Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Jonathan Bohn (35, Orlando), a/k/a “Jonah,” guilty of distributing a controlled substance that resulted in death. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 18, 2020.

Bohn was indicted on June 12, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on December 15, 2017, Bohn sold a 45-year-old Orlando resident a controlled substance that contained cocaine laced with fentanyl and heroin. After ingesting the narcotic, the victim’s daughter found the victim dead in their residence the next day. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s office subsequently determined that the victim’s cause of death was fentanyl and cocaine intoxication. At trial, the medical examiner testified that the amount of fentanyl found in the victim’s blood indicated that the victim had consumed a lethal dose of fentanyl. 

“I would like to commend the efforts of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their hard work and dedication. This collaborative effort between the agencies aided in the successful prosecution in this case,” said Sheriff Mina. “This enforcement and interdiction sends a strong message to all of the drug dealers that they too can and will be investigated for any drug-induced homicides.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Substantial assistance was provided by the District Nine Office of the Medical Examiner located in Orlando, Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Jacksonville, Florida – Taniko Hampton (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the

plea agreement , on multiple occasions in 2017 and 2018, while working as a nurse in Jacksonville-area hospitals, Hampton extracted the painkiller hydromorphone (also known as Dilaudid) from syringes in the hospitals’ inventories, replaced the drug with saline, and then returned the syringes for use by future patients. A review of hospital records showed that Hampton was obtaining drugs purportedly for patient use, but then returning them supposedly unused, at 10 times the rate of her nursing peers. Further, in at least one instance, Hampton obtained a Dilaudid syringe for a patient who was not assigned to her, and who had not complained of pain, before returning the syringe purportedly unused.

When confronted by a supervisor, Hampton eventually admitted that she had been diverting drugs from patients for her personal use for months. She later told Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office detectives that she had been removing the Dilaudid from the syringes, replacing them with saline, and then returning the syringes to the hospital inventory. Hampton admitted that removing medicine from syringes and replacing it with saline could result in patients receiving injections that were not sterile and that lacked prescribed quantities of necessary medication, which could lead to increased risks of bodily injury and possibly death.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

The Department of Justice announced the indictment of Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, of Roanoke, Virginia, who has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Langhorne was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, on Nov. 15, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he has been ordered detained pending trial.

According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Langhorne has been a follower of ISIS since 2014 and has recently publicly reaffirmed his support for ISIS.  Beginning in February 2019, Langhorne began communicating with an undercover employee (UCE) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS. Langhorne told the UCE about his plans to create and disseminate an instructional video on making a deadly explosive – triacetone triperoxide, also known as “TATP” – and sought the UCE’s assistance in creating the video.  Langhorne told the UCE that, in order to ensure that the video was not removed from the internet by service providers, the video should include disclaimers advising that it was intended for educational purposes.  However, Langhorne informed the UCE that his true purpose in making and distributing the video was to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP and use it for terrorism-related purposes in support of ISIS. 

The FBI produced a video in accordance with Langhorne’s instructions, but – unbeknownst to Langhorne – it featured an inert chemical formula for TATP that would not produce an explosion. In November 2019, the UCE provided versions of the TATP video to Langhorne, and Langhorne distributed the video by uploading it to a video-sharing website.

An indictment is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. If convicted, Langhorne faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, including agencies participating in the Northeast Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  Investigative support was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Jacksonville, FL  – The Department of Justice announced the

indictment of Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, of Roanoke, Virginia, who has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Langhorne was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, on Nov. 15, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he has been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Langhorne faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to an affidavit supporting the

criminal complaint , Langhorne has been a follower of ISIS since 2014 and has recently publicly reaffirmed his support for ISIS.  Beginning in February 2019, Langhorne began communicating with an undercover employee (UCE) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS. Langhorne told the UCE about his plans to create and disseminate an instructional video on making a deadly explosive – triacetone triperoxide, also known as “TATP” – and sought the UCE’s assistance in creating the video.  Langhorne told the UCE that, in order to ensure that the video was not removed from the internet by service providers, the video should include disclaimers advising that it was intended for educational purposes.  However, Langhorne informed the UCE that his true purpose in making and distributing the video was to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP and use it for terrorism-related purposes in support of ISIS. 

The FBI produced a video in accordance with Langhorne’s instructions, but – unbeknownst to Langhorne – it featured an inert chemical formula for TATP that would not produce an explosion. In November 2019, the UCE provided versions of the TATP video to Langhorne, and Langhorne distributed the video by uploading it to a video-sharing website.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI, including agencies participating in the Northeast Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  Investigative support was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

 

 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer (22, Wisconsin) and Craig Austin Lang (29, Arizona and North Carolina) with six federal offenses. In addition to the offenses of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, robbery interfering in commerce, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which resulted in death, Zwiefelhofer and Lang are also charged with conspiring to kill, kidnap, or maim persons in a foreign country and a violation of the Neutrality Act. If convicted on all counts, Zwiefelhofer and Lang face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison or death. Zwiefelhofer’s arraignment on the superseding indictment is set for December 10, 2019, in Fort Myers. Lang is currently in custody, in Ukraine, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States.

According to court documents, on April 10, 2018, two individuals, S.L., Jr. and D.L., were found dead in Estero, Florida from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. Further investigation revealed that the couple had traveled to Estero from Brooksville, Florida to complete the purchase of several firearms from an individual that had listed them for sale on a website known as Armslist. As a result of the investigation, Zwiefelhofer and Lang were identified as the individuals that were believed to have murdered the couple during the course of an armed robbery of the $3,000 that the couple had intended to use to purchase the firearms. 

The superseding indictment further alleges that Zwiefelhofer and Lang formed and pursued a plan to fight the Venezuelan government and committed the robbery of S.L., Jr. and D.L. to obtain money to fund their travel to Venezuela for that purpose. 

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jesus M. Casas and Josephine W. Thomas.

superseding indictment

 

Tampa, FL – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $14,444,949 will support public safety activities in the Middle District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”

The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.

“We are confident that our public safety and community partners will utilize these additional resources in the most effective manner possible,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Coupled with various lessons learned, innovative ideas, and a commitment to reduce crime at every turn, we intend to make our communities safer places to live, work and play.”

The following awards were made to organizations in the Middle District of Florida:

          Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (Local)

Brevard County ($55,079)

Charlotte County ($25,580)

Citrus County ($27,792)

City of Apopka ($15,098)

City of Bradenton ($23,080)

City of Casselberry ($10,650)

City of Cape Coral ($15,915)

City of Cocoa ($22,166)

City of Daytona Beach ($61,305)

City of DeLand ($12,598)

City of Fort Myers ($58,733)

City of Jacksonville ($403,269)

City of Kissimmee ($31,446)

City of Lakeland ($24,979)

City of Largo ($28,032)

City of Leesburg ($14,689)

City of Melbourne ($49,405)

City of Ocala ($31,470)

City of Orlando ($167,472)

City of Ormond Beach ($15,435)

City of Palm Bay ($38,106)

City of Pinellas Park ($16,997)

City of Plant City ($13,103)

City of Sanford ($34,571)

City of Tampa ($143,984)

City of Titusville ($25,219)

City of Winter Haven ($14,809)

Clay County Board of Commissioners ($35,100)

Collier County ($69,407)

County of Volusia ($46,039)

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($16,108)

Hendry County ($11,708)

Hernando County ($32,239)

Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners ($144,104)

Lake County ($33,850)

Lee County Sheriff’s Office ($101,022)

Manatee County ($108,907)

Marion County Board of County Commissioners ($57,819)

Orange County Board of County Commissioners ($359,322)

Osceola County Board of County Commissioners ($58,925)

Pasco County ($100,324)

Pinellas County ($185,816)

Polk County ($93,064)

Putnam County ($18,440)

Sarasota County ($37,192)

Seminole County Sheriff’s Office ($42,721)

Winter Garden Police Department ($11,083)

 

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (State)

          Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($10,551,399)

 

BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program

          State Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial Circuit ($360,000)

 

SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program

          Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($399,878)

          Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($150,000)

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office ($39,500)

 

Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the filing of federal charges against 10 individuals in Operation Dead Ringer. The individuals are charged in 10 separate cases with cumulatively stealing more than $500,000 by collecting benefits from the Social Security Administration on behalf of beneficiaries who were actually deceased. The maximum penalty for stealing federal benefits is 10 years in federal prison per count.

Those charged include:      

Shayontay Johnson (32, Belleair) was charged with theft of government funds. According to her plea agreement, from February 2016 through July 2018, Johnson fraudulently collected more than $22,300 of her mother’s Social Security benefits following her mother’s death on February 6, 2016.

Robert Miller (53, Valrico) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from December 2009 through June 2019, Miller fraudulently collected approximately $75,000 of his mother’s Social Security benefits following her death in December 2009.

Santos Flores (62, Lakeland) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from August 2013 through June 2019, Flores fraudulently collected approximately $82,900 of his sister’s Social Security benefits after her death in August 2013.

Susan Hatfield (45, Brooksville) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from May 2013 through May 2019, Hatfield fraudulently collected approximately $61,000 of her father’s Social Security benefits after his death in May 2013.

Peggy Etheridge (56, Brooksville) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from January 2015 through June 2019, Etheridge fraudulently collected approximately $49,000 of her mother’s Social Security benefits after her mother had died in December 2014.

Dina Salem (64, Tampa) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from August 2013 through February 2017, Salem fraudulently collected approximately $59,500 of her former partner’s Social Security benefits after his death in August 2013.

Deborah Leonhardt (60, Sebastian) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from October 2013 through April 2019, Leonhardt fraudulently collected approximately $82,000 of her partner’s Social Security benefits after his death in October 2013.

Sondra Luke (45, Cocoa) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from August 2013 through March 2019, Luke fraudulently collected approximately $83,000 of her mother’s Social Security benefits after her death in August 2013.

Alex Keith (34, Ormond Beach) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from December 2014 though May 2019, Keith fraudulently collected approximately $50,800 of his mother’s Social Security benefits after her death in December 2014.

James Heide (37, Summerfield) has been charged with theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from November 2013 through July 2019, Heide fraudulently collected approximately $84,900 of his mother’s Social Security benefits after her death in November 2013.
 

Operation Dead Ringer, initiated in the Middle District of Florida, aggressively targets those individuals who steal Social Security benefits inadvertently paid to deceased beneficiaries.

“Theft of government program dollars will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Those who steal Social Security benefits threaten the integrity of the program and divert vital resources away from those who have earned them and need them most.”

“We will continue to work closely with the Social Security Administration and other agencies to identify beneficiary deaths and pursue those who misuse those payments after someone dies,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for its support of our investigations and its efforts to bring these individuals to justice and recover funds for Social Security.”

The 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 Attorney Michael Felicetta, will be prosecuting the above cases.

An information and an indictment are merely formal charges that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

Orlando, FL – Marek Harrison (56, Plant City) has pleaded guilty to bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between September 2007 and December 2008, Harrison created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme involving Saratoga Resort Villas, a condominium conversion of a former hotel located in Kissimmee.  Harrison’s scheme to defraud financial institutions involved kickbacks of mortgage proceeds to buyers and co-conspirators, as well as misrepresentations regarding the source of down payment funds for the transactions. None of the incentives and kickbacks were disclosed to the mortgage lenders. Harrison also recruited otherwise unqualified buyers, and provided down payment money for the buyers. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

 

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Nicole Johnson to 24 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. Johnson had pleaded guilty on August 28, 2019. 

According to the plea agreement, Johnson was the owner and operator of Financial Asset Tax Service, which offered tax return preparation services. During the tax years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Johnson prepared more than 1,900 returns for individuals in which she falsified the amounts of deductions and tax credits owed to the taxpayers. As a result, those taxpayers received undeserved tax refunds.  Johnson fraudulently claimed the General Business Credit and False Tax Credit for taxpayers who were not entitled to them, and she also inflated itemized deductions. As a result of the false returns prepared by Johnson, the IRS issued more than $1.3 million in undeserved refunds. Johnson was ordered to repay the IRS that amount in restitution.

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

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Richard Franklin Jensen, III (33, Atlanta) guilty of attempted enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2020.

Jensen was indicted on February 20, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, between May 23 and June 1, 2015, Jensen communicated on a social media website, via email, and over text messages, with someone he believed to be a single mom looking for a man to sexually abuse her 12-year-old daughter. In reality, Jensen was talking to an undercover agent. During the conversations, Jensen told the “mom” that he was the guy that she had been looking for, who was interested in sexually abusing the child, and that he was willing to travel from Atlanta to the Tampa Bay area to teach the “child” about sex and the “art of pleasing a man.” In addition to providing graphic details about the sexual abuse he wanted to perform on the child, Jensen asked the “mom” to prepare the child for the sexual encounter by breaking the child’s hymen in advance of his visit to Tampa. Jensen planned to abuse the child over a period of time, stating that “it couldn’t be a one-time thing.” In his process of grooming the child, Jensen promised to buy “sexy big girl clothes and underwear,” complimented the child’s “sexy little body,” and wanted the “mom” to let the child watch pornography so the child could prepare for sex with Jensen.

Jensen also emailed and messaged the purported child, and graphically described the sexual abuse that he wished to engage in with the child. He sent multiple pictures of his genitalia to the “mom,” to share with the child.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Francis D. Murray.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul E. Byron has sentenced Eric Bales (31, Winter Park) to life imprisonment for the enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and 20 years’ imprisonment for the distribution of child sex abuse imagery, to be served consecutively. Bales had pleaded guilty on May 22, 2019.

According to testimony and court documents in August 2018, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police referred an internet-based case lead to Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, who then executed a federal search warrant on Bales’s residence. HSI agents arrested Bales the same day. The investigation revealed that Bales was using an internet chat room to arrange a meeting with another minor the same morning that HSI had arrested him.

In 2009, Bales was the subject of a state child enticement investigation. He avoided prosecution but, in 2014, was arrested for lewd and lascivious battery on a 14-year-old child. Bales was convicted of willful child abuse and spent two and a half years in prison. After Bales was released from prison in October 2017, he immediately began viewing and collecting images and videos of children being sexually exploited. Bales collected and distributed the explicit imagery over internet using peer-to-peer applications. He also elicited the production of pornographic images from a 16-year-old girl, and shared those images via messaging applications with other minors.

“This serial child predator used social media to spread vile images across the digital spectrum,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “This investigation highlights HSI’s authority to work with international and local partners, ultimately making our communities a safer place.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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

Tampa, Florida – Mordechai Boaziz (68, Fort Lauderdale) and Jonathan Marmol (41, Odessa) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to financial institutions. Each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to their plea agreements, beginning around the summer of 2006 and continuing through August 2008, Boaziz and Marmol conspired with others to execute a scheme to influence the credit decisions of financial institutions in connection with the sale of condominium units at The Preserve at Temple Terrace, a 392-unit condominium complex. Boaziz was converting The Preserve from an apartment complex into a condominium complex and hired Marmol to market the units.

In order to recruit and entice otherwise unqualified buyers to purchase units at The Preserve, the conspirators offered to pay the prospective buyers’ down payments (“cash-to-close”). The conspirators then intentionally concealed from the financial institutions the cash-to-close payments made on behalf of the buyers.

In particular, the HUD-1 Settlement Statements submitted to the financial institutions falsely stated that the buyers brought their own cash-to-close funds to purchase the condominium units, which influenced the financial institutions’ mortgage loan approval decisions. In reality, Boaziz funded the buyers’ cash-to-close and routed the payments through Marmol and others. As a result of the conspiracy, the financial institutions that financed the condominium unit purchases at The Preserve sustained a total loss of approximately $5 million.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung today sentenced Howard Joseph Vorder Bruegge, III (36, Tampa) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography. 

Vorder Bruegge had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2019.

According to court documents, Vorder Bruegge, using the internet monikers “JoeBlow73” and “JoeBlowFL,” distributed child sex abuse videos on multiple occasions. He also collected child pornography on his cellphone, including sex abuse videos of babies and toddlers. His collection included more than 200 images and 47 videos depicting child sex abuse, including videos known by law enforcement to have been produced in the Tampa Bay area. Vorder Bruegge’s devices also contained conversations where he discussed a desire to sexually abuse his friend’s children.

Vorder Bruegge also used his phone to film and publically share voyeur videos on the internet and utilized peepholes in college campus bathrooms to film students while they were in restroom stalls. He then distributed those videos on websites that hosted voyeur content. Vorder Bruegge’s phone contained at least four videos capturing adult males through peepholes in public HCC restrooms.

“All child exploitation is sickening, but it is deeply disturbing when a person who held a position of trust is the criminal who magnified the harm to the child victims,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brian Ray Dunlap (67, St. Augustine) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice two young children to engage in sexual activity. Dunlap was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Dunlap had pleaded guilty on July 25, 2019.    

According to court documents, evidence, and testimony, on October 6, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing online as a custodial family member of two children ages 9 and 12, received an email message from Dunlap. Over the next three days, Dunlap and the undercover detective exchanged emails and text messages about Dunlap’s desire to meet the children to engage in sexual activity with them. Dunlap advised that he was an amateur photographer and that he wanted to “[t]ake their pictures naked” and perform oral sex on them. Dunlap provided the undercover detective with graphic details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the two children, and he offered to pay the undercover detective $200 for sex with the children. Dunlap told the undercover detective that finding someone that would permit him to have sex with their children was “a dream come true.” 

On October 9, 2018, Dunlap traveled to a prearranged location in St. Johns County to meet and have sex with the two children and was arrested.

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Christopher Brian Cosimano, a/k/a “Durty,” (31, Gibsonton) and Michael Dominick Mencher, a/k/a “Pumpkin,” (53, Tarpon Springs) to life in federal prison plus ten years, and life in prison plus five years, respectively, for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses. A federal jury found Cosimano and Mencher guilty on August 12, 2019.

Cosimano and Mencher were indicted, along with three co-defendants who later pleaded guilty, on May 22, 2018.

According to testimony and court documents, Cosimano and Mencher were members of the 69’ers Motorcycle Club, a criminal organization engaged in acts of violence and narcotics distribution.

In 2017, the 69’ers Motorcycle Club was entangled in an increasingly violent feud with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The feud escalated, culminating with the murder of Paul Anderson, President of the Cross Bayou Chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, on December 21, 2017. On that date, Cosimano, Mencher, and their three co-defendants stalked Anderson for several miles down the Suncoast Parkway. Cosimano and Mencher rode their motorcycles with their faces covered and license plates obscured.

After following Anderson for miles, Cosimano and Mencher pulled alongside his truck and shot him repeatedly at the busy intersection of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54, during rush hour. After the murder, the defendants took steps to cover up the crime, including removing identifying markings from and disassembling their motorcycles.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Natalie Hirt Adams.

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.

Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Karen Latrice Houston (37, Lakeland) guilty of three counts of theft of government funds. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Houston was indicted on May 8, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2017, Houston filed a false application with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to obtain disaster relief benefits following Hurricane Irma. In the application, Houston falsely claimed that a home located in a Lakeland mobile home park was her primary residence, and that the home was damaged during Hurricane Irma. In fact, Houston had been evicted from the mobile home park in early 2017. In connection with her application for disaster aid, Houston misrepresented to a FEMA inspector that she still resided at the address that she had listed on her FEMA application. As a result of those misrepresentations, Houston obtained $21,875.57 in FEMA funds and benefits to which she was not entitled.

The FEMA funds and benefits Houston received were intended for critical needs, home repair, replacement of personal property, and shelter for persons displaced from their residence due to Hurricane Irma.  

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Leon Williams (30) and Reginald Jones, Jr. (25), both of Tampa, guilty of conspiring to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to that conspiracy. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to evidence presented during the two-week trial, Williams and Jones are members of the Bird Gang, a violent street-level drug trafficking organization that has operated in Tampa Park for years and is responsible for multiple homicides and shootings. The Bird Gang principally sold drugs at two locations, the Tampa Park housing complex and a nearby boarding house known as the “Blue House,” which the Bird Gang had essentially taken over. On May 29, 2018, in the middle of the afternoon, Williams and Jones shot at people whom they believed had been communicating with law enforcement about the Bird Gang’s drug sales at the Blue House.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is part of a year-long effort to dismantle the Bird Gang, so far resulting in charges against 30 individuals. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation and was 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.

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Rondre Antwan Powell (32, Orlando) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2020.

A grand jury had returned a superseding indictment on July 17, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on November 28, 2018, a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted a stop of an SUV for traffic violations, and because the vehicle was suspected of being stolen. The driver and a passenger of the SUV fled on foot. A 9mm firearm, with an extended magazine holding over 20 rounds of ammunition, was left behind in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Law enforcement identified Powell as the passenger and arrested him six days later in Pasco County. When Powell was arrested, officers executed search warrants on a hotel room and on Powell’s cellphone that yielded additional evidence that it was Powell who had fled from the SUV, leaving behind the 9mm pistol and extended magazine. 

Powell has been convicted of numerous felonies and admitted during the trial that he was a felon. As a previously 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, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.

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.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Derrick Coleman (41, New Port Richey) guilty of bank robbery. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Coleman was indicted on August 28, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, on June 30, 2018, Coleman visited a Chase Bank in Tarpon Springs and spoke to a teller about opening a new account. As the teller explained the process, Coleman placed a bag on the counter, told the teller that he had a gun, and demanded money from the teller. The teller complied and Coleman fled the bank with $5,000. The teller later identified Coleman in a photo lineup.

On that same day, Coleman told his then-girlfriend, who later testified during the trial, about the robbery. He told her that he had gotten $5,000 from the robbery. That detail of the robbery was never released to the public.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tarpon Springs Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Ever Jose Diaz-Lara (30, Honduras) to 15 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation. Diaz-Lara had pleaded guilty on September 6, 2019.

According to testimony and court documents, since 2009, Diaz-Lara has been arrested at least five times for violent domestic assaults. The Department of Homeland Security removed Diaz-Lara to Honduras in 2010, 2014, and 2015. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) most recently encountered Diaz-Lara following his July 17, 2019, domestic battery arrest in Orlando.

“Thanks to the hard work of our Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team, this violent criminal illegal alien is out of our communities,” said Miami ERO Field Office Director Michael W. Meade. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE, in the Middle District of Florida.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp today sentenced Benjamin Green Robinson (32, Daytona Beach) to nine years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. A federal jury found Robinson guilty on August 9, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in January 2016, Robinson and three co-conspirators arranged for multiple shipments of cocaine to be sent through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from California. During the investigation, the FBI and the USPS seized three of the packages, each containing two kilograms of cocaine hidden inside tubs of protein powder. Law enforcement also identified five additional shipments that the conspirators had successfully shipped through the mail. In 2016, during the month of January, Robinson and his conspirators were responsible shipping 14 kilograms of cocaine through mail, estimated to be worth a total of $490,000.

Two of Robinson’s co-conspirators, Dondi Kentrail Freeney and Telvin Williams, previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. They were sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison and five years in federal prison, respectively. Legal proceedings against a fourth individual, Antonio Chandler, are ongoing. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Lake County Sherriff’s Office, and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging David John Ridling (57, Vero Beach) with 10 counts of wire fraud, 4 counts of bank fraud, 9 counts of money laundering, and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Ridling faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count, 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, and a mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts.

According to the

indictment and information presented in court, Ridling, over the past three years, has attempted to defraud five financial institutions, one financial services provider, and one local Orlando business out of more than $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 certain individuals served as his account representatives at a financial brokerage company. He used email accounts for two of those representatives, purporting to be them, in an effort to convince lenders that he had millions of dollars in his two brokerage accounts. In fact, Ridling only had one account, which never had more than $2,000 in it. Ridling used some of the proceeds that he had obtained from his victims to pay amounts that he had owed to other victims to prolong his scheme.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced Brian Alan Jones (37, Lady Lake) today to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Jones had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2019. 

According to court records, Jones produced sexually explicit images of a 6-year-old girl who was under his supervision. He took explicit photographs of the victim on his cellphone and sent them to an undercover officer posing as a pedophile.

Jones also admitted to sending another undercover officer sexually explicit videos depicting young children having sexual intercourse with adult men. Jones’s cellphone was later found to contain more than 100 images of the child victim and over 70 images of other child pornography or child erotica.

“The crimes committed by this child predator are beyond comprehension,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “HSI special agents, with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have ensured this criminal will no longer be able to sexually abuse children and we hope this brings a small measure of closure to his victim.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Darryl Cleon Forbes (26), a Jamaican citizen, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, between 2015 and 2017, Forbes participated in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme, originating in Jamaica, which targeted victims throughout the United States, many of whom were elderly, and falsely informed them that they had won a significant cash prize in a sweepstakes contest. In order to carry out the scheme, Forbes and his co-conspirators called victims and posed as federal law enforcement agents. The conspirators advised the victims that in order to collect their prize, they first had to pay taxes and fees amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Over the course of this conspiracy, Forbes and others collected between $2.5 and $3.5 million from their victims. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.

Orlando, FL – Jesus Bolanos Rodriguez (26, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in January 2015, Bolanos Rodriguez, a native and citizen of Mexico, was convicted of illegal entry into the United States and was deported. He returned to the United States at some point thereafter, and, on September 22, 2019, he was arrested by the Apopka Police Department for leaving the scene of a crash involving death and physical injury. Bolanos Rodriguez was subsequently released on bond and taken into federal custody, at which point he was charged with illegal reentry after deportation.

This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron today sentenced Eric Pedro Valdez (39, Atlanta) to 18 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. A federal jury had found Valdez guilty on August 2, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between November 2015 and May 2016, Valdez conspired with others to distribute more than 70 kilograms of methamphetamine. On March 23, 2016, Valdez hand-delivered 4 kilograms of methamphetamine to two co-conspirators at a business in the Atlanta area. The drugs were intended for distribution in Sumter County.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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UPDATE

On October 18, 2021, a federal jury acquitted defendants Greg Carter and John Clark Walton of the charges alleged in the indictment described in the press release below.

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Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Scott Balotin (49, Saint Johns), Greg Carter (62, Fleming Island), Thomas Jones (50, Jacksonville), John Clark Walton (49, Jacksonville), David Stevens (40, Callahan), Sam Todd (40, Jacksonville Beach), Derwin Allen (50, Jacksonville), and Pablo Ortiz (51, Middleburg) with conspiracy. Various defendants are also charged with multiple counts of receiving and paying kickbacks and/or money laundering. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count and each count of money laundering is 10 years in federal prison. The maximum penalty for each count of receiving and paying kickbacks is 5 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds traceable to the offense, as well as items and properties purchased with proceeds traceable to the offense, including a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, a 2015 Ford Thor Motor Coach, and two residences.

In a related case, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Qualla Miller (42, Orange Park), Earl Smalls (57, Jacksonville), and Mario Correa Jackson (35, Jacksonville) each with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and separate counts of soliciting and receiving kickbacks. In addition, Smalls and Jackson were each charged with paying kickbacks, and Miller and Smalls were each charged with money laundering. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count and each count of receiving and paying kickbacks is 5 years in federal prison. The maximum penalty for each count of money laundering is 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds traceable to the offense.

According to the indictments, Balotin owned and operated Casepark, a marketing firm in Jacksonville that utilized sales representatives to market compounded medications, including creams for pain and scars, to health care benefit program beneficiaries. The creams had very high reimbursement rates, ranging from approximately $4,000 to $17,000 for a one-month supply. Casepark focused its promotional efforts on TRICARE beneficiaries, based upon an understanding and belief that TRICARE would pay claims for these compounded medications. The indictment alleges that a large number of the prescriptions generated for the recruited TRICARE beneficiaries were directed to Park and King Pharmacy, owned and operated by Greg Carter. Casepark received approximately 55 percent of the after-cost amount of each claim paid by a health care benefit program to Park and King Pharmacy for each prescription filled. Casepark, and Park and King, paid the sales representatives a percentage of the paid claims they received from the pharmacies.

To induce beneficiaries to provide their TRICARE information and obtain prescriptions for compounded creams from various doctors, patient recruiters (Jones, Walton, Stevens, Todd, Allen, Ortiz, Miller, Smalls, and Jackson) agreed to make, made, and caused to be made illegal kickbacks in the form of cash payments to the beneficiaries. Those prescriptions were filled at Park and King and other pharmacies and resulted in commission payments being made to Casepark and its sales representatives, including the defendants.

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, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.

 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Romen Rafael Perez (47, Sarasota), Pedro Perez-Garcia (51, Sarasota), and Juan Miguel Martinez-Garcia (33, Sarasota) with conspiracy, making a false statement to a firearms dealer, delivery of firearms to a common carrier for shipment in foreign commerce without written notice, and smuggling goods from the United States. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.

According to the

superseding indictment , during the course of the conspiracy, Perez, Perez-Garcia, and Martinez-Garcia purchased more than 80 firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers located in the Middle District of Florida. The defendants represented themselves to be the actual buyers of each firearm at the time of purchase, despite having preexisting plans to ship those firearms to the Dominican Republic. During shipment, the men hid the firearms among innocuous items, such as clothing and food, and failed to inform the common carrier that the packages contained firearms. On September 11, 2019, investigators intercepted one such package destined for Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Inside, they discovered and seized 12 Glock semi-automatic 9mm handguns and accompanying magazines, as well as speed loaders hidden within several packages of breakfast cereal.

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, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Thomas Rowland (51, Pennsylvania) to 25 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.  

Rowland had pleaded guilty on August 29, 2019.

According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Rowland engaged in conversations with an undercover (“UC”) agent on a “dark web” website. Over the course of several conversations, Rowland discussed plans to travel to Florida and videotape his rape of the UC’s fictional 13-year old daughter. Rowland was very specific in his requests, including asking for the “child’s” body measurements so that he could buy “sexy outfits” for her to wear during his sexual encounters with her.

Throughout their conversations, Rowland kept in touch with the UC and maintained his desire to fly to Florida to have sex with the “child.” Rowland also stated that he was bringing sexual devices to use on the “child.”

On June 21, 2019, Rowland arrived at the Orlando International Airport and was subsequently arrested. Inside Rowland’s luggage, law enforcement officers found sex toys and “sexy outfits,” along with other paraphernalia for use in sexual activity.  

“This child predator thought he was going to travel into our local communities to sexually abuse a child,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “Instead, he was met by HSI special agents and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputies and now he is being held accountable for his crimes.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sean P. Shecter 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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Leslie Muniz to 36 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the filing of false federal income tax returns. Muniz was also ordered to pay $1,615,143 in restitution to the United States.

Muniz had pleaded guilty on August 20, 2019.

According to court documents, between 2012 and 2016, Muniz owned and operated Royalty Tax Services, a tax preparation business located in Winter Park. During this time, in order to inflate her clients’ refunds, Muniz prepared, or caused her employees to prepare, hundreds of fraudulent tax returns for clients claiming false itemized deductions and fake Schedule C businesses and business losses. Muniz then used tax preparation numbers assigned to her employees to file the fraudulent tax returns with the IRS to avoid having the returns traced to her. When employees at Royalty Tax Services questioned Muniz about her tax practices or her use of their tax preparation numbers, she fired them. The total loss to the United States as a result of Muniz’s conduct was more than $1.6 million.

This case was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Dameon Kerk Allen (42, St. Petersburg) guilty of attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity. Allen faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2020.

Allen was indicted on August 20, 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Allen communicated online and over text messages with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old child. In reality, he was communicating with an undercover agent. In the conversations, Allen proposed and planned to meet up with the child to have sex, discussing in graphic detail the sex acts he would engage in when they met.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Thelwell and Colin McDonell.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Antonio Marquis Roddy, a/k/a “Lil Head” (32, Apopka) to 25 years and 4 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and using or carrying a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

Roddy had pleaded guilty on September 12, 2018.

According to court documents, from at least May 2015 and continuing through July 20, 2017, co-defendant Marion Dwight, Jr. conspired with Roddy and others to commit multiple armed robberies and burglaries of several local drug dealers. To date, the FBI has identified at least 14 armed robberies and 4 armed burglaries that were committed by Dwight and his coconspirators. The conspirators discharged and otherwise brandished firearms during each of the robberies and burglaries.

In January 2016, Roddy and his coconspirators, Michael James Baker, a/k/a “Bake,” and Fredrick James Burney, Jr. a/k/a “Frido,” forced their way inside a residence in Kissimmee in search of narcotics and cash. While inside, they held three women and three children at gunpoint and stated that, if the victims complied, no one would die. Roddy and his coconspirators stole approximately $95,000 in cash from the home and divided the proceeds amongst themselves.

A few months later, in April 2016, Roddy and Burney attempted to rob a residence in Lakeland in search of narcotics and cash. The victim, however, returned to the home during the course of the attempted robbery and a shoot-out resulted. Roddy and Burney fled, but not before Burney stole a firearm from the residence. Roddy was shot in the knee and was treated at a nearby hospital.

Roddy was the last member of the Polk County-based criminal organization to be sentenced. Roddy’s coconspirators have been sentenced as noted below:

Name

Age, Residence

Federal Prison Sentence Imposed

Bradney Henry McGary

32, Lakeland

19 years and 2 months

Sherrod Raeshad Gordon,

a/k/a “Hott”

32, Tampa

29 years and 8 months

Marion Dwight, Jr.

a/k/a “Woe,”

a/k/a “Woe Money”

31, Lakeland

23 years

Michael James Baker,

a/k/a “Bake,”

a/k/a “Maserati”

35, Clearwater

19 years and 6 months

Fredrick James Burney, Jr.,

a/k/a “Frido”

a/k/a “Free”

28, Clearwater

30 years

Jevin Michael Stone

30, Lakeland

23 years and 5 months

Shamar Lajuan Thomas

a/k/a “Baby”

27, Clearwater

35 years

           This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Willie D. Hayden (33, Cape Coral) to 17 years in federal prison for distributing a controlled substance, possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and violating his supervised release. 

Hayden had pleaded guilty on May 8, 2019, and he admitted to violating the conditions of his supervised release on November 12, 2019.

According to court documents, on two separate occasions, in August and October 2018, while on supervised release, Hayden sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. In November 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hayden’s residence and seized 10.4 grams of heroin packaged in 29 separate baggies.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced David Martin “Marty” Golloher to three years in federal prison for wire fraud, tax fraud, and bankruptcy fraud.           

Golloher had pleaded guilty on August 30, 2019.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, Golloher was the President and Chief Executive Officer of OATH Corporation, a bullet-manufacturing company based in Brevard County. In that capacity, Golloher recruited individuals to invest significant sums of money in OATH Corporation. He defrauded one investor of nearly $70,000 by embezzling funds intended for corporate use. Golloher defrauded another individual of more than $40,000 by convincing him to purchase the rights to an “exclusive distributorship” that did not actually exist.

In addition, for six quarters in 2015 and 2016, Golloher collected payroll taxes on behalf of OATH Corporation employees, but failed to pay over that tax to the Internal Revenue Service. Golloher also failed to pay over OATH Corporation’s payroll tax obligations, resulting in a total tax loss of more than $458,000.

Eventually, Golloher filed for bankruptcy on behalf of OATH Corporation.  During the course of the bankruptcy proceeding, Golloher knowingly made a false declaration, understating the amount of compensation and personal expenses he had received from OATH Corporation. Golloher admitted that he did so with the intent to deceive OATH Corporation’s creditors, the bankruptcy trustee, and the bankruptcy judge.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Orlando Office of the United States Trustee Program. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Rubens Casseus to two years in federal prison for aiding or assisting in the preparation of false documents under Internal Revenue laws. The court also ordered Casseus to pay $59,322 in restitution to the IRS.

Casseus had pleaded guilty on August 8, 2019.

According to court documents, Casseus operated Three Brothers Tax Multiservices, Inc. in Naples, where he routinely prepared income tax returns for his clients. Between January 2014 and February 2018, Casseus, on behalf of his clients, aided in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service. Many of these tax returns contained fraudulent information, including representing that the taxpayers were entitled to claim head of household filing status, a false or fictitious dependent, and deductions and credits that the taxpayers were not entitled to claim. Casseus knew that the taxpayers were not entitled to such claims. Casseus also used the identifying information of children to increase tax refunds for some of his clients. The false statements Casseus included in the tax returns inflated the tax refunds, thereby defrauding the government of tax revenue in the amount of $59,322 for tax years 2013 through 2017.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities. In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.

“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who violate our nation’s gun laws,” stated U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “For years, the Middle District has applied a holistic approach to reducing violent crime and improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. With Project Guardian, we will continue to coordinate resources among various stakeholders and create a comprehensive strategy that prevents illegal access to firearms, deters the use of guns in resolving conflicts, and provides additional support to our communities.”

 “ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.”

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1. Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
    
2. Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.
    
   Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
    
3. Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
    
4. Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety. 
    
   Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.
    
5. Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.

Federal law enforcement represents only about 15% of all law enforcement resources nationwide. Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime. The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.  

For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.

Ocala, Florida – A federal jury has found Kevin Gene Hart (31, Ocala) guilty of conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 1 kilogram or more of heroin, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 28, 2020. 

Hart was indicted on March 27, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between January 2012 and May 2019, Hart conspired with others to distribute hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin through a network of stash houses in Marion County. Large quantities of the heroin were also laced with fentanyl. On April 10, 2019, after learning of his federal indictment, Hart fled from federal agents in a high-speed vehicle chase. He was apprehended by agents in Marion County on May 24, 2019, as he attempted to flee through a local business.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City of Ocala Police Department, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Miller Wilson, Jr. (49, Sparr), his daughter Myoshi Wilson (25, Citra), and his ex-wife Erica Wilson (42, Ocala), with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Miller Wilson, Jr. is also charged with eight counts of solicitation and receipt of health care kickbacks, and Erica and Myoshi Wilson are each charged with one count of making false statements. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count. Erica and Myoshi Wilson each face up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the false statement count. In addition, Miller Wilson, Jr. faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of soliciting and receiving health care kickbacks. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $382,462, which represents the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the

indictment , Miller Wilson, Jr. was an employee at the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) Clinic located in The Villages. As part of his employment, he provided transportation arrangements for veterans needing medical treatment. From 2014 through 2016, Miller Wilson, Jr. obtained cash kickbacks from the transportation vendors in exchange for awarding them health care contracts from the VA. Thereafter, from 2016-2017, Miller Wilson, Jr. conspired with Erica and Myoshi Wilson to open and manage two different transportation companies to provide these services to veterans. Miller Wilson, Jr. used his official position at the VA to funnel health care contracts to the companies that he had formed with Erica and Myoshi Wilson. During a 17-month period, the two companies billed the federal government $305,673.

In 2019, Myoshi and Erica Wilson made false statements to a federal agent in to conceal their wrongdoing.

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 being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Danyel Megal Black (39, Bradenton) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing cocaine. Black faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is pending.

Black was indicted on August 27, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, on February 19, 2019, Black was serving a term of probation from a state court sentence. Black’s probation officer had scheduled a home compliance visit and search for that day. The probation officer did not inform Black of the search, and on that day, a team of law enforcement officers arrived at Black’s apartment to perform the search. Black arrived at his residence over half an hour late and let the officers into the apartment, which he shared with his girlfriend and their two small children.

During the search, the officers found nearly half an ounce of cocaine in a plastic bag, along with a razor, in Black’s nightstand next to his bed. That same drawer contained several small baggies of individually wrapped cocaine. Officers also discovered a loaded 9mm magazine in the bedroom linen closet. In the kitchen, they found an orange pot and scale, both containing cocaine residue. Inside a dresser drawer in Black’s two-year-old son’s room, officers discovered a stolen, loaded gun. In addition, they found two cellphones and $1,865 in Black’s car.

As a previously convicted felon, Black is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest of Nicholas Allen Groves (35, Ocala) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. If convicted, Groves faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to the

criminal complaint , Groves has a 2012 felony conviction in Maryland for assault-first Degree. That incident involved Groves threatening another person with a firearm. Because of this felony conviction, Groves is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. 

On November 6, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant on an Ocala residence where Groves lived alone. Inside the residence, agents recovered at least 25 firearms (including AR-15 and AK-47 rifles), hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and personal identification documents belonging to Groves. Among the recovered ammunition, agents located three military-style 40mm smoke and parachute rounds.

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

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jessica Ann Smothers (35, Fernandina Beach) with disaster assistance fraud involving Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Smothers faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Smothers was arrested on November 4, 2019. She has been detained pending her January 6, 2020 trial.  

According to the indictment, Smothers made a fraudulent application for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program from Hurricane Irma, in which she falsely represented that she was in need of rental assistance due to storm damage to her primary residence.

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

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

The Department of Justice announced today that Fagron Holding USA LLC (Fagron) has agreed to pay $22.05 million to resolve allegations concerning the establishment of false and inflated Average Wholesale Prices (AWPs) by its wholly owned subsidiary Freedom Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Freedom) for active pharmaceutical ingredients used in compound prescriptions.  Freedom’s pricing scheme caused pharmacies that purchased Freedom’s compound ingredients to submit false prescription claims to the Defense Health Agency, which administers the TRICARE Program for the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers Compensation Programs (federal healthcare programs).

“We will not allow the systematic abuse of federal healthcare programs through pricing schemes designed to enrich a few at the expense of federal taxpayers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “Our commitment to protect these programs extends not only to the pursuit of those that submit fraudulent claims but also those who cause others to submit such claims.”

Compounding pharmacies purchase ingredients or chemicals from ingredient suppliers such as Freedom to prepare and fill compound prescriptions for patients who require a specially made prescription that is not generally available in the marketplace.  Freedom knew that compound prescription reimbursement under these federal programs was based in part on the AWPs it reported to various price listing agencies for its ingredients.  Freedom knowingly inflated the AWPs for its ingredients in order to increase the reimbursement that its pharmacy customers received from federal healthcare programs for using Freedom’s ingredients.  For example, Freedom established an AWP for the ingredient Fluticasone Propionate at $3,500 per gram even though it typically sold the Fluticasone Propionate for approximately $160 per gram.    

Freedom promoted its high AWPs and the resulting profit potential from the reimbursement of compound prescriptions as an inducement to pharmacies to purchase its ingredients.  Freedom’s fraudulent pricing scheme for its ingredients enabled its pharmacy customers to bill federal healthcare programs thousands of dollars per prescription for some compound formulations. 

“We have no tolerance for the abuse of federal healthcare programs, especially where it impacts the healthcare program for our veterans and their families,” said U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas.

“Deception and avarice have no place in our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida. “Taxpayers expect that the programs they fund be administered according to the law and utilized for the purposes that they were intended. We will continue to guard against abuse of healthcare programs to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve.”

The settlement also resolves allegations that Fagron’s wholly owned pharmacy subsidiary, Pharmacy Services Inc. (PSI) and its pharmacy affiliates, submitted fraudulent compound prescription claims to federal healthcare programs, used sham insurance programs to manipulate pricing, paid kickbacks to physicians for bogus consulting agreements, and illegally waived copays.  It also addresses allegations against another Fagron subsidiary, B&B Pharmaceuticals Inc. (B&B), for setting an inflated AWP for Gabapentin. 

The settlement resolves allegations contained in two separate actions filed against Freedom, PSI, and B&B under the whistleblower or qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under the False Claims Act, private parties may sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery.   The whistleblowers will receive a combined total of $3,749,000 plus accrued interest from the proceeds of the settlement.  The two lawsuits are captioned United States ex rel. Hueseman v. PSI et al., (WDTX) and United States ex rel. Sten v. Midwest Compounders, et al., (NDIA). 

The case was handled by the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Texas and the Middle District of Florida, with investigative support from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Labor, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. 

The Department of Justice announced today that Fagron Holding USA LLC (Fagron) has agreed to pay $22.05 million to resolve allegations concerning the establishment of false and inflated Average Wholesale Prices (AWPs) by its wholly owned subsidiary Freedom Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Freedom) for active pharmaceutical ingredients used in compound prescriptions.  Freedom’s pricing scheme caused pharmacies that purchased Freedom’s compound ingredients to submit false prescription claims to the Defense Health Agency, which administers the TRICARE Program for the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers Compensation Programs (federal healthcare programs).

“We will not allow the systematic abuse of federal healthcare programs through pricing schemes designed to enrich a few at the expense of federal taxpayers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “Our commitment to protect these programs extends not only to the pursuit of those that submit fraudulent claims but also those who cause others to submit such claims.”

Compounding pharmacies purchase ingredients or chemicals from ingredient suppliers such as Freedom to prepare and fill compound prescriptions for patients who require a specially made prescription that is not generally available in the marketplace.  Freedom knew that compound prescription reimbursement under these federal programs was based in part on the AWPs it reported to various price listing agencies for its ingredients.  Freedom knowingly inflated the AWPs for its ingredients in order to increase the reimbursement that its pharmacy customers received from federal healthcare programs for using Freedom’s ingredients.  For example, Freedom established an AWP for the ingredient Fluticasone Propionate at $3,500 per gram even though it typically sold the Fluticasone Propionate for approximately $160 per gram.    

Freedom promoted its high AWPs and the resulting profit potential from the reimbursement of compound prescriptions as an inducement to pharmacies to purchase its ingredients.  Freedom’s fraudulent pricing scheme for its ingredients enabled its pharmacy customers to bill federal healthcare programs thousands of dollars per prescription for some compound formulations. 

“We have no tolerance for the abuse of federal healthcare programs, especially where it impacts the healthcare program for our veterans and their families,” said U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas.

“Deception and avarice have no place in our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida. “Taxpayers expect that the programs they fund be administered according to the law and utilized for the purposes that they were intended. We will continue to guard against abuse of healthcare programs to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve.”

The settlement also resolves allegations that Fagron’s wholly owned pharmacy subsidiary, Pharmacy Services Inc. (PSI) and its pharmacy affiliates, submitted fraudulent compound prescription claims to federal healthcare programs, used sham insurance programs to manipulate pricing, paid kickbacks to physicians for bogus consulting agreements, and illegally waived copays.  It also addresses allegations against another Fagron subsidiary, B&B Pharmaceuticals Inc. (B&B), for setting an inflated AWP for Gabapentin. 

The settlement resolves allegations contained in two separate actions filed against Freedom, PSI, and B&B under the whistleblower or qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under the False Claims Act, private parties may sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery.   The whistleblowers will receive a combined total of $3,749,000 plus accrued interest from the proceeds of the settlement.  The two lawsuits are captioned United States ex rel. Hueseman v. PSI et al., (WDTX) and United States ex rel. Sten v. Midwest Compounders, et al., (NDIA). 

The case was handled by the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Texas and the Middle District of Florida, with investigative support from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Labor, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. 

Tampa, Florida – Michel Verona Saavedra (20) and Yoandy Del Prado (26), both of Hialeah, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in access devices and to possessing device-making equipment. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreements and facts presented during the plea hearing, in the early morning hours of December 6, 2017, Del Prado and Saavedra had credit card skimming devices in their possession when deputies from the Sarasota County Sherriff’s Office stopped their car near a then-closed Sunoco gas station on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota. The deputies located two skimming devices in the rear of the car, along with a laptop computer. In addition, following Saavedra’s arrest, deputies found five counterfeit credit cards, with altered data information, in his possession. A subsequent investigation revealed that similar skimming devices were hidden inside of gas pumps at three gas stations in the immediate area, including the closed Sunoco station. Evidence of the scheme was also found on the laptop recovered from the car.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Sarasota County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody today sentenced Myron William Ernst (61, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for bank robbery. 

Ernst had pleaded guilty on May 6, 2019.

According to

court documents , between October and November 2018, Ernst committed seven bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies in Florida and Alabama. During each incident, Ernst presented bank employees with a threatening note demanding money.

“This serial bank robber was brought to justice by the strong, investigative efforts of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Crimes like this get solved because of the ongoing cooperation and communication with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division, Michael F. McPherson.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan L. Albritton.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jacques Orsini-Martinez, a/k/a “Papi” (43, Puerto Rico), Juan Orsini-Martinez a/k/a “Tio Cano” (44, Atlanta), Jose Manuel Robles Negron a/k/a “Chelo” (25, Puerto Rico), Pedro Javier Hernandez Sosa a/k/a “Javi Carolina” (29, Puerto Rico), Jose Antonio Chinea Santos, (34, Puerto Rico), Raymond Jose De La Cruz, a/k/a “Sanky” (42, Clearwater), Briss Malone Warren (41, New Port Richey), and Luis Daniel Agosto-Morales (27, Tampa) with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, from at least September 2018 through August 2019, the individuals conspired to distribute cocaine throughout the Middle District of Florida.

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

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Baeza and Diego F. Novaes.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Duane Allen Sikes (66, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for mail fraud, embezzlement of credit union funds, and filing a false federal income tax return. In addition, Sikes was ordered to pay restitution to VyStar Credit Union in the amount of $178,161, to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc. in the amount of $5,284,800, and to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $1,009,175. The court also ordered Sikes to forfeit two pieces of real property, which are traceable to proceeds of the offenses, and entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $3,663,200, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Sikes had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2019.

According to court documents, over a 10-year period, Sikes, a mailroom employee of Vystar Credit Union, embezzled funds intended for Vystar’s postage costs. Sikes used the funds to purchase U.S. Postal Service stamps, which he sold to a third-party vendor. Sikes then used the proceeds from the stamp sales for his own benefit. According to evidence introduced at sentencing, this included grooming and enticing young boys to engage in sexual acts for money.

Upon discovery of the crime, Vystar Credit Union alerted the authorities and assisted with the investigation. The embezzlement did not impact account holders’ accounts but rather internal Vystar accounts.

Additionally, Sykes failed to report the funds he had embezzled on his federal income tax returns for the years 2007 through 2017, resulting in a total tax loss to the government of $1,009,175.

“IRS Special Agents tend to focus on crimes entirely motivated by greed,” stated Assistant Special in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of IRS Criminal Investigation.  “That was the case when we teamed with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate Mr. Sikes for embezzlement and tax fraud. Little did we know at the time that his fraudulent pursuits and ill-gotten gains supported a much more sinister plot. We hope that today’s sentence brings some sense of closure to the victims.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bonnie Glober and Kelly S. Karase.

Tampa, Florida – Today, following a three week trial, a federal jury found Jordan Rodriguez (Bradenton, 26), Andrew Thompson, a/k/a “Nico,” (Bradenton, 25), and Alfonzo Churchwell (Bradenton, 32) guilty of multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy, murder conspiracy, drug and firearms offenses, and four murders. See the summary chart below for a list of charges and related penalties.

In July 2019, seven individuals were charged in a 20-count superseding indictment. Four defendants pleaded guilty to a variety of charges prior to trial. Each of the three defendants that proceeded to trial were accused of committing at least one murder. The evidence in the case showed that the defendants were engaged in a violent and deadly rivalry with others in Oneco, a community in Bradenton, and that the defendants worked together to traffic in controlled substances and to control and protect their drug business with violence and murder.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office (Twelfth Judicial Circuit). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natalie Hirt Adams and Christopher F. Murray.

 

 

Charge

Name

Maximum Penalties

Count One

RICO Conspiracy

Jordan Rodriguez

Andrew Thompson

Alfonzo Churchwell

Maximum term of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Two

Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

Jordan Rodriguez

Andrew Thompson

Alfonzo Churchwell

Maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine not to exceed $1 million, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Three

Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering (relating to the murder of Julio Tellez)

Jordan Rodriguez

A maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Four

Murder in Aid of Racketeering, or Aiding and Abetting the Same (relating to the murder of Julio Tellez)

Jordan Rodriguez

A mandatory term of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

 

 

Count Five

Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, resulting in the murder of Julio Tellez, or Aiding and Abetting the Same

Jordan Rodriguez

A mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life (said term to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment), a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment. 

Count Eight

Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances Involving Heroin, Cocaine, And Crack Cocaine

 

Andrew Thompson

Maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine not to exceed $1 million, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Ten

Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking Crimes and a Crime of Violence, resulting in the murder of Earnestine Gardner

Alfonzo Churchwell

A mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life (said term to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment), a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Eleven

Felon In Possession Of Ammunition

Alfonzo Churchwell

Maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Twelve

Accessory After the Fact

Jordan Rodriguez

Maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Thirteen

Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine 

Andrew Thompson

 

Maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine not to exceed $1 million, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Fourteen

Murder in Aid of Racketeering (relating to the murder of LaShawna Stevenson-Weeks)

Andrew Thompson

 

A mandatory term of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

 

Count Fifteen

Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking Crimes and a Crime of Violence, resulting in the murder of Lashawna Stevenson-Weeks

Andrew Thompson

A mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life (said term to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment), a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Sixteen

Murder in Aid of Racketeering (relating to the murder of Berry Joseph, a/k/a “B-1”)

Andrew Thompson

A mandatory term of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment. 

 

Count Seventeen

Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking Crimes and a Crime of Violence resulting in the murder of Berry Joseph, a/k/a “B-1”

Andrew Thompson

A mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life (said term to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment), a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Eighteen

Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition While Subject to a Domestic Violence Restraining Order

Andrew Thompson

Maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.

Count Nineteen

Accessory After the Fact

Jordan Rodriguez

Maximum term of imprisonment of 15 year, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. 

 

Count Twenty

Using or Maintaining a Drug Premises

Jordan Rodriguez

Andrew Thompson

Alfonzo Churchwell 

Maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine not to exceed $500,000, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Kyle Dale Ritsema (36, Land O’Lakes) to 35 years in federal prison for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.

Ritsema had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2018.

According to court documents, in 2014, Ritsema, a former teacher and Assistant Principal at Cypress Creek Middle High School in Pasco County, enticed a 14-year-old child on the mobile application “Grindr.” Ritsema had sex with the child on at least five occasions over the course of one year and produced pornographic images of the child. Ritsema shared the images with others, including another employee of Pasco County Schools. A subsequent investigation revealed that Ritsema had targeted many other minors, including former students, and enticed them for sex, and on several occasions sexually abused them. Ritsema’s conversations also revealed that he is HIV positive and that, on multiple occasions, he did not disclose his HIV status despite having unprotected sex with unknowing children and adults.

Beginning in March 2017, and continuing until his arrest in this case, Ritsema had been an Assistant Principal at Cypress Creek Middle High School. Before holding that position, he was the Assistant Principal at Pine View Middle School (appointed in July 2015), an Assistant Principal Administrative Intern at River Ridge Middle School (appointed in January 2015), and a math teacher and math coach at Paul R. Smith Middle School, Gulf Highland Elementary School, and Seven Springs Middle School (beginning in 2006).

“Our communities are safer today with this deviant child sexual predator behind bars, thanks to our HSI special agents, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Middle District Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This criminal’s former position of trust makes this case all the more egregious and we hope today’s sentencing can bring a small measure of closure to the innocent victims and their families.”

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

Any person who had unprotected sexual contact with Ritsema, or any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible child victim, is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.

Fort Myers, FL – A federal jury has found Augustin Dalusma guilty of 12 counts of filing false claims against the Internal Revenue Service and three counts of making or subscribing to false tax returns. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each count of filing a false claim and up to three years’ imprisonment for each count of making a false tax return. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2020.

Dalusma was indicted on September 26, 2018.

According to evidence presented at trial, between 2012 and 2015, Dalusma, a tax preparer, falsified information in tax returns for 630 of his clients, fraudulently qualifying them for thousands of dollars in tax refunds that they were not lawfully entitled to collect. In total, the false claims filed on behalf of his clients exceeded $4 million over the four-year period. Dalusma also falsified his own tax returns from 2012 through 2014, significantly underreporting his own income to evade more than $30,000 in taxes for each of those years.     

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth and Trial Attorney Eyitayo St. Matthew-Daniel of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.