Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Douglas Lanier Hogan (31, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on two separate occasions. Hogan had pleaded guilty on August 12, 2020.

According to court documents, in July 2019, a cooperating defendant and a confidential informant, who were working at the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, began purchasing crack cocaine from Hogan and his co-defendant, Terrence Eugene Watts, at a motel in Jacksonville. During at least one of these purchases, both Hogan and Watts were armed with pistols. In early August 2019, Hogan, a convicted felon, sold a .357 caliber pistol to the cooperating defendant. In late August 2019, Hogan again sold crack cocaine to the cooperating defendant and confidential informant from a residence in Jacksonville. In September 2019, Hogan sold crack cocaine to the confidential informant from another residence. During that transaction, Hogan possessed a pistol with an extended magazine, which he had offered to sell for $500. In October 2019, Hogan was arrested at one of the residences, inside of which were controlled substances and a drug scale. Hogan later admitted that he had sold drugs and that he had been to prison before and knew he could not possess firearms.

Terrence Eugene Watts previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 11, 2021.

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti has sentenced Jeffrey Alan Dinkel (73, Fort Myers) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. 

Dinkel had pleaded guilty on May 20, 2019.

According to court documents, Dinkel had purchased a membership to several child pornography websites. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, agents recovered his computer and floppy disks containing images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Dinkel admitted to the agents that he had joined numerous websites that hosted images and videos of children being forced to perform sexual acts.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Phillip Roy Wasserman (63, Sarasota) and Kenneth Murray Rossman (62, Bradenton) with filing false income tax returns, in addition to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and substantive counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. The superseding indictment also charges Wasserman with tax evasion. If convicted, Wasserman and Rossman each face a maximum penalty of 20 years on each of the conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud counts, and up to 3 years’ imprisonment on each count of filing a false income tax return. In addition, Wasserman faces a maximum of 5 years’ imprisonment for the tax evasion count. The superseding indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment of at least $6.3 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the

superseding indictment , Wasserman, a former lawyer and licensed insurance agent, and Rossman, a Florida certified public accountant and licensed insurance agent, made false and fraudulent misrepresentations and concealed material information in order to convince elderly victim-investors to put their money into Wasserman’s new insurance venture, “FastLife.” Some victims were persuaded to liquidate traditional investments, such as annuities, and/or to borrow funds against existing life insurance policies to generate cash to invest in the venture. These victims were not told about surrender fees and other costs associated with the liquidations, and Rossman prepared income tax returns for victim-investors in a manner designed to conceal negative personal tax consequences that resulted from the liquidations from both the victim-investors and the Internal Revenue Service. Wasserman paid Rossman a percentage of the victim-investors’ money as compensation for his role in the conspiracy. Wasserman also used the victim-investors’ funds to make payments both to earlier victim-investors in the FastLife venture and to victim-investors in his earlier hedge fund and real estate fund ventures. Wasserman spent a significant amount of the victim-investors’ money to finance a lavish lifestyle that included luxury residences, high-end vehicles, jet skis, jewelry, entertainment, gambling, retail shopping, home improvements, personal insurance, and many other expenses, for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family members.

The superseding indictment also alleges that Wasserman took numerous steps to evade payment of more than $900,000 in taxes and filed false individual and corporate income tax returns. It also alleges that Rossman filed false income tax returns for himself and for victim-investors.

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 Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Colin P. McDonell.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Richard Paul Cote (53, Melbourne) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for committing two bank robberies in Collier County. The court also ordered Cote to pay $5,134 in restitution to the victim banks.

Cote had pleaded guilty on February 10, 2020.

According to court documents, on June 11, 2019, Cote robbed the Bank of America located at 12965 Collier Boulevard in Naples. One week later, Cote robbed the Lake Michigan Credit Union located at 8635 Collier Boulevard in Naples. During each robbery, Cote gave notes to tellers demanding money. The victim tellers complied with the notes and provided money to Cote. Cote left behind a small folio on the teller counter of the Lake Michigan Credit Union, which ultimately led to his identification and arrest by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Kenneth Mark Pohlmann (65, Longwood) to three years and two months in federal prison for passport fraud and identity theft. This sentence will be served consecutively to Pohlmann’s Florida state sentence for lewd act upon a child and lewd act in the presence of a child. Pohlmann was found guilty of passport fraud and identity theft after a bench trial on August 18, 2020. 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Pohlmann applied for a passport in his brother’s name in May 2000 in order to flee the United States after having failed to appear for an Orange County jury trial in June 2000 on child molestation charges. In 2006, Pohlmann renewed the false passport using his brother’s name at the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica.

In 2007, Pohlmann was arrested for cocaine trafficking in Italy using his brother’s name. In 2016, the U.S. Department of State discovered Pohlmann’s fraud as a result of another renewal application.

It is unclear when Pohlmann returned to the United States, but on January 2, 2018, more than 17 years after Pohlmann failed to appear for his Orange County jury trial, special agents with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), working with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, tracked down Pohlmann at his mother’s home in Longwood, Florida. Pohlmann was then arrested on the pending child molestation charges and was later convicted of those charges.

After Pohlmann was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months for lewd act upon a child and lewd act in the presence of a child in Orange County, he was transferred to federal court to face the federal charges for passport fraud and identity theft that led to his capture. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Isis Baldwin (38, Poinciana) with three counts of making a false statement to a federal agency. If convicted, Baldwin faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count.

According to the indictment, Baldwin made false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA) in relation to her daughter’s receipt of Supplemental Security Income. Specifically, Baldwin made material misrepresentations regarding her daughter’s living arrangements during an interview with an SSA employee. Baldwin subsequently submitted a statement to SSA in which she falsely represented that her daughter had moved to a different address. Baldwin also provided a falsified lease agreement in support of her false claim regarding her daughter’s new living arrangements.

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 Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Miami, Florida – U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom has sentenced Matthew Alexander King (23, Miami) to 20 years in federal prison for retaliation against a federal judge and solicitation to commit murder.    

King had pleaded guilty to these charges on February 10, 2020.   

According to court documents, King conspired to kill a U.S. District Judge and a federal prosecutor in Miami who previously handled a 2018 case where King was found guilty of murder-for-hire. In the previous case, King was prosecuted by an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida for hiring a hit-man to kill several family members of his estranged wife. Following a conviction in that case, the federal judge sentenced King to 97 months in federal prison.

Unhappy with the outcome, King then attempted to hire another hitman to kill the judge, the prosecutor, and six others. King also offered money to the hitman to murder the FBI agent who had investigated his case, a witness who had cooperated with authorities, his defense counsel, and the same three family members of his estranged wife whom he initially tried to have killed. Unbeknownst to King, the person he attempted to hire for the murders was actually an FBI undercover agent posing as a hitman. King unwittingly shared his plans with the agent while being secretly recorded on video.

Judge Bloom ordered King’s sentence to run consecutive to the previous 97 months’ sentence that he is currently serving.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S Marshals Service. In light of the fact that one of the alleged victims was a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, this prosecution was transferred to the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Roshell Marvita Hoover (37, Jacksonville) with disaster assistance fraud involving Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Hoover faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Hoover was arrested on November 9, 2020.

According to the indictment, between September 2017 and July 2018, Hoover falsified records when submitting her application for disaster assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma. In her application to FEMA, Hoover falsely claimed that due to storm damage caused by Hurricane Irma, she could no longer live at her primary residence in Jacksonville and requested rental assistance (money) to purportedly help pay for rent at a new residence. In support of her disaster assistance application Hoover submitted falsified records to FEMA, including rental property documents and rental payment receipts.  

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

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – Edwin Torres Arenas (49, Oviedo) has pleaded guilty to seven counts of stealing government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, over the course of two years, Torres Arenas misused vehicles rented through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Short Term Rental Program (STR) on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and, in so doing, caused a loss of $58,114.12 to the VA. In or about October 2017, Torres Arenas began renting STR vehicles for his personal use, in violation of the STR program policy, and converted rentals associated with seven government contract bids to his own use. Torres Arenas also loaned STR rentals to his family members and provided them with the fuel cards assigned to their respective STR vehicles. Torres Arenas and his family incurred toll fees and utilized the fuel cards to fuel their respective STR rentals, the costs of which were charged to the VA.

Torres Arenas also caused a car accident with one of the STR rentals. The damage from this accident resulted in the total loss of that STR vehicle, the cost of which was also charged to the VA.         

“VA employees are public servants who owe a solemn duty to the veterans they serve,” said David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge of VA OIG’s Southeast Field Office. “Today’s guilty pleas by the defendant demonstrate VA OIG’s commitment to holding accountable anyone who abuses the public trust. VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and GSA OIG for their strong partnership in this important matter.”

"GSA OIG is committed to preserving the integrity of GSA programs such as the GSA Fleet Short-Term Rental Program, which is intended to supply federal agencies with easy, one stop access to vehicles and equipment," stated Floyd Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of GSA OIG's Southeast and Caribbean Field Office.  "We will continue to work with our investigative partners in pursuing those individuals who fraudulently exploit GSA programs for personal benefit and financial gain."

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Kayden James Billings (22, Oxford) to four years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Billings had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.

According to court records, in February 2020, Billings was released from state prison following three separate convictions. On April 11, 2020, a female companion drove Billings to an Ocala gas station. She ran inside to ask the clerk to summon police because Billings had been battering her and threatening her with a firearm. Two officers from the Ocala Police Department quickly responded and Billings fled from the gas station on foot. As he ran across Pine Avenue, Billings discarded a loaded .45 caliber handgun, along with his driver license. Billings surrendered after the pursuing officer caught up with him and threatened to deploy a Taser. The firearm, which had been previously reported stolen in Marion County, was identified by the victim as the same one Billings had used to threaten and batter her. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This is another case as 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; 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, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Eric Lee Sputa (33, Homosassa) to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sputa had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.

According to court documents, on May 26, 2020, a detective with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office observed Sputa on a motorcycle, with no license plate, driving at a high rate of speed. Sputa evaded the detective by speeding away and refusing to stop. Approximately one hour later, Sputa was spotted again and attempted to flee a second time. Sputa fled down a dead end street and was blocked by the pursuing detective. Sputa tried to pass the detective, and in doing so, crashed his motorcycle into a fence and the detective’s patrol car, thereby disabling the motorcycle. 

At the time of the incident, Sputa possessed 1.5 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded .25 caliber pistol. Sputa has multiple felony convictions, the most recent occurring in 2019. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Sputa admitted to fleeing because he did not want to go back to jail.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This is another case prosecuted as 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; 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, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced James Matthew Johnson (32, Summerfield) to 40 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on August 10, 2020.

According to court records, Johnson was a suspect in a case involving a firearm stolen from a vehicle on May 7, 2020. On May 18, 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home and recovered heroin and other firearms belonging to the occupants. Johnson, who is a convicted felon, admitted to stealing and reselling the firearm to another person to pay for drugs. Upon further investigation, deputies recovered the firearm—a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol—that Johnson had illegally transferred.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This is another case prosecuted as 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; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jamarius Tillie (28, Jacksonville) to five years and eight months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers and conspiring to steal firearms from such dealers. Tillie had pleaded guilty on January 17, 2020.

According to court documents, from about June 2017 through on or about August 2017, members of Tillie’s theft ring stole more than 10 firearms from at least 4 licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville. While Tillie and others distracted the sales staff in these stores, another member of the ring would sneak behind counters and steal firearms. Tillie kept some guns for himself, but sold the majority of them to a local drug dealer. In exchange for assisting Tillie, members of the theft ring were sometimes paid with crack cocaine. 

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti has sentenced Jesus Robin Suarez (48, Naples), Kevin Robin Suarez (25, Naples), and Andrea Joselin Suarez (28, Naples) to federal prison for their roles in a firearms straw purchasing conspiracy. Jesus Suarez was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. His son, Kevin Suarez, was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment. Jesus Suarez’s daughter, Andrea Suarez, was sentenced to four years and three months’ in federal prison. All three had pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to falsify records relating to firearms purchases.

According to court documents, Jesus Suarez directed his adult children to recruit their friends and acquaintances to make straw purchases of AK-47 rifles from Naples and Fort Myers-area licensed gun stores. In exchange for cash from the Suarez family, the straw purchasers fraudulently certified to the gun stores that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in truth they were actually buying the guns for Jesus Suarez and his children. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, these straw-purchased firearms were thereafter unlawfully exported by Jesus Suarez to his native Bolivia.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.    

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Ronald Carapellucci (51, Clearwater) to six years in federal prison and Manuel Parrado (47, St. Petersburg) to two years and six months in federal prison for their participation in a property-sale fraud scheme. Carapellucci and Manuel had pleaded guilty in July 2020.

According to court records, from 2015 through at least 2018, Carapellucci and Parrado conspired with others to take money from victims throughout the United States who wanted to sell their timeshare or other properties. Carapellucci, Parrado, and other conspirators placed telephone calls to these victims impersonating attorneys and real estate professionals. They misled the timeshare owners to believe that the conspirators had identified buyers for the victims’ timeshares and other properties. The conspirators further advised the victims that the timeshare and property sales could be consummated if the victims made one or more advanced payments to the conspirators for various fees purportedly associated with the sales, such as closing costs, courier services, title searches, transfer fees, and legal fees. Once the victims agreed to pay the bogus fees, the conspirators directed the victims to send funds via wire transfers to one of the conspirators. That conspirator then withdrew the fraud proceeds and shared them with the others, based upon each conspirator’s role in the fraudulent transaction. The conspirators often repeatedly re-contacted their victims and fraudulently advised them that additional fees were needed in order to complete the sales, and they continued to dupe the victims into sending bogus advance fees until the victims either ran out of money or became aware of the scam. 

Several related defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to this property-sale fraud scheme:

Name

Charge

Sentence

Gary Kinard

Wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft

7 years and 11 months in prison

Martin Steele

Wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft

7 years and 5 months in prison

Mark Boring

Wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft

7 years in prison

Richard Bell

Money laundering conspiracy

3 years and 4 months in prison

Jeffrey Grospitch

Wire fraud conspiracy

2 years and 3 months in prison

David Bell

Money laundering conspiracy

2 years and 3 months in prison

Joseph Willett

Money laundering conspiracy

2 years and 3 months in prison

Donald Seimo

Money laundering conspiracy

18 months in prison

Kevin McGarry

Money laundering conspiracy

18 months in prison

Bryan English

Money laundering conspiracy

12 months in prison

Phillip Torres

Money laundering conspiracy

Five years’ probation

Michael Levan

Money laundering conspiracy

Five years’ probation

Troy Cater

Money laundering conspiracy

Five years’ probation

Paul Wagner

Money laundering conspiracy

Sentence pending

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.           

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Stephen H. McIntyre (51, Tampa) to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering. The court also ordered McIntyre to forfeit more than $690,000, a 2014 Cadillac Escalade, and other funds that are traceable to the proceeds of the money laundering conspiracy.

McIntyre had pleaded guilty on January 21, 2020.

According to court documents, from March 2014 through February 2019, McIntyre operated SHM Gulf Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Tampa Gift Card King (“GCK”). Located in Tampa, GCK was a secondhand dealer where individuals sold their unused, or partially used, returned merchandise cards and retail gift cards, some of which were procured via theft or fraud, for a percentage of the cards’ face value in exchange for cash. Thereafter, McIntyre and his co-conspirators resold the returned merchandise cards and gift cards even though they knew some of the cards had been obtained via theft or fraud. McIntyre and his co-conspirators also conducted other illicit transactions involving the cards and used the proceeds for their personal enrichment.

In operating GCK, McIntyre violated certain state law requirements including operating without registering as a secondhand dealer, flouting the requirement to wait 15 days between the purchase and resale of a secondhand good, and failing to accurately report all secondhand good purchases in the designated computer database, Business Watch International. In fact, McIntyre could not register as a secondhand dealer because he has prior theft-related felony convictions that precluded such registration. When confronted by law enforcement about this fact, McIntyre orchestrated a purported sale of the GCK to a nominee owner, but he never relinquished control of the business.

McIntyre and his co-conspirators resold most of the merchandise and gift cards via online commercial platforms, direct internet sales, and other means. McIntyre generated more than $10 million in proceeds from the resales of the cards to unwitting third-party purchasers via online commercial platforms including Raise.com and CardCash.

McIntyre and co-conspirator Brandy Fuller later used the card numbers and PINs of some of the previously sold cards in order to identify residual balances on the cards. They then stole the residual balances, aggregated them, and used the proceeds to purchase new gift cards.

McIntyre and his co-conspirators used the proceeds of this fraud scheme to purchase and renovate real properties, acquire vehicles, finance business operations, and otherwise for their personal enrichment.

Fuller previously pleaded guilty to her role in this case. She was sentenced to 36 months’ probation and was ordered to pay $25,925 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke. The forfeiture was handled by AUSA Suzanne Nebesky.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Douglas E. Bennett (76, Clearwater) with passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Bennett was arrested on November 4, 2020. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, in or around July 2016, Bennett submitted a passport application using the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of an individual who had died in 1945. When applying for this passport, Bennett failed to disclose his true identity.

In 1975, Bennett was convicted by a jury in Connecticut of robbery, kidnapping, sexual contact, rape, and deviate sexual intercourse. He was sentenced to 9 - 18 years in Connecticut State Prison. Bennett, however, never turned himself in to begin his sentence. Records show, in 1977, he assumed the identity of the individual who had died in 1945 and remained a fugitive for more than 40 years.

On November 4, 2020, Bennett was arrested pursuant to both the federal and State of Connecticut warrants. A fingerprint comparison confirmed that Bennett was the same person convicted in Connecticut in 1975. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a Florida driver license bearing the false identifying information, but containing Bennett’s photograph.

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

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Danyel Megal Black (40, Bradenton) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. The court also ordered Black to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. 

A federal jury had found Black guilty on November 8, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, on February 19, 2019, Black was serving a term of probation from a state court sentence. His probation officer had scheduled a home compliance visit for that day.      

On the day of the visit, law enforcement officers arrived at Black’s apartment. Black arrived at his residence more than half an hour late and let the officers into the apartment that he shared with his girlfriend and their two small children.

During a subsequent search, pursuant to the compliance visit, the officers recovered from Black’s nightstand nearly half an ounce of cocaine in a plastic bag with a razor, and several small baggies of individually wrapped cocaine. The officers also found a loaded 9mm magazine in the bedroom linen closet. In the kitchen, officers discovered an orange pot and scale, both with cocaine residue. They also located a stolen, loaded firearm in a dresser drawer in Black’s two-year-old son’s room. Two cellphones and $1,865 was found in Black’s car.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Corrections-Sarasota Circuit Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie D. Connally and Michael Sinacore.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Terrian J. Knight (30, St. Petersburg) to 24 years in federal prison for brandishing and discharging a firearm during the course of several robberies. The court also ordered Knight to forfeit the firearm used in the offense. 

Knight had pleaded guilty on June 10, 2020.

According to court documents, from January 14, 2019, to July 26, 2019, Knight committed a spree of four armed robberies of stores in the St. Petersburg area. On July 30, 2019, Knight attempted to rob the assistant manager of a St. Petersburg Family Dollar store as the manager was leaving. During the robbery, Knight produced a firearm then shot the manager as he laid on the ground, wounding him. Knight fled the scene, hiding in a retention pond area for approximately seven hours. He was later taken into custody by law enforcement and the firearm was recovered.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Aaron Kirk Woolman (58, Hagerman, Idaho) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 9-year-old child to engage in sexual activity and produce pornographic images of herself. Woolman was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. He had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2020.      

According to court documents, on August 7, 2019, an undercover FBI agent from Jacksonville, posing as a parent of a 9-year-old child, made online contact with Woolman in an online chat application. During several online chat sessions, Woolman solicited the “parent” to send him pornographic images of the purported child. Woolman also engaged in conversations via text messaging with an undercover FBI agent posing as the 9-year-old child. During these conversations, Woolman solicited the “child” to engage in sexual activity, produce explicit images of herself, and send these images to Woolman. Woolman tried to convince the “child” to comply with his requests by sending the “child” explicit images of himself and adult pornography.          

On December 13, 2019, FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel executed a search warrant at Woolman’s home in Hagerman, Idaho, where he was arrested. Woolman admitted that he had sent the “girl” a picture of his penis and acknowledged that he had asked the “girl” for a picture of her in the shower and for other explicit pictures of her.

A search of Woolman’s online cloud storage account revealed that it contained several images and videos depicting young children engaged in sexual activity with adults. One of the videos depicted a 3 to 4-year-old child being forced to perform oral sex on an adult male. Woolman’s smart phone also contained child sex abuse images as well as images and videos depicting Woolman’s genitals.

“This defendant was not only willing to commit heinous crimes against a child, he was caught with horrific images that victimized others,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case is a great example of the work that can be done when law enforcement agencies collaborate across state lines, and do everything in our power to stop additional children from being exploited in the future.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Boise, Idaho, as well as the Gooding County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office and the Twin Falls (Idaho) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Katrina Brown (40, Jacksonville) to 33 months in federal prison and Reginald Brown (58, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison. The Court also ordered Katrina Brown to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $425,335.68 and Reginald Brown to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $411,752.68, funds which are traceable to the offenses.

On October 2, 2019, a jury found Katrina Brown and Reginald Brown guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aiding and abetting mail and wire fraud, and aiding and abetting money laundering. The jury also found Katrina Brown guilty of attempted bank fraud and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution. Reginald Brown was also found guilty of failure to file an income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service for tax year 2014.

According to the evidence, in late 2013, Katrina Brown was the primary principal for two businesses (Basic Products, LLC and CoWealth, LLC), which in 2011 obtained a loan in the amount of $2,652,000 from the Small Business Administration (SBA), and both a loan of $380,000 and a grant of approximately $260,000 from the City of Jacksonville (COJ), to fund a small business that specialized in manufacturing, bottling, and selling barbecue sauce. As a member of the Jacksonville City Council, Reginald Brown voted in favor of City Ordinance 2011-290-E, which authorized the COJ loan and grant – proceeds of which he and Katrina Brown would later obtain by fraud.

Katrina Brown’s family had been in the barbecue business in Jacksonville for many years. The $3.2 million in financing was intended to fund an expansion of Basic Products and help create permanent manufacturing jobs in Northwest Jacksonville. Each time Katrina Brown sought money for Basic Products from BizCapital, the SBA-approved lender, she submitted a Loan Reimbursement Form that included the purported business expenses for which Basic Products sought reimbursement.

In late 2013, when the barbecue business was failing, Katrina Brown assisted Jacksonville City Councilman Reginald Brown in incorporating two businesses (A Plus Training and Consultants, LLC and RB Packaging, LLC) with the Florida Division of Corporations. A Plus Training and RB Packaging never performed any legitimate business. Instead of properly notifying BizCapital that Basic Products was in financial distress, Katrina Brown worked with Reginald Brown to submit fake invoices from A Plus Training and RB Packaging to the SBA lender, BizCapital, claiming that his businesses performed work for Basic Products requiring reimbursement, when the businesses did not.

BizCapital sent checks at times, larger than $60,000, to RB Packaging and A Plus Training, which, on paper, were headquartered at Reginald Brown’s home and his mother’s home, respectively. Reginald Brown deposited the checks into the bank accounts for A Plus Training and RB Packaging, then withdrew a significant portion of the money and provided it to Katrina Brown, who either kept the cash or laundered the money by depositing it back into the Basic Products bank account so that she could control the funds.

From late 2013 to early 2015, Reginald Brown, A Plus Training, and RB Packaging served as a conduit to receive $264,419.04 in proceeds from the SBA loan and the COJ grant, then funneled at least $166,500 back to Basic Products. Reginald Brown kept the money not provided to Katrina Brown, despite performing no legitimate work or services for Basic Products, and used the majority of the money for personal expenses. Reginald Brown never filed a tax return for tax year 2014, and he also failed to disclose to the IRS that he had received tens of thousands of dollars from the SBA.

In December 2014, BizCapital sent all loan, including the numerous fraudulent A Plus Training and RB Packaging invoices draw information to the City of Jacksonville. That loan information was relied upon by the COJ to wire $210,549.99 in tax-payer funded grant money to BizCapital for the intended use of Basic Products. Before the money was sent to BizCapital, neither Katrina Brown nor Reginald Brown informed BizCapital or the city that Basic Products had fraudulently obtained loan payments to Reginald Brown’s shell companies (A Plus Training and RB Packaging). Reginald Brown was serving on the Jacksonville City Council when he facilitated fraudulently obtaining the $210,549.99 from the City of Jacksonville. Neither Katrina Brown nor Reginald Brown ever repaid those funds.

After BizCapital informed Katrina Brown that the SBA loan was in default status in January 2015, she then attempted to obtain two bank loans, in 2015 and 2016, by submitting doctored and false bank statements to loan brokers, seeking loans from WebBank to infuse cash into her family’s businesses. Instead of providing the actual bank statements of the businesses, Katrina Brown falsified the businesses’ bank statements in an attempt to make it appear to the lender that the businesses were credit worthy, when in fact they were not.

“The FBI takes our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Katrina Brown and Reginald Brown chose to prioritize their greed at the expense of the taxpayers, and the FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who uses illegal means and criminal behavior to advance their personal agendas.”

“Left unchecked, greed can be a dangerous motivator. Katrina Brown and Reginald Brown made conscious decisions to deceive and benefit personally at the expense of the citizens of Jacksonville,” stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Reginald Brown further exposed his greed by failing to report his ill-gotten gains on his tax returns. We are committed to the collaborative effort to combat fraud and to prosecute those who take advantage of others for personal gain.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tysen Duva and Michael J. Coolican.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Steven Rembert (48, Orange County) with disaster assistance fraud related to Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Rembert faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States.

According to the

indictment , in September 2017, Rembert falsified records concerning his primary residence when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma.

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

This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the filing of federal charges against 13 individuals in Operation Dead Ringer. The individuals are charged in 12 separate cases, with cumulatively stealing more than one million dollars in benefits paid by the Social Security Administration on behalf of beneficiaries who were deceased. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count.        

Operation Dead Ringer, initiated in the Middle District of Florida, aggressively targets individuals who steal Social Security benefits inadvertently paid to deceased beneficiaries. To date, 35 individuals have been charged as part of the Operation.

According to the respective indictments:

Lauren McKay (28, Jacksonville) and Leah McKay (31, Jacksonville) are charged with theft of government funds. From July 2011 to June 2017, the McKays fraudulently collected approximately $96,055 of their mother’s Social Security benefits following her death on July 12, 2011.

Donna Sharpe Crowther (63, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From January 2009 to May 2019, Crowther fraudulently collected approximately $223,869 of her husband’s Social Security benefits following his death on December 15, 2008.

Robin Elmore (44, St. Augustine) is charged with theft of government funds. From April 2012 to June 2019, Elmore fraudulently collected approximately $63,492 of her sister’s Social Security benefits following her sister’s death on March 20, 2012.

Pamela LaTrail Toliver (62, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From July 2016 to June 2020, Toliver fraudulently collected approximately $52,224 of her mother’s Social Security benefits following the mother’s death on July 27, 2016.

Virginia Gay (48, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From February 2015 to September 2019, Gay fraudulently collected approximately $99,840 of her mother’s Social Security benefits following the mother’s death on May 29, 2013.

Margie Ann Norris-Bell (62, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From June 2015 to July 2019, Norris-Bell fraudulently collected approximately $66,185 of her sister’s Social Security benefits following the sister’s death on July 26, 2011.

Humeshia Latasha Butler (42, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From February 2015 to December 2017, Butler fraudulently collected approximately $35,774 of a close friend’s Social Security benefits following his death on November 12, 2013.

Robert Bruce Barnes (63, Jacksonville) is charged with theft of government funds. From June 2015 to April 2019, Barnes fraudulently collected approximately $86,581 of his wife’s Social Security benefits following her death on November 7, 2011.

Linda Becraft (65, Naples) is charged with theft of government funds. From May 2013 to April 2019, Becraft fraudulently collected approximately $152,374 in Social Security benefits following the death of a Social Security beneficiary in April 2013.

Ciera McClain (30, Alabama) is charged with theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. From October 2015 to January 2019, McClain fraudulently collected approximately $30,670 in Social Security benefits following the death of a Social Security beneficiary on August 29, 2015.

Jacqueline Eugene (46, Orlando) is charged with theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. From March 2014 to February 2019, Eugene fraudulently collected approximately $51,360 of her mother’s Social Security benefits following her mother’s death on February 17, 2014.

Keana Everett (35, Tampa) is charged with theft of government funds. From April 2012 to March 2019, Everett fraudulently collected approximately $63,382 of her mother’s Social Security benefits following her mother’s death on April 10, 2012.

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

These cases are being investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from other federal and local law enforcement agencies. Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler is coordinating the Operation. She, along with Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Frein, David Mesrobian, and Yolande Viacava, will be prosecuting the cases.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Arthur Ginder (34, Callahan) with three counts of receiving child exploitation material and one count of accessing with the intent to view child exploitation material. If convicted on all counts, Ginder faces a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 15 years, and up to 80 years, in federal prison. 

According to the

indictment , Ginder knowingly received child exploitation materials on February 6, 2020, December 4, 2019, and September 11, 2019. He also accessed with the intent to view child exploitation materials in June 2020. 

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

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

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

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Jason Kelly Register (42, Woodbine, GA) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The court also ordered Register to forfeit a .380 caliber pistol and 7 rounds of ammunition. Register had pleaded guilty on October 23, 2019.

According to court documents, in mid-August 2018, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), began investigating Brian Russell Schell, Brian Paul Davis, and Leslie Ericka Lewis for distributing methamphetamine in Nassau and Duval counties. Throughout the course of the investigation, an officer, acting in an undercover capacity, made controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Schell, Davis, and Lewis. Agents learned that Davis’s source of supply was Register and, on October 2, 2018, the agents conducted two controlled phone calls to Register placing an order for 3 ounces of methamphetamine. Register indicated that he was on his way, but that he only had two ounces. NCSO deputies stopped Register for a traffic violation, and he had a firearm in his waistband. A K-9 was deployed around the vehicle, gave a positive alert to the presence of illegal drugs, and a subsequent search revealed a marijuana grinder, scales, marijuana, fentanyl patches, hypodermic needles, and approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Register was accountable for distributing approximately 250 grams of methamphetamine.

Schell, Davis, and Lewis previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case. Schell was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, Davis was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison, and Lewis was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Ryan Rusty Rodriguez (45, Orlando) guilty of two counts of receiving child pornography, two counts of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2021.

Rodriguez had been indicted on June 13, 2018, and a superseding indictment was returned on November 15, 2018.    

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, during an undercover online investigation, FBI agents discovered that Rodriguez was using peer-to-peer networks to download and distribute child pornography. When agents executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s home, he attempted to hide a hard drive as the agents were knocking on his door. Rodriguez also used his training in computers and specialized software to attempt to erase the evidence of his offenses. The FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team uncovered evidence of thousands of files of child pornography stored on Rodriguez’s devices.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Gardella, Shawn Napier, and Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

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 – Ge Songtao (50, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to fraudulently export to China maritime raiding craft and engines, and attempting to fraudulently export that equipment in violation of U.S. law. Ge Songtao faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the

plea agreement , Ge Songtao was the chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, China.  Beginning in 2018, he was interested in identifying a source of supply of U.S.-manufactured combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that can operate using gasoline, diesel fuel, or jet fuel. These vessels and multi-fuel engines are used by the U.S. military and can be operated after being launched from a submerged submarine or dropped into the ocean by an aircraft. No comparable engine is manufactured in China.

One of Ge Songtao’s U.S.-based employees, co-defendant Yang Yang, attempted to order seven of the raiding craft equipped with these engines from a U.S. manufacturer. When the U.S. manufacturer suggested that Yang Yang purchase cheaper gasoline-fueled engines, she insisted that she wanted to purchase the military-model multi-fuel engines. To induce the manufacturer to sell this equipment, Yang falsely represented that her customer was an entity called United Vision Limited in Hong Kong, rather than Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. in Shanghai. One of Yang’s Chinese co-workers had told her that American manufacturers would be more likely to sell to an entity in Hong Kong rather than one in mainland China. By misrepresenting what company was buying the equipment, and where it was located, Yang caused the entry of false information in the Department of Commerce’s Automated Export System in violation of federal law.

To facilitate the purchase of the raiding craft and engines, Ge Songtao arranged for the wire transfers to a separate company in Hong Kong, Belt Consulting Company Limited, which in turn wired over $110,000 to the U.S. manufacturer. He also coordinated plans to send an employee to Hong Kong to receive the raiding craft and engines and transship them to mainland China.

On September 15, 2020, Yang Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge Songtao has pleaded guilty. On August 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to fraudulently export the raiding craft and engines in violation of U.S. law. The trial of remaining co-defendant Fan Yang, is scheduled to begin on February 1, 2021.

“As FBI Director Christopher Wray has stated previously, we will not tolerate it when China violates our criminal laws and international norms, much less enable it,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “FBI Jacksonville and our partners throughout the U.S. government will continue working to hold China accountable and protect our nation’s innovation, ideas, and way of life.”

 “Ge Songtao’s attempts to illegally acquire sensitive U.S. technology for illicit purposes threatened the operational readiness and safety of our nation’s military,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to preserving Department of the Navy warfighter superiority by protecting our nation’s critical technologies and infrastructure from theft or compromise at home and abroad.”

“A top priority of the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, is ensuring that the United States military always maintains its qualitative edge on the battlefield by preventing circumvention of U.S. export controls and export filing requirements,” said Acting Agent in Charge Alan Berkowitz. “In working with our law enforcement partners we disrupted Chinese illicit procurement of U.S. military combat raiding craft and protected our strategic commodities from falling into the wrong hands.”      

This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican and Heather Schmidt, Senior Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence and Export Section, U.S. Department of Justice.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Shawn O’Neil Smith (22, Zephyrhills) with robbery. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the

complaint , on October 10, 2020, Smith, armed with a handgun, robbed the Shell gas station located at 4330 Lithia Pinecrest Road in Valrico. Smith threatened an employee with the handgun and also discharged the firearm during the robbery.

The joint efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office led to Smith’s identification and his apprehension in Tennessee. Smith appeared in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee on October 29, 2020, and was ordered detained pending his removal to Tampa.

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 ATF and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging David Levon Massey (31, Cape Coral) with possession with the intent to distribute heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. If convicted, Massey faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Massey has two prior convictions for federal drug offenses.

According to court documents, in February 2020 Massey was released from federal prison and told his probation officer that he would be living at a house in northwest Cape Coral. However, law enforcement determined that Massey was secretly living in an apartment off Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, and he was dealing drugs again. On October 7, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Massey as he was leaving his apartment. A subsequent search of the residence revealed approximately 50 grams of fentanyl, 36 grams of heroin, a cutting agent, scales, and nearly $8,000 in cash.        

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cape Coral Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michel V. Leeman.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Asa Nall (50, Largo) guilty of attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity. Nall faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2021.

Nall had been indicted on October 22, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Nall communicated online and via text messages with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. In reality, he was talking to an undercover agent. For more than a month, Nall repeatedly asked the child to produce sexually explicit images for him, specifying that he wanted to see her fully nude, including close up photos of her genitalia. Nall also repeatedly requested to meet the child for sex, asking her to “sneak away” and “skip school” to meet with him. In the conversations, Nall discussed in graphic detail the sex acts he would engage in when they met.

On October 16, 2019, Nall traveled to a location to meet the child for sex, and he was subsequently arrested. Law enforcement agents recovered two condoms from Nall’s pocket and the cellphone he had used to communicate with the child. A search of the phone revealed that Nall had also saved the child’s name to his contact list.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Erin C. Favorit.

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

Tampa, Florida – Lemuel Escobar (37, Clermont), Humberto Ramirez (39, Mascotte), Alberto Obaya (48, Plant City), and Vidal Estrada (68, Fort Lauderdale) have each pleaded guilty to charges involving cargo theft of an interstate shipment of goods, and receipt and possession of stolen goods. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on December 30, 2018, Escobar, Ramirez, Obaya, and Estrada stole a tractor trailer that was parked near U.S. Route 301 in Tampa. The trailer contained cases of Patron tequila, with a value of more than $500,000. The tequila was an interstate shipment from Texas that was en route to a business in Lakeland, Florida. The shipment had not yet reached its final destination when the trailer was stolen.

The trailer was relocated to Thonotosassa where the defendants proceeded to move cases of the tequila from the trailer to a nearby box truck. The box truck was registered to Escobar. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were alerted to the movement of the trailer and, when they arrived on scene, the deputies observed the defendants moving the cases of tequila from the trailer to the box truck. When the deputies commanded the individuals to stop, they fled but were later arrested near the scene. The cases of tequila were recovered.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Cargo Theft Task Force) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Casey David Crowther (35, North Fort Myers) with two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making a false statement to a lending institution, and three counts of illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, Crowther faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud and false statement count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each illegal monetary transaction count. The indictment also notifies Crowther that the United States intends to forfeit a 2020 40-foot catamaran, real property in St. James City, Florida, and $2,098,700, which are alleged to be proceeds of the offenses; the real property is also subject to forfeiture because it was involved in the illegal monetary transaction.

A federal grand jury had previously indicted Crowther for COVID relief fraud on September 23, 2020. The superseding indictment contains additional counts charging Crowther with mortgage fraud.

According to the

superseding indictment , as part of his scheme, beginning in June of 2020, Crowther submitted false and fraudulent Uniform Residential Loan Applications (URLA) to a mortgage broker and mortgage lender, causing the lender to disburse approximately $640,381 in loan funds. Specifically, Crowther intentionally misrepresented his liquid assets in the URLAs and created false and fraudulent bank statements which purported to show he had more assets than he actually had.

A superseding 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 United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Delon Joseph Adams (48, Palmetto) with four counts of interference with commerce by robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Because Adams has a prior federal conviction for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, each brandishing count carries a minimum mandatory penalty of 25 years, and up to life, in federal prison, to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. The maximum penalty for each robbery count is 20 years’ imprisonment. The felon-in-possession count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, between August 26 and September 15, 2020, Adams robbed four businesses at gunpoint —three in Manatee County and one in Hillsborough County. During each robbery, Adams stole cash and iPhones.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palmetto Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

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 – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest of Ihor Radionov (51, Alpharetta, Georgia) pursuant to an indictment charging him with conspiracy and smuggling goods out of the United States in violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. If convicted on all counts, Radionov faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. On October 26, 2020, Radionov made his first appearance in federal court in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2020, Radionov, co-conspirator Vladimir Volgaev, and a co-conspirator residing in Ukraine, conspired to export defense articles out of the United States, including gun barrels and slides, without a license or prior written approval from the United States Department of State.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons and Trial Attorney David Lim of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Lonnie Lawrence Mercer, Jr. (42, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison, and a 15-year term of supervised release, for possessing images of child sexual abuse. Mercer had pleaded guilty on July 5, 2020.

According to court records, Mercer possessed images of child sexual abuse on his cellular telephone depicting the lewd and lascivious display of the genitals of a child younger than 12 years of age. The child’s mother told law enforcement that she discovered 8-10 explicit photos on Mercer’s phone and confronted Mercer, after which a physical altercation ensued.

"This child predator took advantage of a young child at their most vulnerable time,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to HSI special agents and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, he will now be held accountable for his criminal actions.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being 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, FL – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Malcolm Straughter (35, Ocala) to four years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Straughter to forfeit the firearm and any associated ammunition. Straughter had pleaded guilty on July 14, 2020.

According to court records, on March 19, 2020, an officer from the Ocala Police Department stopped Straughter in his vehicle for a traffic infraction. After the officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, a search revealed six bags of marijuana, a scale, and a loaded 9mm firearm under Straughter’s seat. The firearm had an altered serial number and was later confirmed as stolen.

Straughter has prior state felony convictions for possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of cocaine, and robbery with a firearm and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.

Ocala, FL – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Curtis Duncan (30, Ocala) to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Duncan to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Duncan had pleaded guilty on July 14, 2020.

According to court records, on March 30, 2020, officers from the Ocala Police Department responded to a disturbance at an apartment complex. A victim told the officers that Duncan had brandished a firearm at her during an argument. The victim described the firearm and the vehicle that Duncan had been driving when he left the scene. A short time later, officers stopped Duncan in the same vehicle and recovered a loaded .380 caliber handgun from a bag that he had strapped around his torso.

Duncan has prior state felony convictions, including home invasion robbery, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Keith William Nicoletta (48, Dade City) with bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions. Nicoletta was arrested earlier this week. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison.

According to the

complaint , in or about May 2020, Nicoletta fraudulently secured more than $1.9 million in emergency funds associated with a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan.

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 potentially forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

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

Nicoletta’s PPP loan application falsely claimed that Nicoletta had a local scrap metal business with 69 employees whose purported monthly payroll expenses exceeded $760,000—or more than $9 million annually. In truth, Nicoletta had reported no wages to the State of Florida for any employees for 2019 or 2020.

Once the emergency loan was secured, Nicoletta did not use the PPP funds for qualified expenses. Instead, he immediately laundered the money, transferring it between various accounts at different financial institutions. He also withdrew over $100,000 in cash. Nicoletta then purchased a 2020 Mercedes for more than $106,000 and a 2020 special edition Ford F-250 pickup valued at over $66,000. He also wired approximately $537,000 to a property management company in south Florida. None of the money was used for payroll.

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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.       

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez today announced $356,196 in Department of Justice funding to hire a special prosecutor to try federal firearms cases originating in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida. The award supports violence reduction efforts as part of Operation Legend and other Department-led initiatives in cities across the country.

“Keeping its citizens safe is the primary responsibility of government,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Cities plagued by violent crime need the resources to tackle it, and these grant awards will help do that. On the enforcement side, Real Time Crime Centers will make policing more efficient and targeted; and on the prosecution side, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys will help bring more federal firearms cases to justice.”

“We are proud to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners in combating violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “This funding will allow us to strengthen our partnerships and leverage our resources to focus on firearms-related violence in our communities.”

Attorney General Barr announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs is making up to $5.3 million available in grants to support Operation Legend sites nationwide. More than $1.3 million will fund special prosecutors who have been cross-designated to try federal firearms cases originating in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, these and other Legend cities will be eligible for grant funding to support Real Time Crime Centers. These centers are a considerable financial investment for any law enforcement agency. The funding being made available to each Legend city can assist police departments in purchasing critical equipment and paying for the overtime to keep these centers staffed around the clock.

“We are pleased to support the outstanding work being undertaken through Operation Legend to reduce violent crime by focusing on cases involving illegal firearms,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to make these resources available to support the brave crime-fighters who work so hard to deter violence and keep our communities safe.”

“We remain committed to addressing the violent gun crime plaguing our community and are grateful for this opportunity to expand our partnership in this public safety effort,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson. 

A grant to the State Attorney’s Office, Fourth Judicial Circuit will support the hiring of a full-time local prosecutor who will be empowered to try firearms cases in federal court. Prosecuting gun crimes is central to the Justice Department’s strategy under Operation Legend and other violence reduction initiatives led by the Department. These efforts follow a sustained, systematic and coordinated approach to gun violence in which federal law enforcement agencies work closely with state and local officials to fight violent crime. Funding comes from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

The Department of Justice launched Operation Legend in July, following the murder of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept in his Kansas City home. The initiative was subsequently expanded from Kansas City to Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis. Since the summer launch, officials in Operation Legend sites have made more than 5,500 arrests, including approximately 276 for homicide, and seized more than 2,000 firearms. Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 600 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses.

More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Zachary A. Jones (22, Tampa) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.

Jones had pleaded guilty on August 11, 2020.

According to court documents, on February 18, 2019, officers from the Tampa Police Department were looking for Jones, who had active warrants for his arrest. As officers approached Jones, he fled. While running from the officers, Jones discarded a loaded firearm. Officers later arrested Jones and recovered the firearm.

Jones has multiple prior convictions for narcotics-related felonies and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. At the time of this offense, Jones was on community control in the state of Florida.

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

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

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Nicholas Paul Mattox (50, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, and Keith Wallace Williams (61, Middleburg) to 5 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. In addition, a total of $32,200 was forfeited, which is traceable to proceeds of the offenses. 

Mattox had pleaded guilty on April 6, 2020, and Williams had pleaded guilty on July 13, 2020.

According to court documents, in May 2019, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Mattox, who was distributing ounce to kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine in Duval and Clay counties. Agents used a confidential source to make a series of controlled purchases from Mattox, who is accountable for more than 600 grams of methamphetamine.         

The investigation revealed that Williams had purchased methamphetamine from Mattox. As a result, DEA and Clay County Sheriff’s Office continued the investigation jointly. On October 31, 2019, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Williams’s home. The officers found more than 200 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside a rubber duck chlorine tablet holder on Williams’s porch. Williams is accountable for more than 200 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Jacksonville District Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.

Orlando, Florida – Kavita L. Harack (34, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in approximately May 2017, Harack was hired to work as an accountant in the Orlando office of a display services company.  Between April 2018 and May 2019, Harack directed 74 fraudulent payments from the display services company to four bank accounts held in her or her husband’s name. Harack disguised the transfers to these personal accounts as vendor payments. After Harack was terminated by the display services company in May 2019, she was hired to work in the accounting department of a project design company in Orlando. Between July 2019 and December 2019, Harack directed four fraudulent payments from the project design company into two of her personal accounts, again disguising the transactions as vendor payments.

In total, between 2018 and 2019, Harack fraudulently paid herself $604,637.25 from accounts belonging to her employers. Harack used the funds to purchase a home, as well as home improvement projects, travel, retail purchases, restaurants, and beauty expenses.  

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

Orlando, Florida – David John Ridling (58, Vero Beach) has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud, 4 counts of bank fraud, 8 counts of money laundering, and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. Ridling faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count; 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud count; 10 years in prison for each money laundering count; and a mandatory minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts. Ridling also will be ordered to pay restitution. In addition, the United States is seeking a forfeiture money judgment of over $40 million and the forfeiture of approximately $348,000, a Chevrolet Silverado truck, a Peterbilt truck, and a Featherlite trailer seized from Ridling as well as real property in St. Lucie County.

According to court documents, Ridling is a farmer. Over the course of three years, Ridling attempted to defraud five financial institutions, one financial services provider, and one local Orlando business out of over $50 million. Ridling’s scheme involved the use of false brokerage account statements, fabricated tax returns, and false financial statements, to obtain loans and lines of credit. 

As part of his scheme, Ridling falsely claimed that three individuals were his account representatives at a financial brokerage company and set up fake email accounts for two of those individuals without their consent or knowledge. Assuming the identities of those two individuals, Ridling then sent emails from the fake email accounts in an effort to convince lenders that he had millions of dollars in his two brokerage accounts. In fact, Ridling only had one brokerage account, which never had more than $2,000 in it. During the last year of Ridling’s scheme, he was able to obtain three loans totaling over $25 million, based in part on his claim that his brokerage accounts had millions of dollars. During that timeframe, Ridling’s brokerage account had less than $2.00.

In total, Ridling was successful in receiving over $40 million in proceeds from his scheme. He used some of the proceeds that he obtained from his victims to pay amounts that he owed to other victims, prolonging his scheme. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko is handling the criminal forfeitures.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Deannajo White (39, Suwannee County) to 24 months in federal prison for disaster assistance fraud. The Court also ordered White to pay $15,331.74 in restitution to FEMA. White, a 19-time convicted felon, had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2020.

According to court documents, on September 27, 2017, White, while in Suwannee County, made an application for disaster assistance benefits to FEMA over the internet. In the application, White falsely claimed that her primary residence in Branford, Florida had suffered storm damage due to Hurricane Irma, when a tree fell through the roof, forcing her to leave the residence and begin living at a rental property in Branford. White subsequently contacted FEMA and falsely stated that she had moved to a different rental property with a higher rent. White submitted multiple documents to FEMA in support of her application, including rent receipts, leases, and letters.

On August 13, 2019, law enforcement officers interviewed White about her disaster assistance application. During the interview, she repeatedly lied to agents. When confronted with evidence showing that she had lied on her disaster assistance application, White admitted to making false statements on her application. She also admitted to submitting multiple false documents to FEMA to include fraudulent rent receipts and leases. 

“It is especially offensive for someone to commit disaster assistance fraud because so many in our communities were in desperate need of that relief,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This case highlights the importance the Department of Homeland Security places on the integrity of disaster assistance programs.”

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

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

Tampa, Florida – Wilmer Rosales, a/k/a “DoubleU,” (22, Plant City) has  pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic in controlled substances; conspiring to commit robbery; committing robbery; using a firearm and causing the first degree murder of Grant Urquhart in furtherance of the drug conspiracy; and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Rosales faces up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Rosales’s co-defendant, Joel Sierra, a/k/a “Jojo,” (25, Plant City) is scheduled to plead guilty on November 12, 2020.

According to court documents, Rosales and Sierra lured Urquhart to Springhead Park, adjacent to an elementary school, in Plant City. Rosales and Sierra claimed they wanted to purchase marijuana from Urquhart, but they in fact planned to rob him. Rosales and other co-conspirators waited in nearby vehicles, armed—Rosales with a 7.62 mm rifle—while Sierra got into Urquhart’s vehicle for the robbery. Sierra robbed Urquhart of marijuana and money and then fled. When Urquhart chased Sierra, Rosales drove by and repeatedly fired the weapon at Urquhart, hitting him multiple times. Rosales and the other co-conspirators then left the scene. Rosales returned to the scene shortly after the shooting and again fired at Urquhart, who was lying on the ground while others were attempting to help him. Urquhart died from his gunshot wounds.

Prior to the murder, Rosales was previously convicted of possessing methamphetamine and possessing 20 grams or more of marijuana. As a convicted felon, 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 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Robert Arthur Ginder (34, Callahan) has been charged by federal criminal complaint with access with intent to view child exploitation material. Ginder faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Ginder has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for October 23, 2020.

According to the complaint, an investigation was initiated by law enforcement after they gained access to a cloud platform and a group chat where users were actively involved in the distribution of child exploitation material. Law enforcement observed that when one particular user joined the group chat, numerous image and video files depicting child exploitation material were shared between various members of the group.

Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations identified Ginder’s residence as the source of the IP addresses that had been used by the account on the cloud platform. On October 20, 2020, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Ginder’s residence, and he was subsequently arrested.

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

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Matthew Enhoffer (35, St. Petersburg), a former police officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department, to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography. The court also ordered Enhoffer to pay a $10,000 special assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act of 2015. The court will determine restitution to the victims at a later date.

Enhoffer had pleaded guilty on February 11, 2020.

According to court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had distributed child pornography on a web-based social media application. The investigation led agents to Enhoffer’s residence.

On September 11, 2019, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Enhoffer’s home and seized several electronic devices. An examination of Enhoffer’s devices revealed that he possessed a total of approximately 390 child pornographic images, 7 child pornographic videos, and 290 child erotic images. The images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of young children. A forensic analysis of Enhoffer’s laptop also revealed that he had distributed child sex abuse material to another individual via the internet in June and July 2018.

“It is especially disheartening when a law enforcement officer becomes the criminal but no person is above the law,” said Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Micah C. McCombs. “Thanks to HSI special agents and outstanding support from the St. Petersburg Police Department, this child predator will be held accountable for his crimes.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

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

Jacksonville, FL –Travis Ryan Pritchard (37, Green Cove Springs) today pleaded guilty to one count of producing an image of a child being sexually abused and one count of possessing an image of a prepubescent child being sexually abused. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison, as well as a life term of supervised release.

Pritchard was indicted on May 20, 2020.

According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offenses, Pritchard was employed as a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the DUI unit. From December 2019 through May 2, 2020, Pritchard used an online chat application to communicate in a sexual manner with a 15-year-old child. Beginning on April 29, 2020, an undercover detective from the Green Cove Springs Police Department assumed the child’s identity and continued chatting with Pritchard using the online chat application. Late in the night of May 1, 2020, and into the early morning hours of the next day, Pritchard encouraged the “child” to sneak out of the child’s home to meet with him for a “quickie.” In anticipation of their meeting, he sent the “child” a photograph of himself from the waist down, wearing only boxer shorts. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on May 2, 2020, Pritchard arrived near the child’s home in his patrol vehicle, and sent the “child” a message saying, “I’m here.” A short time later, Pritchard was arrested by officers from the Green Cove Springs Police Department.

A forensic review of Pritchard’s cellphone yielded multiple conversations between the child and Pritchard, as well as an encrypted secure digital folder that contained multiple depictions of child sexual abuse.

This case was investigated by the Green Cove Springs Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Ahmad Al Saleh (57, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and to make false statements to the USDA. Al Saleh faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the

plea agreement , Al Saleh and others engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the USDA by falsely representing that Al Saleh was the new owner of the Express Family Food Market (“EFFM”) in St. Petersburg, Florida. The USDA had approved EFFM to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) payments from customers. SNAP allows low income individuals to purchase eligible food items with federal funds through the use of a SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer card, which works like a debit card. Al Saleh falsely represented himself as the new owner of the EFFM so that the prior owner, who had been permanently disqualified from SNAP participation due to earlier SNAP fraud activity at the store location, could continue to operate and manage the store and continue to unlawfully redeem SNAP cards for cash. Al Saleh was also involved in the preparation and signature of numerous documents that falsely and fraudulently represented the terms of the alleged “sale” of EFFM to Al Saleh. In actuality, Al Saleh had no role in the management or operation of the store and had never paid to “purchase” the store.

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

Tampa, FL - United States Maria Chapa Lopez announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robert Mosakowski will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Mosakowski has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Florida, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Chapa Lopez said, “Every citizen should be free to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their vote count, without the fear that it will be stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the electoral process. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).    

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Chapa Lopez stated that AUSA/DEO Mosakowski will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (813) 274-6129.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. Local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at (813) 253-1000 (Tampa Division) or (904) 248-7000 (Jacksonville Division).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.