Southern District of Florida

MIAMI – On June 7, Jean Wesner Pierre Louis, 52, of Miami, Florida was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $4,000,000 in restitution for aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns.

Pierre Louis was the president and chief operating officer of a tax preparation business operating in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Pierre Louis pled guilty in February 2024. For tax years 2015 through 2019, on multiple occasions Pierre Louis prepared tax returns for his clients that falsely claimed certain credits that increased the amount of refund owed or decreased the amount of taxes owed, such as: the American Opportunity Credit, a refundable credit which allowed taxpayers to claim a credit for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student in the first four years of higher education; and the Credit for Federal Taxes Paid on Fuels (Fuel Tax Credit), which could be claimed for fuel used for certain specified purposes. For those same tax years, on multiple occasions Pierre Louis prepared tax returns for his clients that falsely claimed losses on an IRS Schedule C for businesses that did not exist, which also had the effect of increasing the amount of refund owed or decreasing the amount of taxes owed.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck.

IRS-CI Miami investigated the case. 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20379.

###

MIAMI – On June 5, a federal jury in Miami convicted a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy of conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA), two counts of false statements to the SBA, and wire fraud, all in relation to her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

In 2021, Alexandra Acosta, 38, of Tamarac, Florida, conspired with her tax preparer, Vilsaint St Louis, to apply for and receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for herself as a sole proprietor doing business as a realtor based upon materially false information about her average monthly income in 2019, including two falsified IRS tax forms submitted with the application. Acosta also sought and received forgiveness of the fraudulently obtained PPP loan, which totaled over $20,000 in principal and interest. During the period of the scheme, Acosta was employed as a deputy sheriff in BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement and was the first and only BSO female SWAT team member.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 27, before U.S. Senior District Judge Robert N. Scola.  Acosta faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction, 5 years in prison for the conspiracy conviction, and 2 years in prison for each of the false statement convictions. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acosta’s coconspirator, St Louis, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced, on May 14, to one-year of probation, a $5,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Sheriff Gregory Tony of BSO; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.

FRB-OIG, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Jones and Adam Love are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

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

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60170.

###

MIAMI – On May 28, Daniel Navarro, 50, of Miami Lakes, Florida, the former Vice President of Sofly Aviation Services (Sofly), an aviation parts distribution company, and Jorge Guerrero, 71, of Hialeah, Florida, a Procurement & Asset Management Specialist for Sofly, were sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 

U.S. District Senior Judge Federico A. Moreno sentenced Navarro to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release; and sentenced Guerrero to 12 months and 1 day in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Navarro and Guerrero were ordered to pay no less than $204,055 in joint and several restitution. A $93,309.22 forfeiture order was placed on Navarro’s property.

According to court records, beginning in 2012 and continuing into 2019, Navarro and Guerrero purchased “as removed” aircraft parts and resold them using certificates that falsely claimed the parts to be airworthy under the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The fraudulent approval tags represented those “as removed” parts to be overhauled, tested/inspected or repaired, which misled their buyers into believing them to be airworthy. Most often, Navarro and Guerrero would use an FAA approved repair station’s FAA certificate number to falsely certify the part to have been overhauled, tested/inspected or repaired by that repair station, when in fact they never were. According to the court documents, those parts were sold to Canadian airlines and a U.S. Department of Defense contractor.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office, and Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region announced the sentences imposed.

DOT OIG conducted this investigation jointly with DCIS and with assistance from the FAA.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco handled asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under Case No. 23-CR-20416.

###

MIAMI – On May 31, Jephte Bernard, 70, of Margate, Florida, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, after previously pleading guilty to mail fraud and making false statements. Bernard was sentenced for his massive and decades long immigration fraud scheme involving the fraudulent submission of asylum claims to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from Jay’s Immigration Consulting Practice, LLC offices in Sunrise, Orange Park, and Bradenton, Florida. Upon release from custody, Bernard must serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $3,932,460.00 in illegally obtained proceeds.

According to the court record, during the course of the fraud scheme, Bernard falsely portrayed himself as an attorney, pastor, Border Patrol Agent, and former employee and agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who advertised immigration-related services to aliens in the United States, family members and friends of aliens who were in the United States, and domestic family members and friends of aliens who were abroad, all of whom were in need of assistance for immigration-related matters before USCIS. Bernard targeted Spanish-speaking immigrants from Central and South America, as well as Haitian-creole speaking immigrants, by fraudulently representing himself as an attorney licensed to practice law in the United States and advertised his services and expertise in a number of ways, including through the use of business cards, print media, storefront decals, and word of mouth. Bernard gave false, inaccurate, and incomplete legal and immigration advice to client-victims in order to induce them to retain his services and those of Jay’s Immigration Services and prepared and filed various immigration applications and petitions, including Form I-589’s (Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal) which he knew contained false statements, including false biographical information, false residential addresses, and false preparer names, all without the victim applicant’s knowledge and consent. As a result of this fraudulent immigration scheme, Bernard defrauded over 1,000 vulnerable victims, and in the process, earned more than $3.9 million dollars in fraudulent proceeds.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division, and Miami Asylum Director Varsenik Papazian for USCIS announced the sentences imposed by Judge Ruiz.  

HSI Fort Lauderdale and USCIS Miami Asylum Office Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco handled asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-CR-60195.

###

MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced today that since January 2024 the Southern District of Florida has indicted 13 defendants for federal firearms trafficking related offenses, to include smuggling of firearms, dealing in firearms without a license, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and making a false statement in a firearms purchase, and seized over 140 firearms.

 “Traffickers who illegally engage in the business of unlicensed firearms dealing contribute to the illicit flow of firearms into the black market,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “All too often these powerful firearms then make their way into the hands of felons, gang members, and other violent offenders. Some of these weapons make their way into countries in our hemisphere, with undesirable consequences in those places as well.  Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify targets who unlawfully traffic in and possess firearms, prosecute the offenders, and reduce gun violence. We are grateful for the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line to help keep our communities safe and firearms out of the hands of unauthorized persons.”

“Firearms trafficking is a crime that affects our communities in many ways and ATF and HSI Miami are in communication and collaboration with our unique jurisdictions to combat the flow of illegal weapons to those who perpetrate violent acts in a myriad of fashions to the detriment of public safety domestically and internationally,” said ATF Miami Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson.

“The illegal trafficking of weapons out of the United States is a top priority for HSI. These weapons are fueling the violence in our neighboring nations and continues to destabilize parts of the region,” said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “HSI will continue to collaborate with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to target individuals and criminal organizations that are involved in the illicit movement of firearms.”

The arrests and resulting cases are a result of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.

The following firearms trafficking related cases were charged in the Southern District of Florida since January 2024:

U.S. v. Jamaal Calloway, Case No. 24-CR-20006

Jamaal Calloway, 41, of Florida City, Florida was charged in a seven-count indictment for dealing in firearms without a license, which included selling pistols, rifles, and at least seventy machine guns, unlawful transfer, and possession of machine guns, and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Calloway sold approximately thirty-nine machine gun conversion devices that had the capability of enabling a semi-automatic firearm to discharge more than one shot without manual reloading and with a single function of the trigger. On March 22, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty.  Sentencing is set for June 7, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck. ATF Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan Diaz Espinosa is prosecuting the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Ronald Zapete, Case No. 24-CR-20049

U.S. v. Amanda Roden, Case No. 24-CR-20165

Ronald Zapete, 39, and Amanda Roden, 31, of Miami, were indicted separately for smuggling firearms to the Dominican Republic.  The indictments allege that Roden bought firearms in Dania Beach, Florida, and the pair, Zapete and Roden, arranged for a common or contract carrier to export three firearms – without permission - to the Dominican Republic in October 2023.  HSI Miami investigated both cases with the assistance of ATF Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld is prosecuting both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika M. Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Trevin Roberts, Case No. 24-CR-20167

Trevin Roberts, 29, of Aventura, Florida, was charged by indictment on April 24, 2024, with smuggling firearms and ammunition from Miami to the Bahamas. On April 5, 2021, law enforcement seized eleven firearms loaded with magazines and ammunition from a freight shipping company in Opa-Locka, Florida that were to be shipped to the Bahamas at Robert’s direction. Roberts was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. ATF Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Roberto Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Samuel Pierre, et al., Case No. 24-CR-20168

Samuel Pierre, 34, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Reginald Louis Chosson, 28, of Homestead, Florida, were charged by indictment on April 24, 2024, for participating in a conspiracy to purchase firearms by means of false statement and to smuggle firearms and ammunition from Miami to Haiti. From May 2022 through July 2022, the defendants conspired to purchase firearms and ship those firearms to Haiti. On July 12, 2022, law enforcement seized eight rifles, one belt-fed machine gun, fourteen pistols, and approximately 4,000 rounds of ammunition from a cargo shipment destined for Miargoane, Haiti. HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli is prosecuting it.

U.S. v. Nathaniel Christian Guillaume, Case No. 24-CR-20175

Nathaniel Guillaume, 24, of Miami, was charged by indictment with making a false statement during a firearms purchase.  The indictment alleges that the defendant purchased a firearm on behalf of another person while knowingly making a false statement on ATF Form 4473 when he represented that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. ATF Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch is prosecuting it.

U.S. v. Dante Marquaze Donaldson and Jeleel Eion Gumbs, Case No. 24-CR-20177

Dante Marquaze Donaldson, 24, of Conyers, Georgia, and Jeleel Eion Gumbs, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, were charged in a three-count indictment for conspiring to smuggle firearms and ammunition from the U.S. to Saint Martin, attempting to smuggle firearms and ammunition from the U.S. to Saint Martin, and for delivering firearms and ammunition to a common carrier without written notification. According to the allegations contained in the indictment, starting on or about Oct. 18, 2022, and continuing through on or about October 31, 2022, the defendants and their co-conspirators purchased firearms and ammunition in Georgia and thereafter concealed those items in an air tank. The defendants and their co-conspirators shipped the package with the concealed firearms and ammunition in an air tank intended for Saint Martin via Doral, Florida. Five firearms were recovered. HSI Miami, HSI Caribbean, and ATF Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch is prosecuting it.

U.S. v. Sondy Dales, Case No. 24-CR-20184

Sondy Dales, 35, of Orlando, Florida, was charged in a two-count indictment for delivering three firearms and ammunition to a common carrier to be transported to a foreign country. HSI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Farina is prosecuting it. 

U.S. v. Hiledin Quintero Martinez, a/k/a “Mily Alvarez”, Case No. 24-CR-20197

Hiledin Quintero Martinez, a/k/a “Mily Alvarez,” 36, of Orlando, was charged in a four-count information for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and delivery of firearms to a common or contract carrier without written notice. According to the allegations contained in the indictment, starting in or about June 2020, and continuing through on or about Jan. 13, 2021, the defendant, using the fictitious alias “Mily Alvarez,” and her co-conspirators delivered and caused to be delivered, without notifying common or contract carriers, multiple packages containing approximately ten firearms. The packages were destined for Venezuela and Colombia. HSI Miami investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan Diaz Espinosa is prosecuting the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Jacoby Karmaren Smith, Case No. 24-CR-60035

Jacoby Karmaren Smith, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was charged by indictment for aiding, abetting, and willfully causing another person to make a false statement during the purchase of four firearms.  HSI Miami and ATF Miami investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Farina is prosecuting it.  Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Allen John Collier, Case No. 24-CR-60049

Allen John Collier, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, was charged in a six-count information for making false statements during six separate firearms purchases.  Several of the firearms Collier purchased were transported to Jamaica. Pursuant to the investigation, at least thirteen firearms were seized. HSI Miami and ATF Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Farina is prosecuting it.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika M. Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

If an individual is convicted of the respectively charged offenses, the maximum statutory penalties are: 10 years for smuggling goods from the United States; 10 years for attempted smuggling goods from the United States; 10 or 15 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (depending on the date of the offense); 10 years for unlawful transfer and/or possession of a machine gun; 10 years for purchase of firearm by means of a false statement; 5 years for dealing in firearms without a license; 5 years for conspiracy; and 5 years for delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification.

An indictment, complaint, and information each contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under the corresponding case numbers.

###

MIAMI – On May 29, Charlie Holley, 43, of Florida City, Florida, was sentenced to 192 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz II, after having been convicted by a federal jury of forcibly assaulting a federal employee, brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to evidence introduced at trial, in June 2021, the victim, a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), was delivering the mail on her usual route in Florida City when she arrived at Holley’s townhouse to deliver a package addressed to a name used by Holley. The victim got out of the mail truck and heard Holley speaking to her from a second-story window. The victim told Holley that she had a package for him. In response, Holley demanded that the victim open the package. The victim advised Holley that she was not permitted to open the package, which Holley responded to by shouting, “Do you think I’m f----- playing with you?,” and then lifting a 45 caliber, semi-automatic rifle and pointing it at the victim. The victim fled to her postal truck and heard a bullet hit her truck as she drove away.

In response to her 911 call, officers responded to Holley’s residence, where he barricaded himself inside. After a near two-hour standoff, Holley surrendered. The black rifle was found in a bedroom with several magazines loaded with ammunition, and a bullet fragment was recovered from above the gas tank of the postal truck.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), and Chief Pedro W. Taylor of the Florida City Police Department made the announcement.

USPIS, FBI Miami, ATF, MDPD and the Florida City Police Department investigated the case. Miami-Dade Schools Police Department and Homestead Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Maultasch and Zachary A. Keller prosecuted it.

Anyone with information about a crime having been committed against a postal employee, to include an assault, robbery or attempted robbery is encouraged to call 877-876-2455 or submit a tip to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report. The Postal Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for the forcible assault, robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service. 

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20373. 

###

NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced to 96 months in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Southern District of Florida, announced today.

Kareem Memon, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Raag Singhal to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Judge Singhal imposed the sentence on May 29, 2024, in the Southern District of Florida.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Memon and his conspirators owned and operated marketing call centers and telemedicine companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for DME for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. Memon and his conspirators provided doctors’ orders in exchange for bribes from DME companies that provided the braces to Medicare beneficiaries.  Memon and his conspirators caused losses to Medicare in excess of $11 million.

On Sept. 21, 2023, Memon pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and felon in possession charges in a separate case before Judge Singhal.  Memon submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $451,000 in forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and used those funds for personal gains. At the time of Memon’s arrest he was a felon and found to be unlawfully in possession of an arsenal of 12 firearms and ammunition.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Singhal sentenced Memon to three years of supervised release.

Attorney for the United States Khanna and U.S. Attorney Lapointe credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark and Acting Special Agent in Charge is Maged Behnam in Miami, Florida; the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of District of New Jersey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Waugh of the Southern District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), Chief Joe DeGiulio of the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Chief Sean Scheller of the Lantana Police Department announced the results of their continuing efforts to combat the distribution of fentanyl crisis in South Florida.

Since March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from law enforcement partners, has indicted five defendants with distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Their charges follow another defendant’s guilty plea to the same charge in February 2024. Pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death is an offense that upon conviction is punishable by a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life.

According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. The public is encouraged to be cautious.

“Drug traffickers who distribute fentanyl are handing out a death sentence to drug users and those who unknowingly come in contact with this dangerous and deadly synthetic drug,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to target those who fuel the opioid epidemic, to include the Chinese companies and employees that manufacture and introduce the raw chemicals at the start of the fentanyl supply chain, the associates and members of the drug cartels that manufacture fentanyl, and, as we have seen with today’s announcement, the South Florida suppliers who handout the fatal fentanyl overdoses. We commend our partner agencies for their skill and resourcefulness, as we work collectively to prosecute the distributors of the fentanyl poison and protect the public.”

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our country.  Whether in a fake pill, in powdered form, or laced in other illicit drugs, the effects of illicit fentanyl are devastating on our Florida communities as drug distributors put profits over the lives of people,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “DEA will continue our collaborative efforts, working with our local, state, and federal partners, to target the entire illicit fentanyl supply chain and hold those who threaten the safety and health of our communities responsible for their actions.”

“I commend all of our law enforcement partners in this investigation for their dedication and perseverance. The Boynton Beach Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to combatting the distribution of dangerous narcotics. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for the distribution of these drugs are brought to justice," said BBPD Chief Joseph DeGiulio.

“The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department appreciates the working partnership with our federal law enforcement partners to combat these dangerous drugs that are harming residents of our community. These efforts will hopefully result in reducing the impact of fentanyl and keep our community safe,” said Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department.

The following cases exemplify the continued commitment between federal, state, and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute drug dealers who distribute deadly fentanyl.

U.S. v. Keyon Lewis, Case No. 23-CR-14030

On Feb. 20, 2024, Keyon Lewis, 27, of Indian River County, Florida pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the death of another person.  According to the plea documents filed with the Court, on Nov. 5, 2021, Lewis sold fentanyl to a man in a parking lot in Vero Beach. The next day, the man’s wife found him dead on the kitchen floor of their residence. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce. IRCSO and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Roberto Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Samantha Hana Yi and Darnell Julio Mendez,

Case No. 24-cr-80041

On March 28, 2024, Samantha Yi, a/k/a “China,” 32 and Darnell Julio Mendez, 31, of Lake Worth, Florida, were indicted for distributing fentanyl causing death, following the fatal ingestion of fentanyl by a 10-month old baby in Boynton Beach, Florida. According to allegations in the court record, Yi and Mendez sold the fentanyl to the baby’s mother, who was a drug addict, the day before the baby’s death. Undercover officers also subsequently purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. When the couple was arrested at their home, they were found in possession of fourteen firearms. Both Yi and Mendez were also charged in the indictment with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Yi and Mendez are detained pending trial, scheduled for Sept. 9, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg.  A plea hearing is scheduled for Yi on June 11, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart. BBPD, PBSO, and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting it.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Alfonso Guerrero, Case No. 24-cr-14013

On April 11, 2024, Alfonso Guerrero, 37, of Vero Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, resulting in death, distribution of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, resulting in death, and possession of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl with intent to distribute, following the death of a 37-year-old male in Vero Beach on May 16, 2023.  According to allegations in the court record, Guerrero delivered a white powdery substance to the victim hours before he died. Toxicology results determined that the victim died from a combination of dimethylpentylone, pentylone, and fentanyl. Two days after the victims’ death, Guerrero sold more fentanyl to an undercover officer.

Guerrero is detained pending trial.  A status conference is scheduled for June 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.  A trial date has not been scheduled in this matter.  IRCSO and DEA investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting it.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Stone is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Gito St Fort, Case No 24-cr-80063

On May 16, 2024, Gito St Fort, 30, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with distributing fentanyl on Dec. 24, 2023, to a young man who was visiting his parents in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. According to allegations in the court record, the victim took an Uber from his parent’s house to St Fort’s apartment in the early morning hours of December 24, 2023, to buy heroin capsules and cocaine. Tragically, the victim was found dead by his parents the next morning, on Christmas Day along with leftover capsules that tested positive for fentanyl. A toxicology report confirmed fatal levels of fentanyl in the victim’s blood.

St Fort is detained pending trial, scheduled for July 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, PBSO and DEA investigated the case. FBI Miami provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ralston is prosecuting it.  

U.S. v. Anthony Raul Del Valle, Case No. 24-cr-80062

Today, Anthony Raul Del Valle, 29, of Lantana, Florida, was charged in a superseding indictment with distributing acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl causing the death of two sisters in Lantana, Florida. According to the criminal complaint, Del Valle sold counterfeit pills to the victims on April 8, 2024. According to the superseding indictment, the counterfeit pills contained acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl, quantities of which were found in the victims’ toxicology findings by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office. Del Valle has also been charged with possessing additional fentanyl which he intended to distribute on April 10, 2024, along with a firearm he possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

Del Valle is detained pending trial, which is scheduled for June 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. The Lantana Police Department and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Shea Darsch is prosecuting it.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners thank the Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit and the Office of State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl for the 19th Judicial Circuit for their invaluable assistance with fentanyl cases.

Anyone with information regarding the distribution of fentanyl is encouraged to contact 911 or call the DEA at 1-877-792-2873.

A number of these prosecutions are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.

An indictment and complaint contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under the corresponding case numbers.  

###

MIAMI – Stephanie Diane Smith, 54, of Sunrise, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 7 months in prison for participating in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme in which she received two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).  In March 2024, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale found Smith guilty of two counts of wire fraud in connection with the scheme.

Smith was employed as a deputy sheriff with the Broward Sheriff’s Office when she applied for the PPP loans in 2021.  As established at trial, the PPP loans were based upon materially false gross income information for two sole proprietorship businesses, Children 1st Basketball Training and Agape Smith Vending.  The fruits of this scheme resulted in Smith’s unlawful receipt of $31,108.  

U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn imposed the sentence following a hearing.  The sentence includes a 3-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, restitution in the amount of $31,108, a $2,000 fine, and forfeiture.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement.

FBI Miami, FRB-OIG, and BSO investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Snider and Trevor Jones prosecuted the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

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

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60203.

###

MIAMI – A Colombian national was sentenced today to 48 years and nine months in prison for his role in kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. Army soldiers who were on temporary duty in Bogota, Colombia.

According to court documents, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 36, and his co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogota to rob them of their valuables. On the evening of March 5, 2020, the two victims went to an entertainment district in Bogota to watch a soccer game. They visited a pub, where Arango Castellanos incapacitated the two victims by putting drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their drinks. Arango Castellanos and one of his co-conspirators then escorted the victims into a waiting car driven by another co-conspirator, kidnapped them, and took their wallets, debit and credit cards and cell phones. Arango Castellanos and his co-conspirators used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. The two victims lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated.

In May 2023, Arango was extradited from Colombia to the United States pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. On Jan. 26, he pleaded guilty to kidnapping an internationally protected person, conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person, assaulting an internationally protected person, and conspiracy to assault an internationally protected person. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila L. Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the case.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20173.

###

A Colombian national was sentenced today to 48 years and nine months in prison for his role in kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. Army soldiers who were on temporary duty in Bogota, Colombia.

According to court documents, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 36, and his co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogota to rob them of their valuables. On the evening of March 5, 2020, the two victims went to an entertainment district in Bogota to watch a soccer game. They visited a pub, where Arango Castellanos incapacitated the two victims by putting drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their drinks. Arango Castellanos and one of his co-conspirators then escorted the victims into a waiting car driven by another co-conspirator, kidnapped them, and took their wallets, debit and credit cards and cell phones. Arango Castellanos and his co-conspirators used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. The two victims lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated.

In May 2023, Arango was extradited from Colombia to the United States pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. On Jan. 26, he pleaded guilty to kidnapping an internationally protected person, conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person, assaulting an internationally protected person, and conspiracy to assault an internationally protected person.  

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.

Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila L. Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

MIAMI – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, after admitting his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme and pleading guilty to carrying out a COVID-19 fraud scheme and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

On Feb. 8, 2024, Kareem Memon, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, pled guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (Case No. 24-cr-60004).

According to documents filed in the health care fraud case and statements made in court, Memon and his conspirators owned and operated marketing call centers and telemedicine companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for DME for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. Memon and his conspirators provided doctors’ orders in exchange for bribes from DME companies that provided the braces to Medicare beneficiaries.  Memon and his conspirators caused losses to Medicare in excess of $11 million.

On Sept. 21, 2023, Memon pled guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and felon in possession charges in a separate case before Judge Singhal (Case No. 23-cr-80068).  According to documents in the wire fraud case and statements made in court, Memon submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $451,000 in forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and used those funds for personal gains.  Moreover, at the time of Memon’s arrest he was a convicted felon and illegally possessed 12 firearms and ammunition.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey (for the health care fraud matter); Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI, Newark Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI West Palm Beach and Newark Field Offices investigated the cases. Invaluable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robin W. Waugh for the Southern District of Florida and Matthew Specht for the District of New Jersey prosecuted these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 23-cr-80068 and 24-cr-60004.

###

Un ciudadano colombiano fue sentenciado hoy a 48 años y nueve meses de prisión por su participación en el secuestro y agresión de dos soldados del ejército estadounidense que se encontraban de servicio temporal en Bogotá, Colombia.

Según documentos judiciales, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, de 36 años, y sus cómplices atacaron, incapacitaron y secuestraron a dos soldados estadounidenses en Bogotá para robarles sus objetos de valor. La noche del 5 de marzo de 2020, las dos víctimas fueron a un sector de entretenimiento de Bogotá para ver un partido de fútbol. Visitaron un bar, donde Arango Castellanos incapacitó a las dos víctimas colocando drogas,  inclusive benzodiazepinas, en sus bebidas. Luego, Arango Castellanos y uno de sus cómplices escoltaron a las víctimas a un automóvil conducido por otro cómplice que les estaba esperando, los secuestraron y se apoderaron de sus billeteras, tarjetas de débito y de crédito, y los teléfonos celulares. Arango Castellanos y sus cómplices utilizaron la tarjeta de crédito de una de las víctimas y la tarjeta de débito de la otra víctima para realizar compras y retirar dinero. Las dos víctimas perdieron el conocimiento hasta el día siguiente, momento en el que ya habían sido separadas.

En mayo de 2023, Arango fue extraditado de Colombia a los Estados Unidos de conformidad con una solicitud de extradición de los Estados Unidos. El 26 de enero, él se declaró culpable de secuestro de una persona protegida internacionalmente, concierto para secuestrar a una persona protegida internacionalmente, agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente y concierto para agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente. 

La fiscal general principal adjunta  Nicole M. Argentieri, jefa de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia; el fiscal federal Markenzy Lapointe para el Distrito Sur de Florida; y el agente especial a cargo Jeffrey B. Veltri de la oficina local del FBI en Miami hicieron el anuncio.

La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia, la Agregaduría Judicial de la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas en Bogotá y el Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos brindaron asistencia significativa para asegurar el arresto y la extradición del acusado. Los Estados Unidos también agradecen a las autoridades colombianas del orden público por su valiosa asistencia.

Los abogados litigantes Clayton O’Connor y Elizabeth Nielsen de la Sección de Enjuiciamientos Especiales y Derechos Humanos de la División Penal, y la fiscal federal adjunta Bertila L. Fernández para el Distrito Sur de Florida procesaron el caso.

MIAMI – On May 24, an Opa-locka man was sentenced in federal district court to 360 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for two counts of online solicitation of a minor to commit a sexual act.

As part of his guilty plea, Malik Hosea Atkinson, 25, also known online as “@jpmon8,” “@Mall9488673”and “unknown_value#5861,” admitted that in 2022 and 2023 he met two teenage girls online in a social networking application. Atkinson convinced the two young girls to meet him in person. To meet the first victim, he drove from Miami-Dade County to Palm Beach County to have sex with her multiple times in his white van. To meet the second victim, he drove to Broward County to have sex with her. Atkinson’s online account and phone revealed the sexual context of Atkinson’s communications with the two minor victims and confirmed that he had video recorded himself sexually exploiting them. The investigation also uncovered that Atkinson had communicated similarly online with other minor females. Atkinson also possessed other child sexual abuse material.

In sentencing Atkinson to 30 years’ incarceration, U.S. District Judge Robyn L. Rosenberg described the defendant’s crimes as “so severe, so egregious.”

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.

FBI Miami and West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling forfeiture.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/project-safe-childhood.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-80063.

###

MIAMI – On May 15, a federal jury convicted Alfred Lenoris Davis, 50, of Miami, Florida, of use of a counterfeit access device to facilitate a South Florida identity concealment scheme.

Davis, a previously convicted felon, utilized a counterfeit access device, more specifically a fraudulent Florida driver’s license as proof of identity to become an occupant of, and gain access to, a luxury condominium in Sunny Isles, Florida. Due to the concealment of his true identity, Davis’s criminal history was not made known to the condominium’s board members when they assessed his qualifications.  Relying on the counterfeit access device, the building allowed Davis full access to amenities and services afforded to residents.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11 before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. Davis faces up to 10 years in prison. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Bailyn and Katie L. Sadlo prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20051.

###

MIAMI – On May 24, a Lee County man was sentenced to prison for conspiring to illegally export thousands of turtles to Germany and Hong Kong, and falsifying documents to conceal his conduct. 

John Michael Kreatsoulas, 36, of Alva, Florida, was sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Kreatsoulas was also barred by the court from engaging in any commercial activity involving wildlife.  He had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act.

According to court documents, from July 2015 to July 2021, Kreatsoulas was the owner and principal of Omni Reptiles Inc., an unregistered Florida business located in Alva, Florida. Omni Reptiles was in the business of domestic and international wholesale trade of wildlife, including protected species of reptiles. Kreatsoulas and Omni Reptiles shipped wildlife they sold to domestic and foreign customers, including to customers in Germany and Hong Kong, through Miami International Airport.

Specifically, Kreatsoulas and his co-conspirators collected and captured various species of turtles, including three-stripe mud turtles and Florida mud turtles, from the wild in Florida and sold those turtles to interstate and foreign customers. Kreatsoulas then falsified U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Form 3-177, which accompanied the international shipments, by including a false “Source” code attesting that the turtles were captive-bred and not wild-caught. Kreatsoulas also falsified invoices related to the sale of the turtles, which purported to show that the turtles sold to co-conspirators in Florida and outside the United States were “captive-bred” hatchling three-stripe mud turtles when, in fact, they were taken from the wild by Kreatsoulas and his co-conspirators. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Ault of the FWS, Southeast Region and Major James Barrow, Statewide Investigation Unit, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement. 

FWS agents in Miami investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted this case.

###

MIAMI – On May 22, a Fort Lauderdale federal jury convicted Elaine Escoe, 39, of Delray Beach, Florida of wire fraud after submitting altered bank statements in an attempt to fraudulently obtain a line of credit for her business.

Escoe submitted altered bank statements in support of an application for a business line of credit. The altered bank statements obscured the true name of the bank account along with inflated cash balances.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14 before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian. Escoe faces up to 20 years in prison. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Bailyn and Katie L. Sadlo prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-80010.

###

MIAMI – On May 23, a Miami multi-convicted felon was sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for two attempted credit union robberies, one credit union robbery and one bank robbery while on supervised release for a separate case. The sentence comes after the defendant was convicted in a three-day federal jury trial.

On Sept. 29, 2023, Keith Bernard Miller, 54, of Miami, entered two credit unions in Miramar and attempted to rob each one but to no avail. Then, Miller drove to a credit union in Boca Raton, presented a note demanding money, and stole over $1,600. Then, on Oct. 10, 2023, Miller drove to a bank in Davie and presented a demand note to the teller. In fear for her life, the teller relinquished over $1,300 to Miller. Later that day, law enforcement officers located Miller’s getaway vehicle and arrested him. Law enforcement officers then found draft demand notes and clothing worn during the robberies.

In 2020, Miller was sentenced to 65 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to three counts of credit union robbery. Prior to his 2020 federal case, Miller had been previously convicted of multiple robberies, aggravated stalking with a firearm, burglary with assault and battery and felony eluding, among other offenses.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman.

FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Miramar Police Department, Boca Police Department and Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay J. Alexander and M. Catherine Koontz prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60199.

###

MIAMI – On May 15, a grand jury returned an indictment charging David Knezevich, a/k/a “David Knezevic,” a/k/a “Dusan Knezevic,” with one count of kidnapping in connection with his wife’s disappearance.

According to court documents, Knezevich traveled out of Miami International Airport to kidnap his wife, who was residing in Spain.  Upon traveling out of Miami, Knezevich rented a car in Serbia shortly before his wife’s disappearance and drove to Spain.  On the last day Knezevich’s wife was seen alive, Knezevich was captured on video surveillance in Spain, purchasing spray paint and duct tape.  The same evening, an individual wearing a face covering and a motorcycle helmet, believed to be Knezevich, was captured on video spray painting the surveillance camera at his wife’s apartment building in Madrid.  Knezevich’s wife has not been heard from since.

Knezevich was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint on May 4, 2024, after flying into Miami International Airport from Serbia.  On May 10, 2024, Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres ordered Knezevich detained pending trial. 

If convicted, Knezevich faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Spanish law enforcement authorities.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Elizabeth Monk of the Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting it.

Anyone with related information should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20201.

###

MIAMI – Daniel Hurt, who owned and/or operated Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice Laboratory LLC and Sonoran Desert Pathology Associates LLC, has agreed to pay over $27 million to resolve allegations that he and his companies conspired with others to violate the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting false claims to, and receiving payments from, Medicare for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and were procured through illegal kickbacks. Hurt, Fountain Health, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics, First Choice and Sonoran Desert Pathology also agreed to be excluded by the Department of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) from Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs. Hurt previously pleaded guilty to criminal healthcare fraud for these offenses. The civil settlement is based on Hurt’s ability to pay.

The United States alleged that Hurt, his companies and others conspired to knowingly submit false claims for CGx tests that were not medically necessary to treat or diagnose a condition, and that Hurt received and paid kickbacks in exchange for Medicare referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). In particular, the United States alleged that, from January 2019 to November 2021, Hurt conspired with telemarketing agents to solicit Medicare beneficiaries for “free” CGx tests; with telemedicine providers to “prescribe” CGx tests that were not medically necessary; with reference laboratories to conduct the CGx tests and with billing laboratories and a hospital to submit claims for payment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Our office is committed to pursuing those who threaten our government healthcare programs by submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services that are tainted by unlawful payments to marketers,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As these schemes become more complex and cross district lines, we will continue to work and coordinate with our law enforcement partners and other districts to ensure vigorous enforcement of the law.” 

“We will not tolerate those who prey on older Americans to defraud Medicare,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As this settlement reflects, we will use our available resources to protect federal health care programs and the beneficiaries they serve.”

“Unnecessary medical services and false claims for medical services threaten patients and our public health programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This civil settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting patients from unnecessary testing and our healthcare institutions from fraudulent billing.”

“Medicare and Medicaid are two vitally important health care programs that provide critical services to millions of Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Schemes that seek to siphon money from these programs with unnecessary medical tests are especially egregious. We will do everything we can to protect the public and the services they need, and to hold accountable those who try to bilk the system.”

“Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services to Medicare and Medicaid jeopardizes the integrity of vital health care programs, and we, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to make sure those who attempt to do so are held accountable,” stated Deputy Inspector General of Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG. “This substantial settlement underscores our steadfast dedication to safeguarding federal health care programs.”

This settlement includes the resolution of allegations brought in three cases filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, including an action filed by Robert Gerstein, a minority owner of Sonoran Desert Pathology, where he worked for Hurt, running the billing operations for CGx tests. Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Under today’s resolution, Relator Gerstein will receive up to $4.7 million or 17% of the government’s recovery.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, Corporate/Financial Litigation Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from HHS-OIG.

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

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosaline Chan for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Augustus Curtis and Andrew Warner of the Corporate/Financial Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Bloor for the Middle District of Florida and David Dauenheimer for the District of New Jersey and the Miami Regional Office of HHS-OIG.

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Settlement

###

MIAMI – On May 22, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officer was convicted at trial of interference with the flight crew, after he filmed a flight attendant and attempted to take photographs up the victim’s skirt.

Billy Olvera, 48, of Laredo, Texas, was convicted at trial of interfering with a flight crew.  Olvera was traveling from Dallas, Texas to Miami, Florida on Nov. 6, 2023, in his official capacity as a Deportation Officer while transporting an individual for removal. A flight attendant noticed Olvera holding his phone in the aisle, aimed towards the ceiling, each time she walked by him.  The victim notified another flight attendant who then filmed Olvera the next time the victim walked by him.  Olvera could be seen attempting to film up the skirt of the victim. The victim stopped performing her assigned duties that required her to be present in the aisle of the main cabin, and the flight attendants notified the pilot who had the flight attendants change shifts, and delayed taxing until law enforcement could meet the flight at the gate. A federal search warrant of Olvera’s phone revealed numerous images and videos taken of the victim and pictures and videos that attempted to capture a vantage point up the victim’s skirt. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16 before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.  Olvera faces up to 20 years in prison. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Valenzuela for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR), made the announcement.

This was a joint investigation by the DHS OIG Miami Field Office and ICE OPR, with assistance from the DHS OIG Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Brooke Latta prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20034.  

###

MIAMI – Melanie Harris, 59 of Riverside, California, was sentenced yesterday to 32 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to knowingly and intentionally transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. Harris was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman during a hearing in Miami, Florida. 

“Defendant Melanie Harris’s anti-Semitic threats terrorized a Jewish family,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Her hate-filled telephone calls and voicemails were abhorrent. No one should live in fear of threats, harassment, and hate-fueled violence. There is simply no place in our society for anyone who threatens Jews or anyone else in our diverse South Florida community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our FBI partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those that threaten our safety and security, while seeking justice for the victims impacted by these vile crimes.” 

“Melanie Harris sent threatening communications to a Jewish family using vile and inflammatory language. The nature of her threats of violence towards the victims and their faith were clearly meant to evoke a climate of fear and intimidation. Such conduct cannot be tolerated,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office. “Violence through words or actions is unacceptable and the FBI will continue to do everything we can to identify, arrest, and bring to justice those who engage in similar conduct.”

According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, on Oct. 3, 2022, Harris made multiple calls to Victim 1’s cell phone, and left four separate threatening voicemails, with the intent to communicate a true threat and with the knowledge that the communications would be seen as true threats.  In one of these four October 3 voicemails, Harris stated in relevant part: “I’ll cut your f------ head off kiker.” The term “kike” has long been used as an anti-Semitic slur aimed at Jews.

Neither Victim 1 nor his wife, Victim 2, knew the identity of the person (Harris) calling Victim 1 with these threatening and harassing calls and voicemails.  Nor did they know where the calls were coming from because Harris concealed her phone number using the *67 feature. However, all of these calls originated from the Riverside, California area, where Harris lived at the time, and were received by Victim 1’s phone in the Southern District of Florida.

Yesterday’s sentencing hearing and related court filings referenced additional information regarding Harris’ criminal conduct. As was addressed in court, for over four years, Harris harassed and threatened three victims by making over two-hundred and forty calls to Victim 1, leaving messages and engaging in conversations where she unleashed anti-Semitic hate and direct threats against Victim 1, his family, and Jews in general. In these calls and voicemails, Harris made incessant references to the congregants murdered in the October 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In these calls and voicemails Harris repeatedly referred to Victim 3 by their first name, in anti-Semitic and violent terms. Harris also made vile references to Anne Frank being murdered by the Nazis, Jews going back to Auschwitz, and in one voicemail, played for the Court at the sentencing hearing, she repeatedly screamed “Seig Heil, Kill Kikers” over and over before hanging up.

Harris’ four-year onslaught of harassment and threats of the victims was compounded by the fact that until July 2018, Victim 1 had been the Executive Director of the Tree of Life for over 20 years, while his wife, Victim 2, and her adult child, Victim 3, were all long-time members of, and closely associated with, the Tree of Life. 

During the course of her calls, Harris blocked her phone number from being detected by Victim 1’s caller identification system, leaving the victims bereft of any knowledge of who the harasser was or where the person might be, putting them in constant fear for their lives until Harris’s arrest in March 2023. In addition, on the same day in February 2019 that Harris began her calls to Victim 1, she also began calling the Tree of Life leaving virtually identical hate-filled anti-Semitic messages referencing the deaths of the elderly worshippers. 

The FBI's Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which also investigates civil rights violations, investigated the case. FBI Pittsburgh, FBI Los Angeles Riverside Resident Agency, and the Riverside Police Department in California, provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Nardia Haye prosecuted the case, which was indicted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr.

In Sept. 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland started the United Against Hate program to convene local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and communities; and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate. The United Against Hate program represents a “whole of government” approach to combating hate crimes. To learn more visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes and https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/spotlight/united-against-hate.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI, and other South Florida law enforcement partners are United Against Hate. The on-going collective mission is to prevent, investigate, and prosecute threats and hate crimes through education, outreach, and the justice system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Public Service Announcement (PSA) can be viewed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/video/united-states-attorneys-office-southern-district-florida-hate-crimes-psa. You can learn more about the Southern District of Florida’s prevention and enforcement efforts by visiting https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/hate-religious-crimes.

If you have information about a possible threat or believe you are a victim of or a witness to a hate crime, contact your local law enforcement agency (911), then the FBI at www.fbi.gov/tips or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225- 5324).

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60050. 

###

MIAMI – On May 22, a Miami federal district judge sentenced a fugitive to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to commit money laundering. The judge also ordered him to pay $3,709,860 in restitution.

From August 2020 to August 2022, Julio Arsenio Rodriguez, 62, Hialeah, Florida, conspired with a network of South Florida clinics to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment (DME) that was medically unnecessary and that was not provided to the patients. Also, Rodriguez served as the legal owner and registered agent of several fictitious companies which he used to launder those health care fraud proceeds. 

In March 2023, Rodriguez failed to appear at a calendar call and a federal judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Eight months later, Rodriguez was located in the Dominican Republic, attempting to open businesses in that country. In November 2023, Rodriguez surrendered to the United States authorities and returned to Miami to face charges for the money laundering conspiracy. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in January.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region; and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody for the Florida Office of the Attorney General made the announcement. 

FBI Miami, HHS-OIG Miami, and the Florida Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service Office of International Operations (OIO) Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office (DRFFO) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division Financial Investigative Team provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and deportation of Rodriguez back to the United States. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Canzio prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon handled asset forfeiture. 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20541.

###

MIAMI – On May 22, a former title agent was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $6,634,750.00 in forfeiture for carrying out a $6.6 million mortgage fraud scheme. A restitution hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16.

Dora Ameneiro Martinez, 45, Haines City, Florida, was a licensed title agent in the State of Florida. She owned Apex Title Agency Incorporated (Apex Title), a title company in Haines City. Between June 2019 and July 2022, Martinez participated in approximately 30 fraudulent real estate transactions. Martinez made false and fraudulent statements to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured financial institution and to various non-FDIC insured private mortgage lenders to defraud them into approving mortgages and lending money. The fraudulent real estate transactions totaled $6,634,750 in fraudulent proceeds.

As part of her scheme, Martinez prepared false and fraudulent mortgage applications and other related documents on her behalf, Apex Title, other companies she owned and other homeowners. The mortgage documents submitted to lenders contained false and fraudulent statements and representations relating to existing mortgages on the properties and other information necessary for the lenders to assess the qualifications of the homeowners to borrow money.

The title paperwork and Closing Disclosures falsely stated that there were no existing mortgages on properties, inducing the lenders to fund mortgage loans on properties in the Southern District of Florida and elsewhere. In reality, the properties were encumbered by existing mortgages that were not disclosed to the lenders in the title paperwork and Closing Disclosures, causing the new lenders to be placed in an inferior lien position to the existing lenders. Relying on these misrepresentations, the financial institution and private mortgage lenders lent money to the homeowners, believing that they were in first position and the mortgage was secured by a property that was unencumbered. Then, the financial institution and private mortgage lenders wired the loan proceeds to Martinez or Apex Title.

Martinez also falsely and fraudulently applied for and processed a mortgage refinancing loan that, upon receiving the newly refinanced mortgage loan funds as the settlement agent, failed to satisfy the existing mortgage and diverted the proceeds for her own personal use. The lender would have not lent the money to Martinez if they would have known that Martinez was not going to immediately pay off the existing mortgage in accordance with the Closing Disclosure. The lender relied on Martinez to pay off the existing mortgage to be in first position.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Edwin S. Bonano of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.

FRB-OIG and FHFA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manolo Reboso is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20451.

###

MIAMI – A former officer in the Venezuelan National Guard was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for participating in a money laundering scheme that involved bribes to foreign officials and defrauding foreign financial institutions.

According to court documents, Nepmar Jesus Escalona Enriquez, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and formerly of Venezuela, participated in an illegal scheme to finance purported food imports to Venezuela that was facilitated by bribery and false pretenses. Escalona and his co-conspirators carried out the scheme, in part, by knowingly submitting fraudulent applications to the Venezuelan currency regulation authority, also known as CADIVI, to deceive Banesco Bank, the Central Bank of Venezuela, and Venezuelan customs authorities into releasing U.S. dollars to Escalona and his co-conspirators outside of Venezuela. The fraudulent applications were submitted to purportedly finance food imports into Venezuela, but in reality were an artifice to enrich the conspirators. This conduct resulted in the transfer of nearly $1.7 million in U.S. dollars from Banesco Bank into an account controlled by the conspirators.

Escalona further admitted that, in at least one instance, the co-conspirators arranged for a series of bribes to be paid to officials in Venezuela to prevent the detection of their fraudulent scheme. Escalona also admitted in another instance to instructing a co-conspirator to wire transfer proceeds of the fraud, as well as funds constituting bribes, to four financial institutions in the United States. The five illicit wire transfers totaled approximately $420,847.

Escalona pleaded guilty on March 4 to one count of money laundering conspiracy.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Miami Field Division made the announcement.

The DEA’s Miami Field Division is investigating the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg, Trial Attorney Emily Cohen and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and prosecuted the case. 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

###

A former officer in the Venezuelan National Guard was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for participating in a money laundering scheme that involved bribes to foreign officials and defrauding foreign financial institutions.

According to court documents, Nepmar Jesus Escalona Enriquez, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and formerly of Venezuela, participated in an illegal scheme to finance purported food imports to Venezuela that was facilitated by bribery and false pretenses. Escalona and his co-conspirators carried out the scheme, in part, by knowingly submitting fraudulent applications to the Venezuelan currency regulation authority, also known as CADIVI, to deceive Banesco Bank, the Central Bank of Venezuela, and Venezuelan customs authorities into releasing U.S. dollars to Escalona and his co-conspirators outside of Venezuela. The fraudulent applications were submitted to purportedly finance food imports into Venezuela, but in reality were an artifice to enrich the conspirators. This conduct resulted in the transfer of nearly $1.7 million in U.S. dollars from Banesco Bank into an account controlled by the conspirators.

Escalona further admitted that, in at least one instance, the co-conspirators arranged for a series of bribes to be paid to officials in Venezuela to prevent the detection of their fraudulent scheme. Escalona also admitted in another instance to instructing a co-conspirator to wire transfer proceeds of the fraud, as well as funds constituting bribes, to four financial institutions in the United States. The five illicit wire transfers totaled approximately $420,847.

Escalona pleaded guilty on March 4 to one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Miami Field Division made the announcement.

The DEA’s Miami Field Division is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Emily Cohen and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. 

MIAMI – Five people, to include a mother and her daughter, were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a South Florida elder fraud scheme.

Aisladys Diaz, 45, of Miami, Florida was a private duty health aide who worked with a home health aide agency. The agency provided home health aides to residents at senior communities in Miami-Dade County. From May to June 2020, Aisladys Diaz stole the personal identifiable information of two elderly residents under her care. Aisladys Diaz then shared the information with her daughter, Ailensy Buron Diaz, 29, also of Miami, Berto Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, a finance manager at a car dealership in Miami Lakes, and husband and wife Yandys Diaz, 30, and Yainelis Perez Diaz, 34, both of Hialeah, who used the information to purchase numerous new and used vehicles at car dealerships, at a cost totaling over $500,000, and apply for credit cards, an Economic Disaster Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

A jury previously convicted Aisladys Diaz and Ailensy Buron Diaz of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, use of an unauthorized access device, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud. On May 3, Aisladys Diaz and Ailensy Buron Diaz were sentenced to 52 months and 48 months in prison, respectively, to be followed by three years of supervised release. A restitution hearing is scheduled for August 1.

Rodriguez Fonseca previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Yainelis Perez Diaz and Yandys Diaz each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Dec. 20, 2023, Yainelis Perez Diaz, Yandys Diaz, and Rodriguez Fonseca were sentenced to 30 months, 36 months, and 40 months in prison, respectively, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott H. Moffit of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Cybercrime Investigations Division, made the announcement.

FBI Miami and TIGTA’s Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moore prosecuted the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints.

More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20354.

###

MIAMI – On May 17, an Orange County, California, resident, Tenzin Orgil, 24, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking enterprise that included the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl on the dark web, as well as the manufacture of ecstasy (also known as MDMA) and methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories. Orgil pleaded guilty in July 2023 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams in the Southern District of Florida. 

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment synthetic drugs have resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced.  These synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, are responsible for nearly all of the fatal drug poisonings in our nation. Fentanyl killed 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Since at least 2020, until the time of his arrest, Orgil worked under the dark web vendor monikers iEUROPA, iUSA, iAMERICA, UNITEDAIRLINES and SVR667, to distribute large amounts of narcotics via various dark web marketplaces, as well as the peer-to-peer encrypted chat platform, Wickr. Orgil was based in California and sold cocaine, MDMA, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine via the U.S. mail system to customers all over the United States, to include in South Florida. Between 2020 and 2021, through undercover purchases from Orgil via the dark web or Wickr, law enforcement officers in South Florida seized 2.54 grams of fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills, and 4.965 kilograms of methamphetamine, which was 100% pure. Orgil was also a major manufacturer of MDMA and methamphetamine. He operated numerous clandestine laboratories in California.

Photo of one of Orgil’s dark web vendor pages, included in the Government’s Reply to Defendant’s Response to Motion for Revocation of Magistrate Court’s Order of Bond (DE 15-1)

On Dec. 23, 2022, Irvine Police Department officers in California stopped Orgil while he was driving a vehicle. During a search of his vehicle, Orgil had in his possession several precursor chemicals, obtained from Chinese chemical companies, that are used to produce MDMA, as well as two cellphones. A search of these phones found photos of narcotics, as well as evidence of Orgil’s dark web vendor moniker name of “iBULK” and his access of darknet marketplaces. The search also revealed photos of clandestine laboratories and screenshots of text messages explaining how to manufacture illicit narcotics. Orgil’s phones also revealed that he was in communication with several Chinese chemical manufacturing companies in order to purchase precursor chemicals.

Photo of one of Orgil’s clandestine laboratories, included in the Government’s Response to the Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum (DE 67).

Photo of Orgil’s text communications regarding drug manufacturing, included in DE 67 

On Jan. 18, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Orgil and a search warrant was executed at his residence in California. A search of his residence revealed a gun with a loaded magazine, numerous fake identification cards, a recipe for manufacturing methamphetamine, and a computer. A search of his computer revealed photographs of counterfeit blue M30/oxycodone pills with a Dark Market/United Airlines label, bags of methamphetamine with an iUSA label and cocaine with a SVR667 label. Additionally, copies of the mailing labels for the packages sent in the undercover purchases were preserved on Orgil’s computer.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffery B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami announced the sentence imposed.

DEA Miami Field Division’s Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, FBI Miami, USPIS Miami, IRS-CI Miami Field Office and HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from DEA San Jose, United States Postal Inspection Service San Jose, DEA New England, Massachusetts State Police - Gaming Enforcement Unit, DEA Orange County, DEA Omaha, DEA Forth Worth, Irvine Police Department, and the Costa Mesa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff handled asset forfeiture.

The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force carried out this case and prosecution. HIDTA was established in 1990. This program, which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, fosters intra-agency cooperation among law enforcement agencies in South Florida and involves them in developing a strategy to target the region's drug-related and violent crime threats to public safety, as with the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and the cocaine threat to our nation. The South Florida HIDTA uses the funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, that sponsors a variety of law enforcement initiatives that target the region's illicit drug and violent crime threats to our community.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20018.

###

MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, alongside its law enforcement partners to include FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), are committed to educating the public regarding the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Fraudsters rely on money mules to facilitate a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams and grandparent scams as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds.

Law enforcement continues to take action to stop money mules responsible for facilitating a range of fraud schemes. Acts include criminal prosecutions designed to punish those intentionally assisting fraudsters and warning letters intended to advise those who may have been unknowingly recruited by fraudsters. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners continue to engage in outreach in order to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.

Many money mules begin as victims of romance or lottery scams and are unknowingly lured by fraudsters into transmitting fraud proceeds based on lies. Other money mules are recruited into what they initially believe to be legitimate work-at-home jobs.

“Our Office is committed to dismantling criminal networks, to include those designed to inflict financial harm upon older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to disrupt money mule networks, educate consumers about scams, and prosecute criminals who defraud the public. Our goal is to keep money out of the hands of domestic and international fraudsters and in the pockets and bank accounts of the South Florida residents and visitors we serve.”

“Money mules help criminals launder illicit proceeds derived from online scams, financial frauds, drug trafficking, or other crimes to make it harder for law enforcement to accurately trace,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office. “To be very clear, acting as a money mule is illegal. Go to FBI.GOV to learn more about this growing and pernicious problem.”

“The U.S. Secret Service remains dedicated to combatting financial crimes, including those involving money mules who unwittingly aid fraudsters in scams that target the elderly”, said Rafael Barros Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Secret Service, Miami Field Office. “By working closely with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to disrupting criminal networks and protecting the public from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes."

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has charged and will continue to charge defendants criminally for knowingly receiving and forwarding victim funds or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases include:

• Daphne De la Caridad Gonzalez, 23, of Miami, Florida, and Neovordo Gordon, 24, and Collins Oleh, 24, both of Pembroke Pines, Florida, were charged for their involvement in a money laundering conspiracy that spanned multiple continents and millions of dollars. According to court documents, federal agents began investigating a bank impersonation scheme in 2022. It is alleged that to facilitate the scheme a fraudster(s) would contact small business owners and impersonate their bank representatives to coerce them into giving sensitive bank account information. The fraudster(s) would then use the victim’s bank account information to log into the victim’s accounts and initiate wire transfers from the victim’s bank accounts into the accounts of various money launderers. According to allegations in the charging documents, Gonzalez, Gordon, and Oleh were among the money launderers that received fraud proceeds from the victim’s bank accounts. They would receive the funds themselves or assist others that they recruited in receiving the funds and withdrawing the money, keeping a portion and directing a portion back to the fraudster. 

Gonzalez pled guilty and, on April 26, 2024, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy, wherein she laundered between $1.5 million and $3.5 million dollars (Case No. 23-CR-20467). Gordon pled guilty on March 18, 2024, to laundering between $3.5 and $9.5 million dollars.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024 (Case No. 23-CR-20399).

Oleh is scheduled for trial on July 1, 2024 (Case No. 23-CR-20399). A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Secret Service and FDIC-OIG investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moore and Michael Brenner are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

• Michael Gonzalez, 30, a Venezuelan national residing in Doral, Florida, was charged via superseding indictment with conspiring with two other men to commit money laundering (Case No. 20-CR-20515). According to Court records filed at the time of the co-conspirators’ guilty pleas, between 2018 and 2019 Gonzalez directed Jose Manuel Samame and Leonardo Villa Lazo to open bank accounts in South Florida in order to receive and withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars sent by fraud victims around the country. The victims believed they were paying for goods and services they purchased via eBay, Booking.com, AirBNB, and other online marketplaces. Of course, the victims never actually received the goods and services, which included vintage automobiles, commercial vehicles, and short-term vacation rental homes.

According to Samame and Villa Lazo’s plea agreements, Gonzalez directed them to withdraw and transfer the victims’ money and to invite friends to participate in the scheme. Gonzalez assured Samame that the money came from a “fake website scam” and would “jump around,” thus ensuring the money mules would not get caught, according to the facts admitted by Samame during his guilty plea. In total, Gonzalez, Samame, and Villa Lazo, recruited at least four additional, high-school-age participants to receive, withdraw, and transfer the victims’ funds.

Samame, 25, and Villa Lazo, 24, each pled guilty on Feb. 10, 2021, to money laundering conspiracy charges. They received sentences of 18 and 13 months’ imprisonment, respectively, and were ordered to pay $127,646.00 in restitution to their victims.

Gonzalez is scheduled for trial on July 8, 2024. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture matters.

Consumers are encouraged to be on the lookout for signs someone is trying to recruit them to receive and transmit fraud proceeds. Do not agree to receive money or checks mailed to you or sent to your bank account for someone you have met over the phone or online. Do not open a bank or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction. Fraudsters will lie to persuade you to help them. They may falsely tell you that they are helping you get a lottery prize, initiate a purported romantic relationship and then tell you that they need money, or pretend to offer you a job, an opportunity to invest in a business venture, or the chance to help in a charitable effort.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints.

More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

###

MIAMI – On May 10, two additional South Florida men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their role in a diversion scheme involving the distribution of adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips.

The scheme involved the acquisition of non-retail or international diabetic test strips (i.e., diabetic test strips intended by manufacturers for distribution only outside of the United States), for sale to licensed retail pharmacies as retail diabetic test strips to make a higher profit. The fraud scheme resulted in around $12 million in fraudulent proceeds. 

Howard Neil Frank, 60, of Marco Island, Florida, owner of two diabetic test strip wholesale businesses, Wholesale Diabetic Supplies Inc and HMF Distributing Inc, and Perfecto Fermin Hallon, 77, of Miramar, Florida, former president of another diabetic test strip wholesale business, Medical Care Supplies Inc, acquired the diabetic test strips through illegal importations, theft, or by buying the diabetic test strips from patients who obtained prescriptions but chose to sell them rather than use them. The wholesale company owners then sold the adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips to licensed retail pharmacies, some of which they also owned. These licensed retail pharmacies sold the adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips to patients who did not know the real source of the diabetic test strips. In turn, these licensed retail pharmacies then submitted claims for reimbursement through private and government health benefit plans as retail diabetic test strips.

To deceive auditors and inspectors, Frank and Hallon altered invoices, purchase orders and shipping records, counterfeited National Drug Code (NDC) numbers, bar codes and accompanying labeling, to appear like they had acquired the diabetic test strip from legitimate manufacturers.

Hallon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29 in West Palm Beach. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Frank’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2 in West Palm Beach. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

To date, a total of four defendants have been indicted in connection with this scheme.

In 2021, Mohamed Mokbel, was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The trial is scheduled for October in West Palm Beach. Mokbel is also charged with health care fraud and money laundering in the Southern District of Texas. The trial is scheduled for August in Texas.  

In 2022, Jason Grama, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, was sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to pay almost $300,000 in restitution. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA - OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea. 

FDA - OCI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurence M. Bardfeld is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60113.

###

MIAMI – Dillon Renee Polanco, Anthony William Lamar, a/k/a “Mojo,” and Rahsaan Rolando Robinson, a/k/a “Loso,” were recently sentenced to 130, 346, and 220 months in federal prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. The sentences imposed follow a long-term investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) into the robbery and kidnapping of a Belle Glade drug dealer in December 2020.

On Dec. 14, 2020, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) responded to a 911 call regarding two victims who had been kidnapped in West Palm Beach, Florida. The victims’ hands and feet were bound with zip ties and duct tape. Detectives learned that the victims were kidnapped and robbed by three individuals known to Victim #1 – a drug dealer from Belle Glade. The robbers were identified as Darwin Avila Salgado, a/k/a “Debo,” “Lamar and Robinson. Victim #1 also reported that they stole $70,000 from a safe located at Victim#1’s grandmother’s house in Belle Glade.

The investigation revealed that the robbery was planned by Polanco and Salgado following a drug dispute between them and Victim #1. Prior to that, Polanco and Salgado supplied Victim #1 with marijuana from California. Polanco and Salgado, both originally from Oakland, California, directed the shipments of marijuana while residing in Oregon. In the summer of 2020, a dispute over the quality of the marijuana, as well as a kilogram of cocaine, caused dissension with Victim #1. Rather than cut ties, Polanco and Salgado planned to rob Victim #1 in Florida. Polanco financed the robbery and at one point even planned to accompany Salgado and Lamar as an active participant. However, Polanco decided not to travel to Florida and Robinson took his place.

Salgado and Lamar flew from Cleveland, Ohio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Dec. 9, 2020. The next day, Robinson travelled from Oakland to Miami, Florida.  Once in West Palm Beach, the Salgado, Lamar and Robinson stayed at a rental home where they ultimately lured Victim #1. In the days leading to the robbery, Salgado, Lamar, and Robinson planned the attack. They obscured surveillance cameras which were at the rental home, covered door handles with plastic, and added window tint to a rental car. Salgado, using the money supplied by Polanco, also obtained firearms, including an AR-15 style pistol, ammunition, a large capacity drum magazine, and a taser used during the robbery and kidnapping.

The investigation further revealed that Salgado, Lamar, Robinson, and Polanco had several profiles and accounts on Instagram. Additionally, their accounts followed, or were followed by Victim #1. On or about Dec. 10, 2020, Victim # 1 posted an image on Instagram. The image depicted Victim #1 holding stacks of United States currency with red and blue money bands. Salgado, Lamar, Robinson and Polanco, using the account of "Deemigo_ 6," commented on the photograph.  

In the early morning hours of Dec. 14, 2020, Victim #1 and his friend Victim #2 arrived at the rental to meet Salgado and Lamar. Unbeknownst to them, Robinson was lying in wait with the pistol loaded with a drum magazine. Salgado contacted Polanco and was told to “do what he was going to do.”

Salgado, Lamar and Robinson attacked the victims with firearms and a taser. The victims were bound and then forced into Victim #1’s vehicle. Victim #2’s personal belongings and jewelry were stolen, including a gold rope chain and gold Jesus pendant. The victims were then transported to Belle Glade where Victim #1’ kept his safe at his grandmother’s house. Salgado and Robinson forced their way inside the residence, with Victim #1 as a hostage. and took $70,000 in drug proceeds from the safe. Victims #1 and #2 were left on the side of the roadway after the robbery.

Salgado and Lamar fled to Georgia but were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. In their possession was Victim #2’s identification, tape consistent with what was used to bind the victims, and a taser. The $70,000 in stolen money and firearms used during the robbery were found hidden in the rental car they used to flee. Polanco and Salgado recruited two others to travel from Oregon to Georgia to recover the items. Robinson fled to California and was arrested. Victim #2’s, gold necklace and Jesus pendant were recovered from Robinson’s apartment.

Salgado pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping robbery, and possession and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was sentenced, on Feb. 3, 2023, to 228 months in federal prison. 

Lamar and Robinson each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, and brandishing and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Lamar was sentenced on April 29 and Robinson on May 2.

Polanco pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, possession and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and interstate transportation of stolen money. He was sentenced on May 6.

In addition to their respective terms of imprisonment, each defendant was sentenced to a term of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the ATF, Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, and PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw announced the sentences imposed.

The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80053.

###

MIAMI – Seven members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The sentences come after the defendants had previously pleaded guilty in this matter.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa Cartel is at the heart of the fentanyl crisis. The cartel has developed global supply chain networks and operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

“When you consider the quantity of drugs being trafficked and the deleterious impact illicit narcotics have on our community, it is readily apparent that these defendants sold drugs for the sole purpose of profiting off a public health crisis – addiction,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The fentanyl epidemic, to include here in south Florida, has caused a deafening silence as thousands of people have overdosed and died. We commend our partner agencies, as we work collectively to prosecute the members and associates of cartels that fuel the drug poisoning crisis and traffic in firearms.” 

“The significant sentences imposed by the court reflect the deadly nature of the crimes committed by Mexican cartel members in flooding our communities with fentanyl and other lethal drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Our law enforcement officers work across the U.S. and around the globe to combat the cartels’ firearms and drug trafficking, which wreak so much violence and devastation in our communities.”

“Guns and drugs are often linked, particularly when it comes to the cartels,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “ATF is committed to working with all our partners to hold accountable those who spread poison in our streets and arm those who supply that poison. This case exemplifies the incredible work going on every day by ATF agents and analysts around the country to protect the American public from dangerous criminals.”

“This investigation is a testament to the combined efforts of multiple Field Divisions of ATF in collaboration, conjunction, and synthesis with our federal, state, and local partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the ATF, Miami Field Division. “Combating violent crime is one of ATF’s core missions, and this case demonstrates how this relationship works to collectively keep American communities and the communities of our neighbors to the south safe from one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in the world.”

Hector Alejandro Apodaca-Alvarez, 53, of Somerton, Arizona; Mark Anthony Roque Bustamante, 33, of Yuma, Arizona; Jorge Moreno, 28, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico; Jonathan Nicholas Chavez, 25, of Brawley, California; Luis Tejada Velasquez, 37, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico; Austin Toma Grupee, 43, of Providence, Rhode Island; and Jose Chavez Zaragoza, 38, of Yuma, Arizona, participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute the controlled substances.  The defendants were arrested in the United States.

From June 2022 through May 2023, Apodaca-Alvarez, who was previously convicted of narcotics trafficking-related offenses in three federal districts prior to his arrest in this case, used the U.S. mail and his own trucking business to send tens of thousands of pressed fentanyl pills and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to an undercover agent based in South Florida. The undercover agent also conducted narcotic and monetary transactions with Apodaca-Alvarez and codefendants in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. Apodaca-Alvarez told the undercover agent he was coordinating directly with members of the Sinaloa Cartel to facilitate the large-scale distribution of narcotics and stated that the potency of the pressed fentanyl pills that he sold “was dropping people everywhere.” Apodaca-Alvarez worked directly with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel.

During the conspiracy, Apodaca-Alvarez coordinated with the remaining codefendants to assist in distributing the controlled substances throughout the United States, to include Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia.

Law enforcement officers identified Roque Bustamante, nicknamed the “Skittles Man” due to his distribution of rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, as Apodaca-Alvarez’s primary source of supply. In recorded conversations, Apodaca-Alvarez and Roque Bustamante inquired if the undercover agent would supply them with firearms, including .50 caliber high powered rifles to be smuggled into Mexico.

Apodaca-Alvarez was ultimately arrested in South Florida while delivering 16 kilograms of fentanyl and 2 kilograms of cocaine to the undercover agent during an undercover operation. Moreno was present with Apodaca-Alvarez during the arrest operation. 

In total, law enforcement seized approximately twenty-one kilograms of pure fentanyl; seventy thousand rainbow-colored, pressed fentanyl pills; three thousand M30 pressed fentanyl pills, blue in color; two hundred and forty-three pounds of crystal methamphetamine; two kilograms of cocaine; and twenty-four firearms (to include eighteen rifles and six pistols) related to this conspiracy.

Photo is of seized rainbow-colored, pressed fentanyl pills. 

Photo was introduced into the court record during Tejada Velasquez’s sentencing hearing on May 15.

Tejada Velasquez was sentenced yesterday to 242 months in prison.

On May 2, Roque Bustamante was sentenced to life in prison, Grupee was sentenced to 262 months in prison and Chavez was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

On March 21, Apodaca-Alvarez was sentenced to life in prison, Moreno was sentenced to 121 months in prison and Zaragoza was sentenced to 47 months in prison. In addition, Apodaca-Alvarez agreed to the forfeiture of his entire trucking business and Arizona-based residence.

ATF Fort Lauderdale investigated the case with assistance from DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), ATF Yuma, U. S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay J. Alexander, M. Catherine Koontz, and Brooke Latta of the Southern District of Florida, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen of the District of Arizona, prosecuted the case. 

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60111.

###

Seven members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel have been sentenced to prison for their role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The defendants previously pleaded guilty in this matter.

Hector Alejandro Apodaca-Alvarez, 53, of Somerton, Arizona; Mark Anthony Roque Bustamante, 33, of Yuma, Arizona; Jorge Moreno, 28, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico; Jonathan Nicholas Chavez, 25, of Brawley, California; Luis Tejada Velasquez, 37, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico; Austin Toma Grupee, 43, of Providence, Rhode Island; and Jose Chavez Zaragoza, 38, of Yuma, Arizona, participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute the controlled substances. The defendants were arrested in the United States.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa Cartel is at the heart of the fentanyl crisis. The cartel has developed global supply chain networks and operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

“The significant sentences imposed by the court reflect the deadly nature of the crimes committed by Mexican cartel members in flooding our communities with fentanyl and other lethal drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Our law enforcement officers work across the U.S. and around the globe to combat the cartels’ firearms and drug trafficking, which wreak so much violence and devastation in our communities.”

“Guns and drugs are often linked, particularly when it comes to the cartels,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “ATF is committed to working with all our partners to hold accountable those who spread poison in our streets and arm those who supply that poison. This case exemplifies the incredible work going on every day by ATF agents and analysts around the country to protect the American public from dangerous criminals.”

“When you consider the quantity of drugs being trafficked and the deleterious impact illicit narcotics have on our community, it is readily apparent that these defendants sold drugs for the sole purpose of profiting off a public health crisis — addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The fentanyl epidemic, to include here in south Florida, has caused a deafening silence as thousands of people have overdosed and died. We commend our partner agencies, as we work collectively to prosecute the members and associates of cartels that fuel the drug poisoning crisis and traffic in firearms.” 

From June 2022 through May 2023, Apodaca-Alvarez, who was previously convicted of narcotics trafficking-related offenses in three federal districts prior to his arrest in this case, used the U.S. mail and his own trucking business to send tens of thousands of pressed fentanyl pills and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to an undercover agent based in South Florida. The undercover agent also conducted narcotic and monetary transactions with Apodaca-Alvarez and codefendants in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. Apodaca-Alvarez told the undercover agent he was coordinating directly with members of the Sinaloa Cartel to facilitate the large-scale distribution of narcotics and stated that the potency of the pressed fentanyl pills that he sold “was dropping people everywhere.” Apodaca-Alvarez worked directly with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel.

During the conspiracy, Apodaca-Alvarez coordinated with the remaining codefendants to assist in distributing the controlled substances throughout the United States, including in Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia.

Law enforcement officers identified Roque Bustamante, nicknamed the “Skittles Man,” due to his distribution of rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, as Apodaca-Alvarez’s primary source of supply. In recorded conversations, Apodaca-Alvarez and Roque Bustamante inquired if the undercover agent would supply them with firearms, including .50 caliber high powered rifles to be smuggled into Mexico.

Apodaca-Alvarez was ultimately arrested in South Florida while delivering 16 kilograms of fentanyl and 2 kilograms of cocaine to the undercover agent during an undercover operation. Moreno was present with Apodaca-Alvarez during the arrest operation. 

In total, law enforcement seized approximately 21 kilograms of pure fentanyl; 70 thousand rainbow-colored, pressed fentanyl pills; 3,000 M30 pressed fentanyl pills, blue in color; 243 pounds of crystal methamphetamine; two kilograms of cocaine; and 24 firearms (including 18 rifles and six pistols) related to this conspiracy.

Tejada Velasquez was sentenced yesterday to 242 months in prison.

On May 2, Roque Bustamante was sentenced to life in prison, Grupee was sentenced to 262 months in prison, and Chavez was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

On March 21, Apodaca-Alvarez was sentenced to life in prison, Moreno was sentenced to 121 months in prison, and Zaragoza was sentenced to 47 months in prison. In addition, Apodaca-Alvarez agreed to the forfeiture of his entire trucking business and Arizona-based residence.

The ATF Miami Field Division* investigated the case, with assistance from DEA, Homeland Security Investigations Miami, Broward Sheriff’s Office, ATF Los Angeles* Field Division, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay J. Alexander, M. Catherine Koontz, and Brooke Latta for the Southern District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case. 

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

*This has been updated to reflect the correct ATF Field Divisions. 

MIAMI — In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. National Police Week is observed Saturday, May 11 through Friday, May 17, 2024.

“Every day, our invaluable law enforcement partners are called upon to protect and serve our south Florida communities.  They do so without hesitation, often under the most challenging of circumstances.  The agents and officers who patrol our streets, respond to our pleas for help, and safeguard our loved ones, work on the front lines to combat our nation’s most pressing public safety challenges. On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the men and women in law enforcement for your tireless dedication and service,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe.  “May you stay safe and may the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice never be forgotten.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.   

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.

Today, the names of more than 280 officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will be read during a Candlelight Vigil at 8:00 p.m. EDT. To view a livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024/candlelight-vigil/.

To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org. 

###

MIAMI – On May 9, a St. Lucie County man pleaded guilty in federal court to production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Between November 2022 and January 2023, Luis Escoto, 28, engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old when he was about 26 or 27 years old in St. Lucie and Martin counties. Escoto recorded the sexual interactions with the minor victim using his cellphone and convinced the victim to send him sexually explicit pictures through text messages and communication platforms. In February 2023, Martin County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Escoto.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 2, before U.S. District Judge David S. Liebowitz in Fort Pierce. Escoto faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty plea.

HSI Fort Pierce and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-14024.

###

MIAMI – On May 6, two additional men from Port St. Lucie were charged with armed postal robbery, among other charges.

Bernard Jerome Davis III, 20, and Jalen Dennis Elliott, 19, both of Port St. Lucie, Florida, were charged in a 16-count superseding indictment, along with Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23, of Fort Pierce, with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, postal robbery, armed postal robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, illegal theft/possession of a U.S. Postal Service arrow key and use or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Brown Weathers was previously charged by a federal criminal complaint in December 2023.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard ordered Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott detained pending trial.

According to the criminal complaint, between Nov. 19, 2022, and Oct. 21, 2023, Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott allegedly robbed at least six U.S. Postal letter carriers in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange and Miami-Dade Counties.

Trial is scheduled to start on July 1 before U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, in Fort Pierce. If convicted of their charges, Brown Weathers and Davis face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years up to the statutory maximum term of life in prison. Elliott faces up to the statutory term of 70 years in prison, if convicted.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Chief Diane Hobley-Burney of the Fort Pierce Police Department, Chief Wayne A. Jones of the Miami Beach Police Department, Sheriff John W. Mina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Wayne Ivey of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Keith Pearson of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Richard Del Toro Jr. of the Port St. Lucie Police Department made the announcement.

USPIS, the Fort Pierce Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and Port St. Lucie Police Department investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting it.

Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. The Postal Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for the forcible assault, robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service.  Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.

A criminal complaint and indictment contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-14053.

###

MIAMI – On April 29, Antonio Perez Toledo, 40, of Ft. Myers, Florida, and Brian Perez, 43, of Homestead, Florida, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a transnational conspiracy to export stolen outboard engines to Mexico through two Miami-based freight forwarding companies. Antonio Perez Toledo was sentenced to 48 months in prison, and Brian Perez was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Judge Williams also ordered the defendants to forfeit the proceeds they each received from the scheme, and to pay restitution to the identifiable victims.

Antonio Perez Toledo and Brian Perez participated in a conspiracy that spanned from 2015 and 2019. The co-conspirators used two Miami freight forwarding companies, and together exported over 600 stolen engines with a replacement value of more than $12 million dollars. Over several years, Antonio Perez Toledo and Brian Perez each personally arranged to export approximately $1 million worth of stolen engines. Before exporting the engines, the co-conspirators affixed false serial number stickers on the engines. Other co-conspirators, charged in related indictments, have also been convicted and sentenced for their roles in this transnational conspiracy.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, announced the sentences imposed.

HSI Miami and CGIS investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20344.

###

MIAMI – The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digitex Futures Exchange (Digitex Futures) pleaded guilty today in federal court to willfully causing Digitex Futures to violate the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to establish and implement an anti-money-laundering program.

From 2018 through April 2022, Adam Colin Todd, 50, illegally operated Digitex Futures, an online futures exchange company, as an unregistered futures commission merchant within the United States. Todd, as CEO of Digitex Futures, illegally sold and offered futures contracts to customers of Digitex Futures in the United States. Todd willfully failed to establish, implement and maintain an adequate anti-money-laundering program, including an adequate know-your-customer program. Todd publicly stated that he refused to implement know-your-customer policies for Digitex Futures. 

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet. Todd faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating, and statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case. 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20478.

###

MIAMI – Approximately 100 incarcerated citizens recently attended an Institutional Re-Entry Seminar at the South Florida Reception Center, South Unit Correctional Institution in Doral, Florida, and U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) staff was there to help those scheduled to leave prison reintegrate more seamlessly.

The seminar, a collaboration with the South Florida Reentry Task Force, featured 15 agencies, to include social workers, probation officers and re-entry specialists. A guest speaker—formerly incarcerated himself—gave a portion of his life story, telling the soon-to-be returning citizens how he turned his life around and motivating them to do the same.  

“These men need to be ready for the challenges they will face when reintegrating,” said Community Outreach Specialist Corey Mackay, Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS), USAO. “They need to use every available resource, and if they do that, they can be successful.”

USAO staff provided resource materials with hundreds of community stakeholder contacts to assist with housing, health care, legal assistance and jobs. The worst thing society can do is fail to support returning citizens when they rejoin their communities. That is when they need support the most.

“These events are one of the most important that we participate in,” said Mackay. “These men still have a lot to offer. We absolutely need to support them during their transition. We want them to succeed. If they are living in your neighborhood, would you rather they succeed or reoffend?”

“That statistic needs to change,” said LEC/COS Chief and former Police Supervisor J.D. Smith. “I always say that when our returning citizens do well, our communities do well. We need to make their success a priority, and these seminars are a step in the right direction. But we can do more, especially with housing and helping them find jobs.”

Supportive non-profit re-entry organizations offer job readiness training, vocational training, and in some cases job placement. Many of these organizations also are able to help with housing through donations, beginning with transitional housing and hopefully leading to long-term housing.

“Stability is key,” said Smith. “Imagine trying to reintegrate into a community and you don’t have stable housing. Being homeless is the wrong answer. They need to feel a sense of independence to fully embrace re-entry. And a job and a roof over their heads will give them a better chance to prosper.”

###

MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man in aid of racketeering, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, as well as of multiple counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. His sentence is followed by five years of supervised release.

On April 28, 2020, Geno St. Flerose, of Miami, Florida, a member of the “Everybody Eats,” “EBE” gang shot and killed a victim, who was driving by St. Flerose’s house after he chased him for over four blocks, and fired thirteen rounds into the victim’s car, striking him three times. The paramedics transported the victim to the hospital, but he did not survive. The victim was 22 years old at the time of his murder.

Then, on June 17, 2020, while a federal special agent was conducting surveillance in St. Flerose’s neighborhood, St. Flerose saw the agent’s car. He ran into the street and fired multiple rounds at the agent’s car, penetrating it, but not striking the agent. Later, law enforcement officers found hundreds of people’s personal information on St. Flerose’s cell phone.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.

FBI Miami and USSS Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yara Dodin prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman handled asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20149.

###

MIAMI – On April 30, a drug dealer who was convicted by a Fort Lauderdale federal jury in January was sentenced to 300 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Chad Michael Marlow, 46, of Pompano Beach, Florida, was recorded on two occasions selling a quarter pound and a pound, respectively, of methamphetamine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent in the parking lot of a Broward County shopping plaza. In the recordings, Marlow could be heard discussing at length the great quality of the product and the fact that he used it for his back and hip pain.

Marlow and his partner agreed to sell the undercover agent one pound of methamphetamine at a third planned deal, but when Marlow and his partner arrived at the shopping plaza, law enforcement conducted an arrest. Law enforcement searched the vehicle Marlow was driving and found an unzipped backpack immediately behind the driver’s seat of the vehicle –sitting at the top of the backpack was a loaded handgun and an extra loaded magazine and in the bottom of that backpack they found a pound, or nearly 1,000 pills, of fentanyl segregated into dealing sized baggies, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as a bank card bearing Marlow’s name. Law enforcement also found a pound of methamphetamine in a lunch cooler sitting on the front passenger seat of the vehicle. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of DEA Miami Field Division announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.

DEA Miami Field Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily R. Stone and Brooke E. Latta prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60202.

###

MIAMI – On April 29, a Miccosukee tribal member was charged in federal court with, among other related charges, assault with intent to commit murder.

According to the allegations in the complaint affidavit, on April 26, Sutanga Rex Cypress, 42, was arguing with the victim when Cypress brandished a firearm. Cypress then pointed the gun at the victim and shot the victim in the abdomen. The victim was airlifted to the hospital due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the gunshot.  

On April 29, Cypress made his initial appearance in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, Cypress faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating and statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Chief Roland Pandolfi of the Miccosukee Police Department made the announcement.

FBI Safe Trails, Miami and the Miccosukee Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya Brown is prosecuting the case.

A complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-mj-6204.

###

MIAMI — On April 25, a central Florida man was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief loans and grants under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Relief Program (EIDL); after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud. 

Jean Robert Dorcius, 68, of Kissimmee, submitted false and fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief loans that included false revenue and payroll records and fraudulent IRS tax forms. Dorcius received approximately $440,515 in COVID-19 relief funds from the fraudulent scheme. Dorcius transferred $200,000 of the fraudulently obtained funds to his personal accounts. Dorcius also created fictitious payroll records that included himself, his children, and sister.

U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola also ordered Dorcius to forfeit $109,900 to the United States and pay $440,515 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence. 

HSI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika M. Miranda handled asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 22-cr-20553.  

###

MIAMI – On April 25, a Highlands County drug dealer was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

On March 15, May 4, and May 17, 2023, Nichiren Shoshu Smith, aka Nick Drop, 48, of Sebring, Florida, sold cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, in Sebring. On May 19, 2023, law enforcement officers discovered over a kilogram of cocaine, approximately 115.5 grams of cocaine base and more than $7,000 in Smith’s residence. Smith has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base in the Southern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division and Sheriff Paul Blackman of the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

DEA Miami Field Division and HCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-14038.

###

MIAMI – On April 25, a Weston doctor was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for running a pill mill type pain clinic.

The sentence comes after Osmin Morales, 72, of Weston, Florida, was convicted in January of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances, and six counts of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances.

Under federal law, a physician is authorized to dispense (prescribe) controlled substances only when there is a legitimate medical basis for doing so, and the dispensing is consistent with accepted standards of professional medical practice.

Morales established a purported pain management clinic in which he issued prescriptions for controlled substances, principally oxycodone, morphine, and alprazolam (a tranquilizer commonly known by its brand name, Xanax) to most patients who sought them, without any appropriate medical basis. On many occasions, Morales issued prescriptions for controlled substances without examining the patients, often when he was not even present in the clinic. Morales also often pre-wrote many prescriptions for controlled substances and provided them to his office managers to hand out for cash payments of $250 to regular patients, with the purpose of unlawfully maximizing the clinic’s profits.

Some of Morales’s former patients testified during trial that they had often obtained prescriptions for oxycodone, morphine, and alprazolam from the office staff without seeing Morales. One patient’s mother testified that she had begged Morales to stop prescribing narcotics to her daughter, because she was becoming dysfunctional, but he continued prescribing them.

Medical records from Morales’s office described a number of medical examinations he had purportedly conducted of patients which described the patients’ symptoms and included Morales’s diagnoses for which he prescribed opioids to them. However, official records from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that on many of the dates for those purported examinations, Morales had been out of the country. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent testified that Florida’s prescription drug monitoring program showed that during the time of the indictment, Morales had prescribed opioids to more than a thousand patients, most often the maximum available doses. The DEA agent also researched numerous patients by name and found that nearly one-third of them had criminal records relating to drug dealing.

A pain medicine expert witness testified that none of the patient medical records he had examined contained any proper medical basis for the use of opioids, such as oxycodone or morphine, nor any basis for the use of benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam. The pain medicine expert also testified that the combination of opioids and benzodiazepines that Morales regularly prescribed, both of which are central nervous system depressants, created an enhanced risk of overdose and death.

A former member of the Morales’s office staff testified that she had collected approximately $4,000 per day, in cash, from patients to whom Morales provided controlled substance prescriptions. On most of those days, Morales had not been present at the clinic.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, announced the sentence.

DEA Miami Field Division investigated the case with assistance from CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Tamen and Theodore Joseph O’Brien prosecuted it.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Stone and Mitchell Hyman handled asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20255.

###

MIAMI – On April 23, a man was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for the international parental kidnapping of his two young daughters to Morocco and Turkey. 

In August 2019, the children’s mother asked the defendant for a divorce. While the children’s mother was in the Dominican Republic, Hamilton Alexander Merilus, aka Salahudin Sabah Alexander Amhadulla-Merilus, 43, fraudulently obtained full custody of their two small children—then two and four. To fraudulently obtain custody of the children, Merilus lied to a Broward County Circuit Court judge claiming that the children’s mother had abandoned the family and he was unaware of her whereabouts.

While the children’s mother was in the Dominican Republic, Merilus sent her an audio message stating that she would never see her children again and that he would do his best to “disappear.”

When the children’s mother returned to the United States, she was unable to locate Merilus or their children. After she learned that Merilus had fraudulently obtained full custody of the children, she filed for and obtained joint and ultimately full custody of the two children; Merilus purposefully ignored the court’s orders.

On Nov. 7, 2022, Merilus left the United States and flew with the children to Morocco. After Moroccan authorities conducted a wellness check in July 2023, Merilus flew with the children to Antalya, Turkey to continue evading authorities.

During the international kidnapping, Merilus left the two small children behind in Morocco and Turkey on at least three occasions. In those instances, he traveled to the United States and claimed that the children were with their mother. On another occasion, Merilus said that they were with his mother in Jacksonville, Florida. Merilus was arrested in Arizona on Aug. 9, 2023.

On Oct. 5, 2023, after over four years apart, the two children now nine and seven, were reunited with their mother in Turkey.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra D. Comolli and Stephanie Hauser prosecuted this case. 

FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Ankara and Rabat.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60154.

###

MIAMI – Hundreds of job seekers recently attended Miami-Dade County’s 305 Second Chance Job & Resource Expo at the Main Library in downtown Miami and United States Attorney’s Office staff were present to provide helpful community resources.

Many job seekers previously had been in prison. That is a major impediment to landing a job with a good company, but couple that with a lack of education and these job seekers are starting out with two strikes against them. That’s why it’s so critical to reduce employment barriers so returning citizens have a chance to become productive. Otherwise, they are much more likely to reoffend and end up right back in prison.

“Many people we saw at the expo were so grateful for the opportunity to apply for jobs and get resource information in one location,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney, U.S. Attorney’s Office. “You can’t help but feel inspired and want to help them as best you can.”

Approximately 25 employers were onsite to take applications and in some instances conduct on-the-spot interviews. Also available were social services, health and wellness, educational and vocational training, and resume development resources.

“We can bring someone on in as little as a week, depending on the position,” said a recruiting specialist with a local community organization. “Certain positions such as a preschool teacher may need an associate or bachelor’s degree. It just depends on the job they are trying to get.”

In some instances, a criminal record could impact certain job opportunities for returning citizens. However, the Job & Resource Expo showed that there are positions that could be a match for a number of returning citizens. Also, a couple of government programs give prospective employers financial incentives to hire returning citizens—either through bonds or tax credits.

“There appears to be momentum toward helping returning citizens find a living wage and that’s a good thing,” said Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “Our office provides resource information to returning citizens and hosts re-entry simulations to educate community members on how difficult re-entry can be. Educating the public is key because many either don’t know or don’t think about the challenges facing returning citizens. We should want them to succeed because when they do better, our communities do better.”

Opportunities to get involved with returning citizens abound.

“We encourage our non-profit and faith-based partners to mentor returning citizens and assist them to overcome re-entry barriers and hurdles,” said Smith.

Hundreds of job seekers attended the recent Miami-Dade County’s 305 Second Chance Job & Resource Expo at the Main Library in downtown Miami. Pictured above, a returning citizen receives resource information from U.S. Attorney’s Office staff.

###

MIAMI –An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida charging three men for their alleged roles in an approximately $36 million health care fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering scheme that involved submitting false and fraudulent claims for COVID-19 testing to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program.

Enrique Perez-Paris, 47, of Aventura, Florida, and Diego Sanudo Sanchez Chocron, 47, of Venice, California, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for Southern District of Florida. Gregory Charles “Milo” Caskey, 57, of San Antonio, Texas, made his initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

According to court documents, Perez-Paris, Sanchez, and Caskey were owners of Innovative Genomics, an independent laboratory. Between November 2019 and June 2023, the defendants and others allegedly conspired to submit claims for medically unnecessary and non-reimbursable COVID-19 testing. The defendants also allegedly paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters who arranged for health care providers to refer the tests to Innovative Genomics. At times, the defendants allegedly caused the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program to be improperly billed for tests for Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly further billed for tests that the Food and Drug Administration had not approved for emergency-use authorization.

The defendants are each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years on each health care fraud count.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

###

Update: On March 27, 2025, defendants Diego Sanudo Sanchez Chocron and Gregory Charles “Milo” Caskey were found not guilty by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida.

An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida charging three men for their alleged roles in an approximately $36 million health care fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering scheme that involved submitting false and fraudulent claims for COVID-19 testing to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program.

Enrique Perez-Paris, 47, of Aventura, Florida, and Diego Sanudo Sanchez Chocron, 47, of Venice, California, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for Southern District of Florida. Gregory Charles “Milo” Caskey, 57, of San Antonio, Texas, made his initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

According to court documents, Perez-Paris, Sanchez, and Caskey were owners of Innovative Genomics, an independent laboratory. Between November 2019 and June 2023, the defendants and others allegedly conspired to submit claims for medically unnecessary and non-reimbursable COVID-19 testing. The defendants also allegedly paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters who arranged for health care providers to refer the tests to Innovative Genomics. At times, the defendants allegedly caused the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program to be improperly billed for tests for Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly further billed for tests that the Food and Drug Administration had not approved for emergency-use authorization.

The defendants are each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years on each health care fraud count.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador yesterday for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador.

“This verdict is a reminder of our office’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting corrupt foreign officials who bring their criminally obtained funds to South Florida to buy real estate,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.

“As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, Polit abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over $10 million in bribes and then laundering the illicit funds in Miami,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for the illicit funds of corrupt officials.”

From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida.

“This conviction shows that despite your wealth, title, or influence, nobody is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and its partners on the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Forces will continue to pursue corrupt foreign officials who utilize their official positions for their own illicit gain”.

The jury convicted Polit of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 in the Eastern District of New York to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador.

HSI’s Miami Field Office investigated this case. The FBI International Corruption Squad investigated the Odebrecht case and provided substantial assistance in this case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao with the investigation.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-CR-20114.

###