found firearms, a Darth Vader mask, credit cards, and a driver license belonging to the convenience store employees.         

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

This case is also 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.

Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Michael Davis (37, Jamaica, NY) guilty of conspiring and attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. He faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2021.

Davis had been indicted on August 13, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, in August 2017, Davis began using a social networking website to recruit young women to engage in commercial sex. In December 2017, Davis used the website to send a message to an individual whom he believed was a 17-year-old girl living in Denver, Colorado. Unbeknownst to Davis, however, he was communicating with an undercover agent who specialized in child sex trafficking investigations.

Over the course of several weeks, Davis conspired with another individual to attempt to recruit, entice, transport, and obtain the purported child to travel to the Tampa Bay area so that he could cause her to engage in commercial sex. In an effort to persuade the child, Davis talked about the lavish lifestyle she would have and sent photos of large amounts of cash and marijuana. Davis orchestrated the purchase of a one-way bus ticket for the child and promised to pick her up from the bus station. The day before the child was expected to arrive in Tampa, federal agents coordinated with local law enforcement officers to detain Davis, who admitted he had communicated with the child and purchased a bus ticket for her.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau Investigation, with assistance from the Largo Police Department and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking in the Tampa area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sean Patrick Farrelly (49, Palm Coast) to 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor. Farrelly was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. He has been in custody since his arrest on March 21, 2019. 

Farrelly had pleaded guilty on June 19, 2019.

According to court documents, between March 2018 and February 2019, Farrelly recruited, enticed, and solicited a 16-year-old child to engage in commercial sex acts, by texting the victim, sending her pictures of money, and providing her with alcohol or marijuana. Farrelly paid the child victim $30 to $40 each time that they engaged in sexual intercourse. During several recorded phone calls between Farrelly and the victim, Farrelly admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim and stated that he was worried the calls were being recorded and he was going to go to jail.

This case was investigated by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Elvis Harold Reyes (56, Brandon, Florida) to 20 years and 9 months in federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme where he posed as an immigration attorney and filed hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications. The Court deferred consideration of victim restitution to a later date.

Reyes had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2020.

According to court documents, Reyes, who owned and operated EHR Ministries Inc., portrayed himself as an immigration attorney. He is not and has never been a licensed attorney. Reyes targeted undocumented immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries who were seeking Florida driver licenses and work authorization. Reyes gave false, inaccurate, and incomplete legal and immigration advice to victims in order to induce them to retain his services and those of EHR Ministries.

Victims retained and paid Reyes to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. Reyes filed fraudulent immigration applications in the victims’ names, seeking asylum relief and withholding-of-removal protections provided for under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. In doing so, Reyes falsified answers to questions in the asylum applications—fabricating stories about threats, persecution, and the applicants’ fear of returning to their native countries. Reyes did not inform the victims of the answers that he had provided on their behalf. He also did not inform the victims about the legal, administrative, and other immigration-related consequences that might follow from filing for asylum relief or for Convention Against Torture protection. 

Reyes filed more than 225 fraudulent applications, intending to cause victim loss of more than $1 million. His victims’ actual losses exceeded $411,000. Reyes spent the criminal proceeds on, among other things, travel, luxury shopping, spas, jewelry, beautification/anti-aging procedures, and an allowance for his girlfriend.

Reyes threatened aggrieved victims who confronted him by claiming that he could have them deported. And, when investigative reporting revealed Reyes’s scheme, he attempted to obstruct justice by having a friend wipe his computers.

“Posing as an immigration attorney, Reyes targeted hundreds of vulnerable people in the Tampa community with his immigration scam,” said USCIS Tampa District Director Michael Borgen. “USCIS is committed to finding and stopping those who want to cheat the immigration system, and preserving it for those who qualify for immigration benefits.”

“This criminal defrauded hundreds of victims who thought they were starting a path to legal citizenship,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special in Charge Michael Cochran. “Identity and benefit fraud are crimes that threaten the national security and public safety of the U.S. by creating vulnerabilities to our legal immigration system. Thanks to HSI special agents, and our partners with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, he will now be held accountable for his crimes.”

“It is appalling that Elvis Reyes was preying on vulnerable individuals living in fear within our county,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I am proud of our detectives, who thoroughly investigated claims made by each victim, and our diligent efforts to reach undocumented members of our community through both English and Spanish PSAs, encouraging them to come forward if they were taken advantage of by Mr. Reyes. I am confident that these efforts ultimately helped lead to a conviction.”

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Irving Cepeda-Chico (39, Kissimmee) to 14 years in federal prison for 12 counts of distribution of controlled substances and 1 count of conspiracy to distribute such substances. Cepeda-Chico had pleaded guilty on November 20, 2020.

According to court documents, Cepeda-Chico was involved in obtaining and distributing heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin in Orlando and elsewhere in central and northern Florida. Audio and video recordings showed Cepeda-Chico selling thousands of dollars of fentanyl-laced heroin on multiple occasions. The audio recordings captured Cepeda-Chico discussing distribution plans, discussing the quality of his product with an international supplier, offloading bad fentanyl and heroin on another distributor, and arranging to pay his supplier through money orders.

During the sentencing hearing, the court found that on one occasion Cepeda-Chico had distributed fentanyl-laced heroin to an individual, M.D., causing M.D.’s fatal overdose in the overnight hours of July 19, 2019. As a result, the court adjusted Cepeda-Chico’s sentence upward to hold him accountable for M.D.’s death. 

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). 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. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sherriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Lakeland Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and the Medical Examiner’s Office for Districts 9 and 25. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced John Armstrong (32, North Fort Myers) to 35 years in federal prison for two bank robberies, an attempted bank robbery, a Hobbs Act robbery, and three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Armstrong had pleaded guilty on September 22, 2020. Armstrong’s co-defendants, Tanya Legg (45, North Fort Myers) and Daniel Zirk (24, Spring Hill), also previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced in December 2020 for their roles in this.

According to court documents, on June 14, 2019, Armstrong used a firearm to rob a 7-Eleven convenience store in North Fort Myers. During this robbery, Armstrong struck one of the store employees in the face with his firearm. On July 31, 2019, Armstrong used a firearm to rob a Bank OZK in Punta Gorda, stealing more than $151,000 from the bank’s vault.

On September 25, 2019, Armstrong and Zirk attempted to commit an armed robbery of a PNC Bank in Davenport. Zirk carjacked two vehicles earlier that morning, holding the victims at gunpoint. Armstrong and Zirk later used one of the carjacked vehicles as a getaway car following the attempted PNC Bank robbery. The robbery failed after the bank’s alarm went off. The following day, Armstrong, Zirk, and Legg robbed a BB&T Bank in Altamonte Springs, during which Armstrong and Zirk threatened to kill the bank employees and used firearms to force the employees to open the bank’s vault. They then stole approximately $22,000 in cash from the vault. Legg helped plan and purchase supplies for the BB&T Bank robbery and the attempted PNC Bank robbery. She also served as the getaway driver for these two robberies. 

On December 9, 2020, Legg was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for her role in this case. Zirk was sentenced on December 16, 2020, to 22 years and 4 months in prison for his role in the case.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Altamonte Springs Police Department, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Amanda Daniels.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Edgar John Dawson, Jr. (47, Cocoa) to 50 years in federal prison for five counts of using a minor child to produce sexual abuse videos and two counts of distributing child sex abuse images over the internet. Dawson was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to forfeit his phone. He has been in custody since his arrest on May 7, 2020.

Dawson had pleaded guilty to the distribution counts on November 17, 2020.  He was subsequently found guilty of the production offenses on December 8, 2020, following a bench trial.

According to court documents, on five different occasions in March 2020 and May 2020, Dawson produced videos of himself using an 11-year-old child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He then distributed these videos to others in internet chat rooms where persons with a sexual interest in children are known to gather.  Dawson also shared images depicting the sexual abuse of numerous young children through an online messaging application in order to obtain similar images in return.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Orlando and Jacksonville), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington D.C.), and the Cocoa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

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, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Francis Medina (42, Lehigh Acres) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing cocaine and methamphetamine.

Medina had pleaded guilty on August 5, 2020.

According to court documents, in November 2019, Medina sold cocaine and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. When authorities later searched Medina’s home, they discovered a variety of drugs and a loaded gun in his bedroom.     

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Davron Igles (33, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Igles to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.

Igles had pleaded guilty on October 28, 2019.

According to court documents and testimony presented at the sentencing hearing, in May 2019, during an argument at a convenience store in Ybor City, Igles pulled up his shirt revealing a pistol. When law enforcement officers tried to arrest Igles, he attempted to flee and resisted their efforts to detain him and to remove the gun from his waistband. Officers eventually took him into custody and recovered the firearm.

Igles had previously been convicted of 13 felonies, including a conviction 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 Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton.

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.

Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Wayne Grant, Jr. (27, Orlando) with receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted, Grant faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Grant worked as a correctional officer at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. In December 2020, Grant agreed to smuggle methamphetamine into the prison for an inmate in exchange for money. Once federal authorities were notified, Grant unwittingly began contacting an undercover agent in order to complete the transaction.  

Federal agents mailed approximately 70 grams of fake methamphetamine and $2000 in money orders to a post office where Grant had requested the drugs be sent. Grant was observed retrieving the package from the post office and later deposited the money orders into his bank account. Subsequently, during his assigned shift on February 4, 2021, Grant smuggled the contraband into FCC Coleman and provided it to an inmate.

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 Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kwameaine Rashad Brown (28, Fort Myers) to 6 years and 11 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Brown to forfeit the firearm and 87 rounds of ammunition involved in the offense.   

Brown had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2020.

According to court documents, on the night of December 31, 2019, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) observed Brown on city surveillance cameras openly carrying a firearm and placing it in the trunk of a vehicle. Brown later entered the vehicle, which was subsequently stopped by FMPD officers patrolling the area. The firearm Brown had been holding was identified as a Springfield Armory Saint 5.56 mm AR-15 pistol, which was equipped with a high-capacity drum-style magazine and loaded with more than 80 rounds of ammunition.  At the time, Brown was a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

This case is also 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.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Julio Lugo (44) and Rosenide Venant (37), both of Davenport, with conspiracy and making false statements to a financial institution. Lugo has also been charged with an illegal monetary transaction relating to the illegal use of coronavirus relief funds to pay off a note on a luxury car purchased during the conspiracy. If convicted, Lugo faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in federal prison; Venant faces up to 35 years’ imprisonment.

According to the complaint, beginning in or about March 2020, Lugo and Venant conspired to defraud the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) out of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds. Lugo and Venant used their home IP-address to submit at least 70 false and fraudulent loan applications seeking funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. The fraudulent loan applications requested more than $5.8 million, including for shell companies established by Lugo, Venant, and their relatives. The conspirators also secured coronavirus relief funds for a defunct tax-preparation company that Lugo had previously used to perpetrate a tax fraud in or around 2015. Once the emergency loans were secured, the conspirators misused the PPP and EIDL funds by paying off a luxury vehicle, spending more than $62,000 at casinos, and for other personal purposes. Additionally, the conspirators withdrew at least $320,000 in cash. Lugo publicized the misuse of the SBA funds in a Facebook video featuring a hotel room littered with $100 bills and at least $5,000 in merchandise from Louis Vuitton.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. In response to COVID-19, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories were also authorized to apply for loans and grants through the COVID-19 EIDL program.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Fiore and Suzanne Nebesky.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Robert H. Hendricks (64, Ponte Vedra) to six years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $2,682,924.34, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. In addition, the court ordered Hendricks to pay $3,879.881.34 in restitution.

Hendricks had pleaded guilty on September 28, 2020.

According to court documents, Hendricks was a licensed real estate broker in the Middle District of Florida. Hendricks told two of his victims, a husband and wife who were his longtime friends, that he had been successful with commercial property development and needed money for another commercial property deal in central Florida. In October 2014, the husband paid Hendricks $300,000 as an investment in two commercial property ventures. Hendricks never used the funds for an investment. Instead, he used the funds for his personal benefit.

On March 21, 2016, Hendricks received a wire of $200,000 from another victim, who was also a friend. Hendricks told that victim that Wawa, a chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was establishing locations in Jacksonville and offered the victim a deal for four to five stores. The victim believed that three of the five locations were completed based, in part, on a contract Hendricks provided referencing a Wawa at the St. Johns Town Center (SJTC), as well as other representations Hendricks made. However, the store at the SJTC had already been built at the time of the investment. Hendricks was not involved in that or any other project involving Wawa locations at the SJTC. 

On April 18, 2016, Hendricks received a wire of $490,000 from a lender for a property he obtained from a longtime friend through misrepresentations. The victim had agreed to temporarily transfer the property to Hendricks to enable him to pay for cleanup and obtain special insurance, but Hendricks did not need to pay for any cleanup and no special insurance was required. Instead, once the property was in Hendricks’ name, he mortgaged the property for his benefit and failed to repay that loan. The lender then foreclosed the property and took title after an auction.

On February 13, 2017, Hendricks received a wire of $388,962.17 from a victim for another purported commercial property venture. Hendricks falsely claimed he had an interest in an LLC that owned a Home Depot and the victim could invest in it. However, the money went to an LLC Hendricks had created solely to further his scheme, and Hendricks did not own any interest in the unrelated LLC that actually owned the Home Depot.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Leslie Spencer (48, Port Charlotte) with attempted possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, Spencer faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Spencer worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution’s offsite work camp located in Fort Myers. In March 2021, Spencer agreed to smuggle three ounces of methamphetamine, three ounces of MDMA, a small amount of synthetic marijuana, and two cellphones into the prison and provide it to an inmate in exchange for a payment of $400.

On March 31, 2021, shortly before his shift was to begin, Spencer met with an undercover employee of the FBI in the parking lot of a retail store located on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Fort Myers. There, the undercover employee provided Spencer with sham drugs, two cellphones, and $400 in cash. Upon leaving the store, Spencer was arrested.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Joaquin Nabi Olsson (46, Stockholm, Sweden) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for using the internet and social media to entice and persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. Olsson was also ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender. He was arrested on July 20, 2019, and has been detained since his arrest.

Olsson had pleaded guilty on July 14, 2020. 

According to court documents, Olsson, who was an actor in Sweden, met the child victim online in mid-2018, when she was 14 or 15 years old. For months, Olsson engaged in frequent communications with the victim through various online platforms. During those conversations, he learned about the challenges in the victim’s home life and assumed the role of a rescuer to help her through those challenges.

Eventually, Olsson revealed his sexual interest in the child victim, and engaged her romantically through their online communications, calling her his “wife” and expressing his intention to move to Florida to marry her. In March 2019, Olsson traveled from Sweden to the United States to visit the child for two weeks.  During that that visit, Olsson and the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct together. Two months later, in May 2019, Olsson returned to the United States again to visit the victim and to have sex with her. He was arrested in July 2019, after being found together with the victim at a hotel in Brevard County.

“This child predator thought he could use international borders to abuse children and avoid law enforcement detection,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Thanks to HSI special agents and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, he will now understand how seriously we take this crime in the United States.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palm Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

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 – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Justin Aaron Redding (37, Callahan) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Redding to forfeit more than $31,000, two handguns, and ammunition which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.         

Redding had pleaded guilty on October 22, 2020.

According to court documents, pursuant to an investigation regarding Redding, law enforcement officers located Redding walking outside a hotel on the Southside area of Jacksonville. At the time, Redding had several outstanding felony warrants. Following a foot pursuit of Redding, on his person and in his car, officers located two handguns with ammunition, more than $31,000, 205 grams of methamphetamine, 45 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of heroin, and 17 grams of marijuana.

Prior to these events, Redding had been convicted of various felony drug offenses. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. At the time of this offense, Redding had been out of prison for approximately one year.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez and 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.

Orlando, Florida – Jarvis Wayne Madison (62, New Albany, IN) has pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death of R.M. Madison faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date is scheduled for June 14, 2021.

Madison had been indicted on January 12, 2017. 

According to court documents, Madison and R.M. were married but estranged. On November 15, 2016, in Indiana, Madison held R.M. against her will, threatened to kill her, and shot at her with a firearm. R.M. was able to escape from Madison and, with the help of a relative, relocate to Ormond Beach, Florida. From November 15, 2016, to November 27, 2016, Madison left multiple voicemails on and sent multiple text messages to the cellphone of R.M.’s relative, attempting to get R.M. to speak to him.

During at least a portion of that period, Madison stayed with Belenda Sandy at her West Virginia residence, eventually leaving there and driving to Florida with a firearm and binoculars, intending to harass R.M. In Florida, Madison disguised himself and used the binoculars to conduct surveillance on R.M. After watching her leave her relative’s residence in Ormond Beach alone to go for a jog, Madison made contact with R.M. on November 27, 2016. Madison and R.M. then left the area in his SUV. A short time thereafter Madison pointed a firearm at R.M. and shot her three times, killing her. Madison then left Florida with the R.M.’s body in his SUV and traveled back to Sandy’s residence in West Virginia. After spending the night there, Madison bought a shovel and a tarp and drove to Tennessee, where he buried R.M.’s body in a shallow grave.

Following R.M.’s disappearance on November 27, 2016, authorities began an investigation that resulted in Madison’s arrest on December 2, 2016, in Kentucky.  During a subsequent search of Madison’s SUV, law enforcement recovered the firearm used in the homicide, as well as the binoculars he used to stalk R.M. Law enforcement also observed blood stains on the front passenger seat of the SUV. When interviewed, Madison admitted he shot R.M. and later directed authorities where to find her body.

Sandy (60, Buckhannon, West Virginia) previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice related to this case. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville, Knoxville, and Louisville Field Offices), with assistance from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, the Indiana State Police, and the Clarksville (Indiana) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn P. Napier and Daniel P. Jancha.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, or know someone who is, remember that you are not alone. For assistance and resources in your area, call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit the Office on Violence Against Women at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence. Assistance is also available from local law enforcement.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Wayne Joseph Cavins (62, Deltona) with four counts of producing child exploitation materials. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15, and up to 30 years, in federal prison on each count. Cavins was arrested at his home on March 30, 2021, and has been ordered detained pending trial. 

According to the indictment, between January 8 and January 21, 2021, Cavins enticed and used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of having the minor produce images depicting the sexual abuse of the minor.

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

This case was investigated by St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being 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.

 

Ocala, FL – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr., has sentenced Jose Merced Sanchez De La Torre (43, Ocala) to 46 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien and unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien. Sanchez De La Torre had pleaded guilty on September 24, 2020.

According to court documents, on August 31, 2020, the FBI received a tip that a residence in Ocala contained illegal aliens and firearms. U.S. Customs and Border Protection researched the address and determined that one of the residents, Sanchez De La Torre, was an illegal alien from Mexico. Sanchez De La Torre previously had been deported from the United States, in 2015, following federal convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm (an aggravated felony) and seven counts of structuring financial transactions.

On September 8, 2020, law enforcement officers executed an arrest warrant at the residence. During a search of the premises, a large amount of ammunition and three firearms were located, including an AK-47 rifle. As both an illegal alien and a convicted felon, Sanchez De La Torre is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.

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 – Gregorio Jose Fuentes-Zelaya (27, Orlando) and Dennis Alexander Barahona (38, Chelsea, MA) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Fuentes-Zelaya has pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and two counts of tax fraud. Barahona has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and each tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The United States also will seek forfeiture of $1,367,625, the approximate amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the wire fraud offenses, as well as funds seized from two bank accounts utilized during the scheme, with balances totaling $230,764. Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona also owe a total of approximately $5,766,286 in restitution for the tax fraud offenses.

Fuentes-Zelaya is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2021. A sentencing date for Barahona has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona established shell companies that purported to be involved in the construction industry. They obtained workers’ compensation insurance policies in the name of the shell companies to cover a minimal payroll for a few purported employees. They then “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance to work crews who had obtained subcontracts with construction contractors on projects in various Florida counties. Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona sent the contractors a certificate as “proof” that the work crews had workers’ compensation insurance, as required by Florida law. By sending the certificate, the defendants falsely represented that the work crews worked for their companies. Over the course of the scheme, the Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona “rented” the certificates to hundreds of work crews.

The contractors issued payroll checks for the workers’ wages to the shell companies and the conspirators cashed these checks, then distributed the cash to the work crews after deducting their fee, which was typically about 6% of the payroll. During the period of the scheme, the conspirators cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $22,793,748, with their fees totaling approximately $1,367,625. Neither the shell companies nor the contractors reported to government authorities the wages that were paid to the workers, nor did they pay either the employees’ or the employers’ portion of payroll taxes – including Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Income tax. According to the IRS, the estimated amount of payroll taxes due on wages totaling $22,793,748 is $5,766,286.

The scheme also facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for the hundreds of workers on the work crews to whom Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance. Had workers’ compensation insurance policies been purchased for a payroll totaling $22,793,748, the policy premiums would have totaled about $3,600,000. The policies that Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona purchased, and then “rented” out, were for estimated payrolls of $80,800 to $100,800. The insurance company issued those policies for premiums ranging from $15,206 to $31,268.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Tampa, Florida – Terrance Lee Hester, Jr. (20, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to damaging or destroying by fire a building used in interstate commerce. Hester faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, around midnight on May 31, 2020, a protest near a shopping plaza located at 2301 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa devolved into civil unrest, looting, and destruction of property. During this disturbance, the Champs Sports store located in the shopping plaza was set on fire. The building became fully engulfed in fire, resulting in major damage to the building and the loss of property. The estimated loss to the building, the Champs Sports store, and other businesses in the plaza is approximately $1.25 million.

Video footage obtained by investigators revealed that Hester had participated in the civil disturbance and tossed a flaming piece of cloth into the Champs Sports store through a broken window. Fire investigators determined that the fire originated inside the Champs Sports store, and Hester’s act caused or contributed to the cause of the fire.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Ji Lin Qiu (44) and Gui Zhen Yang (37), both of Palm Coast, have pleaded guilty to offenses related to their employment of undocumented aliens at their restaurants. Qiu has pleaded guilty to harboring undocumented aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Yang has pleaded guilty to establishing a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading United States Immigration laws and she faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. As part of his plea agreement, Qiu agreed to forfeit a residence in Palm Coast, a 2013 Toyota Sienna van, a 2019 Honda Odyssey van, and a 2020 Honda Odyssey van. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Qiu and Yang had been indicted on September 14, 2020.

According to court documents, Qiu and Yang, a married couple, owned and operated the Red Bowl restaurant on Bartram Park Boulevard in Jacksonville, the Red Bowl Poké & Hibachi restaurant on Crosshill Boulevard in Jacksonville, and the Fancy Sushi & Grill restaurant on East Highway 100 in Palm Coast. At the restaurants, they employed aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States and who were not legally authorized to work in the United States. Contrary to federal law, they did not require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the United States.

Qiu and Yang also owned or rented three residences, each of which was near one of the restaurants. At the residences, they provided rent-free housing to the undocumented workers. They also provided the workers with transportation between the houses and the restaurants. Qiu and Yang paid the workers in cash, did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages, and did not pay the employer’s portion of these taxes to government authorities. They also did not report the workers to state revenue authorities as required under Florida law to ensure the collection of the proper amount of unemployment compensation tax.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Frederick Charles Trueblood, Jr. (47, North Fort Myers) to 14 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Trueblood was also sentenced to a 10-year concurrent prison term for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. In addition, he was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Trueblood had pleaded guilty on October 30, 2020.

According to court documents, FBI agents began an undercover investigation to identify individuals who approach children in online chat rooms to lure them into sexual activity. Between May 13 and 14, 2019, Trueblood sent an unsolicited chat message to an individual whom he believed to be a 13-year-old girl but was actually an undercover agent. During the chat, Trueblood asked the “child” to send him graphic nude images exposing herself to him. Trueblood also sent multiple explicit pictures of himself to the “child.”

On August 23, 2019, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Trueblood’s home and seized his computers. During an interview with agents, Trueblood admitted that he had used the chat site “just for sexual fun.” He admitted that quickly after meeting kids on the chat site that he would have sexually explicit conversations with them and that he had sent pictures of his penis to many children on the chat site, and that another chat site had actually banned him for sending such pictures to kids. A subsequent forensic examination of Trueblood’s computers revealed numerous images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children that he had been collecting since May 2018.

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.

Tampa, Florida – Jack R. Dove, III (41, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to receiving and possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2021.

Dove had been indicted on January 29, 2019.

According to court documents, Dove used the cryptocurrency bitcoin to pay for a membership to a Darknet marketplace called “Welcome To Video,” which contained the largest collection of child sexual exploitation materials by volume on the Darknet. In March 2018, the Korean National Police in South Korea seized the server that was used to operate the “Welcome To Video” website, which contained over 250,000 child sexual exploitation videos. The website exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for purchase and download 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 approximately 8,700 megabytes of child sex abuse material. In August 2018, Dove used another account to pay for “VIP” membership to the website granting him unlimited downloads from the website over a six-month period. During his VIP membership status, Dove downloaded and received approximately 38 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including young children.

On November 30, 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Dove’s Lakeland home and seized several electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Dove had in fact received the child sex abuse videos that he had previously purchased from the “Welcome To Video” website and was in possession of additional child sex abuse material depicting young children, including infants and toddlers, who had been bound and subjected to sadistic and violent acts during the production of the videos.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The international investigation was led by IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the National Crime Agency of 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 from 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.  

 

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Sanjay Lama (32, Jacksonville) guilty of using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Lama was arrested on September 25, 2019, in Jacksonville and has been detained since that date. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2021. Lama is a citizen of Nepal who, at the time of this offense, was legally residing in Jacksonville and working as an information technology specialist for a local company.

According to evidence and testimony introduced during the five-day trial, on September 25, 2019, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a pregnant 12-year-old girl, was contacted by Lama, who was using the screen name “Awesome_Jack.”  Lama and the undercover agent engaged in online conversation using a social media app known both for its anonymity as well as for being a way to meet others online for sex. Throughout that day, Lama sent 160 text messages in which he expressed his desire to meet the 12-year-old “child” to engage in sexual activity. Lama provided graphic descriptions of the sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child.”  Later that afternoon, Lama left his workplace in downtown Jacksonville and rode his motorcycle to a prearranged location at a shopping center in south Jacksonville to meet the “child.” His plan was to take her to her nearby residence for sex. When he arrived at the meeting location, Lama was approached by FBI agents as he was texting with the “child” on his cellphone and was arrested.              

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

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

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement, through a consent decree, with the City of Orlando resolving allegations that the city violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it discriminated and retaliated against Dawn Sumter, a female Assistant Fire Chief with the Orlando Fire Department (“Fire Department”).

Title VII is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin and retaliation for engaging in activities protected by Title VII, such as complaining about discrimination. The complaint and consent decree, filed in a federal district court in Orlando, resolve allegations that Assistant Chief Sumter was sexually harassed by the former fire chief and then retaliated against by Fire Department leadership for complaining about the discrimination and harassment that she faced.

“Sexual harassment in the workplace is intolerable under any circumstance and is particularly pernicious where the victim is a public servant engaged in protecting fellow members of the community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The type of sexual harassment and retaliation allegedly suffered by the assistant fire chief in this case prevents women who work in jobs historically dominated by men from protecting and serving the public on an equal basis. This consent decree reflects the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to ensuring that all workers are entitled to a workplace free from sexual harassment and that no person should fear retaliation for seeking help when harassed.”

“Protecting the civil rights of our citizens, including public sector employees, remains a paramount priority for the Middle District of Florida,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida. “Sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace will not be tolerated and the type of discrimination suffered by Assistant Chief Sumter can only be prevented when employers unequivocally promote a workplace free from discrimination.”

The United States’ complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, alleges that Assistant Chief Sumter’s immediate supervisor, the former fire chief, regularly subjected her to sexual harassment in the workplace. After Ms. Sumter filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaining about discrimination, the Fire Department began to retaliate against her, according to the complaint filed today. Fire Department leadership, including the former chief and deputy chiefs, took several harassing, retaliatory actions designed to derail Ms. Sumter’s career and prohibit her from advancement within the Fire Department because of her discrimination complaint.

Under the terms of the consent decree, the City of Orlando will develop and submit to the United States for approval its discrimination and retaliation policies, complaint investigation procedures, and trainings that will be used at the Fire Department.  The consent decree further requires the city to provide training for all Fire Department employees on these policies and provides for future annual training on these subjects. The city will also pay Ms. Sumter $251,500 in compensatory damages and $182,640 in attorney’s fees to her private counsel.

The EEOC received a charge of sex discrimination and an amended charge of retaliation filed by Ms. Sumter. The EEOC investigated the matter and found reasonable cause to believe that the Fire Department discriminated against and retaliated against its employee. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the matter to the Justice Department.

Today’s agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative announced in February 2018. The Initiative is aimed at eradicating sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach, and development of effective remedial measures to address and prevent future sex discrimination and harassment.

The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section brought this case in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The case was brought by Employment Litigation Section Attorneys Brian McEntire and Ejaz Baluch Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yohance Pettis of the Middle District of Florida.

The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division.  Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jason Brian Goff (45, Starke) to 20 years in federal prison for the attempted use of children to produce sexually explicit videos. Goff was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Goff was arrested on September 13, 2019, and has been detained since that date.

Goff had pleaded guilty on September 25, 2020.

According to court documents, in August 2019, two 14-year-old Clay High School students reported seeing what they believed was a camera lens, concealed within a locked gym locker, in the Clay High School girls’ locker room. When school administrators opened the locker, they discovered a cellphone taped to the inside wall of the locker with the lens pointed out of a pre-fabricated hole.

A forensic analysis of the phone revealed a 30-minute video which had been filmed from a window looking into the locker room where female students were captured and recorded changing clothes. At the end of the video, the phone had been panned down to show the identification badge of Clay High School Custodian Jason Goff.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Goff on September 13, 2019. Goff later admitted that he had tried filming girls in the locker room at least three times, from different vantage points.

Forensic analyses of other electronic devices belonging to Goff revealed additional images from the girls’ high school locker room, and a collection of child exploitation materials, to include a video and images of adults sexually abusing children of various ages, including images of infants. 

“It is beyond reprehensible that this predator used his position of trust as a school employee to sexually exploit children,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to HSI special agents and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, he will be held accountable for his crimes.”

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, with the full cooperation of the Clay County School Board and Clay High Administrators. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Leslie Pagan (40, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin and a quantity of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and eight counts of distribution of heroin or fentanyl. Pagan faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.

Pagan had been indicted on August 27, 2020, along with Jackylin Bonifacio and Steven Echevarria. A superseding indictment was filed on November 5, 2020. Prior to trial, Bonifacio pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and Echevarria pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin.

According to testimony presented at trial, from January 1, 2016, through September 1, 2020, Pagan, Echevarria, Bonifacio and others conspired to distribute heroin. Bonifacio distributed heroin she had received from Pagan and Echevarria to heroin users in Hillsborough County. Echevarria initially controlled the supply he obtained from another co-conspirator, but when Echevarria was incarcerated in 2017, Pagan took over that role and distributed the heroin to Bonifacio. On December 19, 2019, Bonifacio distributed a substance to the victim. Bonifacio thought the substance was heroin, but it was actually fentanyl. When the victim used the fentanyl shortly after receiving it from Bonifacio, the victim 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 found in possession of 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim 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 over $105,000 in currency from her residence.

Bonifacio testified during the trial and identified Pagan as her supplier and the co-conspirator that provided the fentanyl that the victim had used, resulting in her death.

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.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Melvin Rodriguez (49, Plant City) to five years and four months in federal prison for money laundering. The court also ordered Rodriguez to forfeit $26,000, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

Rodriguez had pleaded guilty on January 4, 2021.

According to court documents, from December 2019 through February 12, 2020, Rodriguez laundered approximately $260,000 in bulk cash that he believed to be the proceeds of narcotics sales. During this period, Rodriguez owned a tire shop in Plant City and used his business to launder what he believed to be drug money. As a part of his scheme, Rodriguez opened bank accounts at different banks and utilized a system of micro-structuring to avoid detection of his criminal activities.  

“The combined efforts of the federal, state, and local agencies comprising the Federal Financial Crimes Task Force led to a successful resolution in this case, demonstrating just how impactful law enforcement can be in the fight to rid our communities of crime,” stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “This IRS led initiative is designed to harness the best each participating agency and department has to offer. We are proud to work with our partners to uncover and investigate financial and other related crimes.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Federal Financial Crimes Task Force, including IRS – Criminal Investigation, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Cloud Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, and the Kissimmee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Alan Trent Harley (62, Chuluota) to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered Harley to forfeit more than $870,000, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

Harley had pleaded guilty on December 4, 2020.

According to court documents, Harley co-founded Central Medical Systems, a provider of wound care supplies, in 1986. As president and sole active owner of the business, Harley was responsible for submitting claims to Medicare on behalf of Central Medical Systems. From at least 2011 through 2015, Harley knowingly defrauded the government of more than $870,000 by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare. Although his employees provided him with accurate data about which wound care supplies were sent, and in what quantities, Harley frequently changed that data (with respect to both product type and quantities) before submitting claims to Medicare, in order to obtain fraudulently higher reimbursements from Medicare.

This case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Michael Glenn Chope (57, Orange Park) to 60 years in federal prison for using a minor child to produce sexually explicit images. Chope was arrested on April 3, 2019, and was ordered detained throughout the proceedings in this case.   

Chope had pleaded guilty on May 28, 2020, to two counts of production of child exploitation materials. 

According to court documents, on March 13, 2019, detectives from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office met with Chope in relation to their investigation into a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Chope confirmed that his email address and telephone number were the same ones identified during the investigation and stated that he was sole user of his electronics and computers. He also admitted to viewing and possessing child exploitation materials, including on devices in his residence. Detectives seized several electronic devices from Chope’s home that were later found to contain numerous images produced by Chope. These images depicted Chope’s sexual abuse and molestation of a young child to whom he had access. Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in federal charges against Chope. Following the Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s contact with Chope, he became a fugitive and was later arrested on April 3, 2019, in Rowlett, Texas.

“HSI special agents are committed to finding and putting away those who prey on the innocent,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will do everything we can to protect children by stopping child predators like this and putting them behind bars for the rest of their lives.”

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Kelly 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – A federal jury today found Casey David Crowther (35, Fort Myers) guilty of bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering. Crowther faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud and false statement charges, and up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

According to evidence presented at trial, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan by falsely stating that he intended to use the money to make payroll and pay for 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 partner as “payroll.” To ensure that he did not need to pay the loan back under the terms of the PPP program, Crowther added multiple family members to his company’s payroll who did not actually perform work. Crowther also created 39 fake employees, along with fake identification documents including Social Security cards, in an attempt to show that his company was using the funds appropriately on payroll.

Prior to trial, Crowther had pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution related to a mortgage fraud scheme. In that 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.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that Maria Bassi Lauro (66, Davenport) has pleaded guilty in connection with sending threatening mailings containing suspicious powder to elementary schools throughout central Florida. Lauro faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

According to the

plea agreement , beginning in August 2018, Lauro sent threatening mailings to employees at four Central Florida elementary schools where she had worked as a teacher: Citrus Ridge Academy and Four Corners Charter School in Davenport, Groveland Elementary School in Groveland, and Laurel Elementary School in Poinciana. All four of the mailings contained a suspicious powder, and three of the mailings included notes indicating they were “punishment.” Law enforcement and HAZMAT-trained personnel responded to each of the schools after employees opened the mailings and found the unidentified powder.  Ultimately, after testing, authorities determined each of the mailings contained sodium bicarbonate, more commonly known as baking soda.

Lauro had effectively been fired for poor performance from each of the schools to which she sent the mailings, and each victim who received one of the letters had played a role in her performance review at and/or her terminations.

In her plea agreement, Lauro admitted she had sent the mailings because she was upset with each victim and school. Additionally, she admitted she sent the mailings with the intent to threaten each victim and cause them to believe he or she had been exposed to a deadly biological toxin.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel George.

Ocala, FL – United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced David Shaw (37, Ocala) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Shaw to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Shaw had pleaded guilty on September 10, 2020.

According to court documents, on December 5, 2019, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Shaw after he ran a stop sign on a stolen motorcycle. Shaw fled from the traffic stop, crashed the motorcycle, and then continued to flee on foot. While giving chase, a deputy observed Shaw discard a loaded 9mm firearm and a backpack. The backpack contained more than 100 rounds of ammunition. 

Shaw has eight prior felony convictions, including burglary of a dwelling, introduction of contraband into a detention facility, trafficking in methamphetamine, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Justin Latronica (31, Orange Park) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity. Latronica was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender following his release from prison. Latronica was arrested on January 25, 2020, and was ordered detained throughout the proceedings in this case.

Latronica had pleaded guilty on December 17, 2020.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 25, 2020, Latronica began chatting online with an undercover law enforcement officer who had assumed the persona of a 14-year-old boy. After learning the age of the “child,” Latronica invited the boy to “car play,” and to “kiss and see where it goes.” Latronica offered to come pick up the “child” and to engage in oral sex with the “child.” Latronica suggested the child wear “basket ball [sic] shorts or loose sweat pants.” Latronica traveled to what he believed was the home of the 14-year-old boy just before 2:00 a.m. for the planned sexual encounter. 

“This child predator thought he was going to prey on our communities most vulnerable—instead he came face-to-face with law enforcement,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to the dedicated investigators with HSI, the Clay County Sherriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service this predator will learn his lesson behind bars.” 

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the St. Johns 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.

Ocala, Florida – Johnny Lee Smith (43, Pensacola) today pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.

Smith had been indicted on September 30, 2020.

According to the facts presented in court, on August 29, 2020, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Smith’s car and saw a loaded .22 caliber revolver on the front passenger seat of the car. The deputies arrested Smith and recovered an additional .22 caliber bullet from his pocket. Smith has 15 prior state felony convictions, including numerous convictions for sale of cocaine. Because of these felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Charles Helm.

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

 

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces today that Rural/Metro Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $650,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for ambulance transports.

According to the settlement agreement, from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2016, Rural/Metro submitted claims to Medicare for basic life support, non-emergency services performed in the Middle District of Florida, which the United States contends lacked medical necessity because the patients who were transported either did not qualify for such services or did not require ambulance transport. As such, these services were non-reimbursable by Medicare. The United States also contends that the reasons for these transports was improperly documented. 

“Ambulance transportation services are often necessary, and sometimes critical, for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann.  “We will continue to protect the integrity of our federal health care programs by ensuring that the services rendered, and billed for, are actually necessary and appropriate under the law.”

This settlement resulted from an investigation coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Bloor and Kelley Howard-Allen, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Thomas Michael Ibarra (30, Brevard County) to 19 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Ibarra had pleaded guilty on October 27, 2020. 

According to court documents, Ibarra was responsible for distributing more than 9 kilograms of fentanyl in the Brevard County area during the approximately one-year period leading up to his arrest. Further, when arrested, Ibarra was in possession of nearly a quarter of a kilogram of fentanyl, and during the execution of a search warrant at his residence, law enforcement recovered two firearms, over three-quarters of a kilogram of fentanyl, scales, and other drug paraphernalia.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Jason A. Crowder (42, Zephyrhills) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Crowder had pleaded guilty on December 8, 2020.

According to court documents, on January 17, 2020, deputies from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Crowder’s residence and recovered 325 grams of methamphetamine from a safe inside the home.  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Orlando, Florida – Freddie Miguel Velez-Gonzalez (53, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin, and to six counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Velez-Gonzalez faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

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. 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 narcotics from him. This occurred on six different dates and resulted in the purchase of approximately 106 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.

On September 8, 2020, Velez-Gonzalez was arrested alongside his co-defendant, Inginio Santos-Garcia, at an address on Brosche Road in Orlando from which the co-defendants were distributing narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. Santos-Garcia pleaded guilty on November 9, 2020, and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Ocala, FL – Darrell Pete (32, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Pete had been indicted on June 3, 2020.

According to court documents, on April 18, 2020, an officer from the Ocala Police Department stopped a vehicle in which Pete was a passenger. After a police canine alerted to the odor of drugs, a search revealed a bag with a .22 caliber firearm and ammunition underneath Pete’s seat. Packaged with the firearm was court documentation in Pete’s name. Pete admitted that the firearm belonged to him, and later acknowledged that he had worked with another person to obtain the firearm and had placed it in the car that day.  

Pete has multiple prior state felony convictions, including several cocaine distribution offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition under federal law.

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

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.

Tampa, Florida – James Roland Jones, a/k/a “MillionaireMike” (33, Hermosa Beach, CA), has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Jones faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, from 2016 until at least 2017, Jones conspired with another to commit securities fraud. Jones, using the moniker “MillionaireMike,” purchased personally identifiable information (“PII”) on the dark web, including names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers. He used this information, in part, to open and/or operate accounts for the purpose of conducting financial transactions based on material, non-public information related to publicly traded securities, more commonly known as “insider information.”

In April 2017, an FBI undercover employee provided Jones with purported insider information related to a publicly traded, U.S. company (“U.S. Company 1”). From April 18, 2017, until May 4, 2017, Jones and a conspirator conducted numerous securities transactions based on this purported insider information.

In June 2017, Jones gained control of an investment account that had been fraudulently opened in the name of J.L.M. (“the J.L.M. Account”). In July 2017, Jones revealed to the FBI undercover employee that Jones had insider information related to a second publicly-traded, U.S. company (“U.S. Company 2”). From July 14, 2017, until July 26, 2017, Jones and the conspirator conducted numerous securities transactions based on this purported insider information, including some of which that were executed using the J.L.M. Account.

On March 18, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced (https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-51) that it had also charged Jones with related conduct in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

The criminal case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Houston and Tampa Divisions). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

WASHINGTON – A Florida man was charged with federal hate crime in Ocala.

Steven Shields, 24, of Dunnellon was charged with setting fire to and damaging the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala by a federal grand jury in Orlando, who returned an indictment against him.

According to the indictment, Shields intentionally set fire to the Queen of Peace Catholic Church on July 11, 2020. The indictment alleges that he was motivated to set this fire due to the religious character of the church. Shields is charged with one count of intentional damage to religious property, a hate crime charge that falls under the Church Arson Prevention Act, and one count of using fire to commit a felony.

If convicted, Shields faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment for intentionally damaging religious property. Shields faces an additional mandatory minimum of 10 years for using fire to commit a felony. He also faces up to three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution.

The FBI, the ATF, the Florida State Fire Marshal, the Florida Bureau of Fire and Arson Explosives Investigations, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Fire and Rescue Department and the Ocala Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr. of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. 

For more information and resources about the Department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.

An indictment is merely an accusation and Shields is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.