Southern District of Florida

MIAMI – On Dec. 18, a detox facility owner was charged with health care fraud for allegedly defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) of over $4 million.

According to the allegations in the information, Joseph Toro, 39, of Jupiter, Florida, owned and operated Reawakenings Wellness Center (RWC), a detox facility which provided substance abuse treatment to patients, including FEHBP beneficiaries. Allegedly, after RWC closed down in January 2018, Toro continued to submit insurance claims, using personal identifying information (PII) of former RWC patients, for substance abuse treatment that was never provided.

As a result of these false and fraudulent insurance claims, Toro allegedly defrauded the FEHBP, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), which administers some FEHBP insurance plans, of more than $4 million in federal employee health benefits. As alleged, Toro used the fraud proceeds to buy properties, luxury vehicles and a luxury watch. 

Toro’s initial appearance is scheduled for Dec. 22 at 11:00 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, Toro faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Derek Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG), announced the charges.

OPM OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

An information 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 23-cr-60237.

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MIAMI – Michael Thomas Dolce, 54, a Palm Beach Gardens attorney, was sentenced yesterday, by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, to 48 months in federal prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

As part of his guilty plea, Dolce admitted to downloading child pornography to his personal laptop at his West Palm Beach apartment. According to court records, Dolce used peer-2-peer software to search for and download the illegal material, including prepubescent children. Nearly 2,000 images and videos were recovered from Dolce’s laptop. Forensic evidence confirmed that Dolce was in the process of downloading child pornography files just before law enforcement seized his laptop during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence.

“The prosecutors in our office, alongside our FBI partners, are committed to safeguarding all children from child predators” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.  “As an attorney and Southern District resident, Michael Dolce had a duty to protect children from the very crimes for which he pled guilty to committing.  Yesterday, Dolce was sentenced to prison for casting aside his oath and victimizing the most vulnerable people in society – our children.   We encourage anyone with information regarding the sexual exploitation of children to immediately contact the FBI.”

“The investigation revealed that Michael Dolce downloaded onto his laptop nearly 2,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including prepubescent children,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “There is nothing more despicable than those who carry out crimes against the most innocent among us - our children.  That is why our agents, analysts, and task force officers work tirelessly to bring to justice those individuals responsible for such heinous crimes.”

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 sentencing.

The West Palm Beach Resident Agency of the FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted it.

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.

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.

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MIAMI – A Palm Beach County resident was sentenced to prison after having been convicted by a federal jury of participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Belas Shelson Rosier, of Greenacres, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Rosier was convicted at trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, in addition to fentanyl analogs and cocaine. 

According to court documents, the investigation into Rosier was initiated, by federal and local investigators, based on evidence recovered during the successful prosecution of one of Rosier’s long-term street level fentanyl and cocaine distributors. The evidence presented at trial established that Rosier was responsible for the distribution of at least six kilograms of fentanyl during the time period of October 4, 2021 through March 9, 2022, alone. During the investigation, federal agents seized and administratively forfeited over $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in jewelry that had been recovered from Rosier’s possession.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, Frank Adderly, Chief of Police, West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

HSI Miami and ATF Miami Field Office investigated this case jointly with their local partners from WPBPD and PBSO. AUSA John McMillan prosecuted this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William Zloch handled asset forfeiture.

This case was 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.

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-80045.

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MIAMI – The Justice Department announced today a disruption campaign against the Blackcat ransomware group — also known as ALPHV or Noberus — that has targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims and caused harm around the world since its inception, including networks that support U.S. critical infrastructure.

Over the past 18 months, ALPHV/Blackcat has emerged as the second most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variant in the world based on the hundreds of millions of dollars in ransoms paid by victims around the world.  Due to the global scale of these crimes, multiple foreign law enforcement agencies are conducting parallel investigations. 

The FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer over 500 affected victims the capability to restore their systems. To date, the FBI has worked with dozens of victims in the United States and internationally to implement this solution, saving multiple victims from ransom demands totaling approximately $68 million.  As detailed in a search warrant unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida, the FBI has also gained visibility into the Blackcat ransomware group’s computer network as part of the investigation and has seized several websites that the group operated.

“In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and health care and emergency services were able to come back online. We will continue to prioritize disruptions and place victims at the center of our strategy to dismantle the ecosystem fueling cybercrime.”

“Today’s announcement highlights the Justice Department’s ability to take on even the most sophisticated and prolific cybercriminals,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As a result of our office’s tireless efforts, alongside FBI Miami, U.S. Secret Service, and our foreign law enforcement partners, we have provided Blackcat’s victims, in the Southern District of Florida and around the world, the opportunity to get back on their feet and to fortify their digital defenses. We will continue to focus on holding the people behind the Blackcat ransomware group accountable for their crimes.”

“The FBI continues to be unrelenting in bringing cybercriminals to justice and determined in its efforts to defeat and disrupt ransomware campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, the private sector, and beyond,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Helping victims of crime is the FBI’s highest priority and is reflected here in the provision of tools to assist those victimized in decrypting compromised networks and systems. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue these criminal actors wherever they attempt to hide and ensure they are brought to justice and held accountable under the law.”

“At the Justice Department, we prioritize victim safety and security,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In this case, agents and prosecutors worked tirelessly to restore victim networks, but these actions are not the culmination of our efforts, they are just the beginning. Criminal actors should be aware that the announcement today is just one part of this ongoing effort. Going forward, we will continue our investigation and pursue those behind Blackcat until they are brought to justice.”

According to the unsealed warrant, Blackcat actors have compromised computer networks in the United States and worldwide. The disruptions caused by the ransomware variant have affected U.S. critical infrastructure – including government facilities, emergency services, defense industrial base companies, critical manufacturing, and healthcare and public health facilities – as well as other corporations, government entities, and schools. The loss amount globally is in the hundreds of millions and includes ransom payments, destruction and theft of proprietary data, and costs associated with incident response.

Blackcat uses a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers are responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates are responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim pays, developers and affiliates share the ransom.

Blackcat actors employ a multiple extortion model of attack. Before encrypting the victim system, the affiliate will exfiltrate or steal sensitive data. The affiliate then seeks a ransom in exchange for decrypting the victim’s system and not publishing the stolen data. Blackcat actors attempt to target the most sensitive data in a victim’s system to increase the pressure to pay. Blackcat actors rely on a leak site available on the dark web to publicize their attacks. When a victim refuses to pay a ransom, these actors commonly retaliate by publishing stolen data to a leak website where it becomes publicly available.

The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiran Bhat and Brooke Watson for the Southern District of Florida are handling the case.

The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt and Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Göttingen, Denmark’s Special Crime Unit, and Europol. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Cyber Operations International Liaison also provided significant assistance. Additionally, the following foreign law enforcement authorities provided substantial assistance and support: the Australian Federal Police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, Spain’s Policia Nacional, Switzerland’s Kantonspolizei Thurgau, and Austria’s Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service.

Victims of Blackcat ransomware are strongly encouraged to contact their local FBI field office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices for further information and to determine what assistance may be available. 

Blackcat affiliates have gained initial access to victim networks through a number of methods, including leveraging compromised user credentials to gain initial access to the victim system. More information about the malware, including technical information about indicators of compromise and recommendations to mitigate its effects, is available from the FBI at www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2022/220420.pdf.

Additional information regarding law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into Blackcat is available at www.justice.gov/media/1329536/dl?inline.

If you have information about Blackcat, their affiliates, or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program. Information can be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion. 

For more information about rewards for information on foreign malicious cyber activity against U.S. critical infrastructure, visit https://rfj.tips/SDT55f.

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The Justice Department announced today a disruption campaign against the Blackcat ransomware group — also known as ALPHV or Noberus — that has targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims and caused harm around the world since its inception, including networks that support U.S. critical infrastructure.

Over the past 18 months, ALPHV/Blackcat has emerged as the second most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variant in the world based on the hundreds of millions of dollars in ransoms paid by victims around the world.  Due to the global scale of these crimes, multiple foreign law enforcement agencies are conducting parallel investigations. 

The FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer over 500 affected victims the capability to restore their systems. To date, the FBI has worked with dozens of victims in the United States and internationally to implement this solution, saving multiple victims from ransom demands totaling approximately $68 million.  As detailed in a search warrant unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida, the FBI has also gained visibility into the Blackcat ransomware group’s computer network as part of the investigation and has seized several websites that the group operated.

“In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and health care and emergency services were able to come back online. We will continue to prioritize disruptions and place victims at the center of our strategy to dismantle the ecosystem fueling cybercrime.”

“The FBI continues to be unrelenting in bringing cybercriminals to justice and determined in its efforts to defeat and disrupt ransomware campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, the private sector, and beyond,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Helping victims of crime is the FBI’s highest priority and is reflected here in the provision of tools to assist those victimized in decrypting compromised networks and systems. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue these criminal actors wherever they attempt to hide and ensure they are brought to justice and held accountable under the law.”

“At the Justice Department, we prioritize victim safety and security,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In this case, agents and prosecutors worked tirelessly to restore victim networks, but these actions are not the culmination of our efforts, they are just the beginning. Criminal actors should be aware that the announcement today is just one part of this ongoing effort. Going forward, we will continue our investigation and pursue those behind Blackcat until they are brought to justice.”

“Today’s announcement highlights the Justice Department’s ability to take on even the most sophisticated and prolific cybercriminals,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As a result of our office’s tireless efforts, alongside FBI Miami, U.S. Secret Service, and our foreign law enforcement partners, we have provided Blackcat’s victims, in the Southern District of Florida and around the world, the opportunity to get back on their feet and to fortify their digital defenses. We will continue to focus on holding the people behind the Blackcat ransomware group accountable for their crimes.”

According to the unsealed warrant, Blackcat actors have compromised computer networks in the United States and worldwide. The disruptions caused by the ransomware variant have affected U.S. critical infrastructure – including government facilities, emergency services, defense industrial base companies, critical manufacturing, and healthcare and public health facilities – as well as other corporations, government entities, and schools. The loss amount globally is in the hundreds of millions and includes ransom payments, destruction and theft of proprietary data, and costs associated with incident response.

Blackcat uses a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers are responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates are responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim pays, developers and affiliates share the ransom.

Blackcat actors employ a multiple extortion model of attack. Before encrypting the victim system, the affiliate will exfiltrate or steal sensitive data. The affiliate then seeks a ransom in exchange for decrypting the victim’s system and not publishing the stolen data. Blackcat actors attempt to target the most sensitive data in a victim’s system to increase the pressure to pay. Blackcat actors rely on a leak site available on the dark web to publicize their attacks. When a victim refuses to pay a ransom, these actors commonly retaliate by publishing stolen data to a leak website where it becomes publicly available.

The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiran Bhat and Brooke Watson for the Southern District of Florida are handling the case.

The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt and Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Göttingen, Denmark’s Special Crime Unit, and Europol. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Cyber Operations International Liaison also provided significant assistance. Additionally, the following foreign law enforcement authorities provided substantial assistance and support: the Australian Federal Police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, Spain’s Policia Nacional, Switzerland’s Kantonspolizei Thurgau, and Austria’s Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service.

Victims of Blackcat ransomware are strongly encouraged to contact their local FBI field office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices for further information and to determine what assistance may be available. 

Blackcat affiliates have gained initial access to victim networks through a number of methods, including leveraging compromised user credentials to gain initial access to the victim system. More information about the malware, including technical information about indicators of compromise and recommendations to mitigate its effects, is available from the FBI at www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2022/220420.pdf.

Additional information regarding law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into Blackcat is available at www.justice.gov/media/1329536/dl?inline.

If you have information about Blackcat, their affiliates, or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program. Information can be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion. 

For more information about rewards for information on foreign malicious cyber activity against U.S. critical infrastructure, visit https://rfj.tips/SDT55f.

MIAMI – Today, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charged Avin Seetaram, a/k/a “Smalls,” 24, Somjeet Christopher Singh, a/k/a “Lil Chris,” 29, and Gavin Hunter, 18, all of Broward County, with murder for hire conspiracy, murder for hire, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice, for their involvement in a violent kidnapping and murder of Miami-Dade resident Suren Seetal.

According to allegations contained in the previously filed criminal complaint and today’s indictment, Seetal was last seen alive on November 2, 2023, when he was leaving work. After leaving work, Seetal’s telephone was in the vicinity of Dr. HVAC, Singh’s air conditioning business, before going off network shortly thereafter. Seetal’s body was recovered at Big Cypress Reservation on November 21, 2023.    

Seetaram’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for December 28. Hunter’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for January 2, 2024. Singh’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for January 3, 2024. If convicted of the charges contained in the federal indictment, Seetaram, Singh, and Hunter each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department (MPD), and Chief of Police Delrish L. Moss of the Miramar Police Department (Miramar PD), announced the charges.

FBI Miami, BSO, MPD, and Miramar PD investigated the case with invaluable assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Miccosukee Police Department, Margate Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Pembroke Pines Police Department, and the Seminole Police Department. The FBI notified Seetal’s family after his remains were discovered. The family’s cooperation was crucial in allowing the investigation to continue and culminate with today’s announcement of charges being filed.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie Waxman is handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.

This case is part of the Southern District of Florida’s Violence Reduction Partnership (“VRP”) initiative.  Through the VRP, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and local law enforcement allies have sought to dismantle the most violent criminal networks that plague communities throughout the Southern District of Florida. The VRP strives to combat violent crime, narcotics trafficking, gang activity and firearms offenses by prosecuting offenders and working with community leaders and non-profit entities to provide preventive services to the local populations.  The charges announced today are the result of the VRP’s law enforcement initiatives. Additional information regarding the VRP initiatives is available at usafls.vrp@usdoj.gov (link sends e-mail) or by calling (305) 961-9134. 

Anyone with information regarding this matter is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The victim’s family asks that the public please respect their privacy during this difficult time.

A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations.  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, under case numbers 23-mj-04334 and 23-cr-20483.

MIAMI – Henry Abdo, 46, of Lebanon, has been charged by indictment, in the Southern District of Florida, with orchestrating a $5 million investment fraud (Ponzi) scheme run through his company, Titanium Capital LLC (“Titanium”).  The indictment alleges that Abdo committed wire fraud, in violation of federal law.  Today, Dec. 14, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Abdo and Titanium in federal court. 

According to the indictment, Abdo, Titanium’s founder and manager, advertised Titanium as a successful investment fund that operated a proprietary multi-currency foreign-exchange platform and invested in other profitable projects.  Titanium solicited investors by guaranteeing a fixed rate of return of 15%, the indictment alleges.  In fact, according to the indictment, Abdo made material misrepresentations about the nature of the intended investment, and in fact diverted investor funds by paying existing investors using new investor funds.  Abdo also, the indictment alleges, misappropriated investor funds to pay his personal expenses, including food, hotels, travel, and clothing.

If convicted of all charges in the indictment, Abdo faces a maximum penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Abdo was ordered detained pending trial on the indictment.  This matter is scheduled for trial on February 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce.

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 Russell Weigel III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (“OFR”), made the announcement.

U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and OFR in this matter. He thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

An indictment contains mere allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent 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-80209-AMC.

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MIAMI – Today a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida found defendants Gail Russ, registrar of the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Lake Worth, Florida, Cassandre Jean, owner and operator of Success Nursing Review in Brooklyn, New York, and Vilaire Duroseau, owner and operator of the Center for Advance Training and Studies in West Orange, New Jersey, guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges after a three-week trial. 

These defendants were charged, along with eleven co-defendants, for their involvement in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from two private nursing schools that at one time were approved by the State of Florida to issue diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs).

The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs.  The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas by Palm Beach School of Nursing and Quisqueya School of Nursing LLC in Palm Beach County, Fla. These schools are now closed due to the excessive failure rates of their students taking the state nursing board exam.

Those nursing applicants who passed the national nursing board exam used the fraudulent diplomas to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the United States.

An additional eleven defendants entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. In total, 27 defendants were charged and convicted in 2023 for their participation in this nursing diploma fraud scheme, known as Operation Nightingale, that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses. 

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement.

FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami Field Office; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Juenger prosecuted these cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff 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 23-60007-CR.

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MIAMI – On Dec. 11, Xiao Pingping, 38, pled guilty to smuggling shark fins, sea horses, and sea cucumbers and attempted smuggling of American Ginseng. The Court sentenced her the same day to one month in federal prison.

The three-count indictment charged Xiao with two counts of smuggling shark fins, sea horses, and sea cucumbers into the United States and one count of smuggling American ginseng out of the United States.  American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a plant species that is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  

According to the agreed upon factual proffer in support of Xiao’s plea to the three-count indictment, on January 14, 2022, Xiao sent a package from Brazil to an individual in Florida and Xiao intentionally misidentified the contents of the package. Xiao wrote on the shipping label that the package contained “fish belly,” when, instead, she had concealed 33 sea horses, 435 sea cucumbers, and 16 shark fins, which are wildlife and required to be declared to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”), pursuant to federal regulations.

On Nov. 19, Xiao travelled from Managua, Nicaragua to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (“FLL”), Florida.  When border officers reviewed Xiao’s luggage in an X-ray scan, they observed various anomalies. Xiao lied to the border agents and told them that she was not carrying any plants, food, seeds, fruits, vegetables, endangered species and/or meat on her person or in her luggage and had nothing to declare.  Border officers searched Xiao’s luggage by hand and identified 11 sea cucumbers concealed in the clothing packed in her bag. After the border officers discovered the sea cucumbers, Xiao intentionally misidentified the wildlife by telling the border officers that the sea cucumbers were “fish belly,” however, she later admitted they were sea cucumbers, which are required to be declared to USFWS pursuant to federal regulations. Border officers seized the sea cucumbers and explained to Xiao that federal regulations and laws required her to declare plants and wildlife.

On Nov. 24, Xiao checked a cardboard box at FLL for a flight from FLL to Managua, Nicaragua.  Border officers again observed various anomalies that resembled organic material inside the box when the box passed through an x-ray scan. Border officers stopped Xiao on the jet bridge as she attempted to board the aircraft with a piece of carry-on luggage.  Xiao denied that she had anything in her bags or checked box to declare.  Border officers searched Xiao’s checked box and carryon luggage by hand and discovered 9 bags and four boxes of American Ginseng contained therein.  Pursuant to federal regulations, CITES requires an export permit for protected plant species such as American Ginseng. Xiao intentionally failed to disclose the American Ginseng, knowing she had a declaration duty after being informed of such agricultural regulations just five days prior when border officers searched her luggage and seized the eleven sea cucumbers.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark for USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Region, made the announcement.

USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Miami, Florida and Portland, Oregon conducted the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Stone.

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- 60231-WPD.

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MIAMI – On Dec. 12, a federal jury found Palacio Valdes Farley, a/k/a “Bobo” and “Bo,” Joassaint Josiah Aristil, Jr., a/k/a “JoJo,”, and Jamar Brandon Nattiel, a/k/a “Debo” and “D-Boy,” guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.

According to evidence presented at trial, during 2016 and 2017, Farley organized and led a South Florida-based conspiracy to distribute marijuana.  Farley sought to obtain marijuana for free, so that he could sell it at a 100 percent profit.  To obtain free marijuana, Farley would obtain marijuana on credit, fail to pay for it, and conspired with others to rob suppliers of their product.

Farley’s conspiracy to rob drug-traffickers of their marijuana began on or about May 22-23, 2016, when Farley, co-defendant Andrew Francois Martin, and Farley’s known associate and unindicted co-conspirator, “John Doe,” flew from Florida to Los Angeles for the purpose of robbing a supplier of his marijuana.  On the morning of May 24, 2016, the three robbers met with a supplier in an apartment in Van Nuys, California, for the purpose of taking 25 pounds of marijuana that the supplier intended to sell them.  When the supplier refused to sell the marijuana on consignment; the robbers shot the victim several times, took his marijuana, and fled the scene.

Evidence was also introduced at trial that on April 20, 2017, Farley and Martin approached two additional victims, with guns drawn, as they exited a restaurant in Daytona Beach, Florida and were walking to their car. One victim was pushed to the ground at gunpoint, while another was robbed of a chain, watch, pendant, and wallet.  Martin shot at the owner of the restaurant when the owner came to the aid of his customers.  The owner shot back and wounded Martin in the leg. 

Thereafter, the Hobbs Act conspiracy continued.

In and around Nov. 2017, Farley enlisted co-defendants Lisa Ann Flood, Karen Xiomara Williams, JoAristil and Nattiel, to rob a victim in southern California.  To set up the robbery, Farley told the victim that he would send one of his representatives to pay a drug debt and buy more marijuana. On the night of December 5, 2017, Flood, Williams, Aristil, Nattiel, and an unidentified male co-conspirator, met in a hotel room to prepare for the robbery.  Aristil, Nattiel, and the unidentified male donned black.  Lisa Flood loaded the 9 mm pistols and gave the firearms to Aristil and Nattiel.  The group then drove to the victim’s neighborhood.  At approximately 11:30 pm., Flood knocked on the front door of the marijuana distributor and was let in.  After a brief conversation, Flood excused herself to return to her car and get money.  A moment later, Aristil, Nattiel, and a third man burst through the front door.  They pointed their guns at the victim, tied the victim’s hands and feet with zip ties, and confined the victim to a room.  One of the robbers went upstairs and pulled the victim’s wife out of bed, put his arm around her neck, stuck his gun in her back, and marched her downstairs to the den, where they tied her hands and feet, and put a plastic bag over her head.  The robbers then ransacked the victims’ house, stealing marijuana, jewelry, and currency. 

Martin and Flood previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and are pending sentencing. Williams pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 168 months in prison. 

U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman is scheduled to sentence Farley, Aristil, and Nattiel, on March 18, 2024.  Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. 

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 Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced the convictions.

FBI and BSO investigated this case with assistance from Lauderhill Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and Daytona Beach Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams and Elena Smukler are prosecuting it. 

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through 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.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  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 22-20556-Cr-Altman/Reid.

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MIAMI – On Dec. 13, a federal grand jury charged Filipino citizen Cris John Pentinio Castor, 35, by indictment, with two counts of abusive sexual contact with a minor in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. 

According to allegations in the indictment and previously filed criminal complaint, and presented at prior hearings, in November 2023, Cris John Pentinio Castor engaged in abusive sexual contact with two six-year-old girls entrusted to the care of the Camp at Sea Youth Center on a Celebrity Silhouette cruise, owned by Royal Caribbean Group, that departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Castor was working as a Camp at Sea youth counselor at the time of the sexual contact. 

An arraignment hearing is scheduled in this matter for tomorrow, Dec. 15.  If convicted of the charges contained in the federal indictment, Castor faces up to life in prison.

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 charges.

FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Royal Caribbean Group security.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli is handling 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, PSC 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 PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Anyone with information regarding suspected child abuse (to include physical and sexual abuse) is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations.  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 under case number 23-mj-06575 and 23-CR-60234.

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MIAMI – On Dec. 7, Miles Steven McGough, 25, of Colorado, was sentenced to 235 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, after previously pleading guilty to enticing a minor victim to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to the agreed upon factual proffer in support of McGough’s guilty plea, McGough engaged in conduct with a Southern District of Florida minor to include, he sent sexually explicit communications to the minor victim through the Snapchat messaging service, a search warrant of McGough’s cellular phone revealed images of McGough’s genitals that he shared with the minor victim, and McGough's cell phone revealed videos and images of the minor victim performing oral sex on McGough that were created during McGough’s visit to Florida.

Judge Moore ordered that McGough’s term of incarceration be followed by 15 years of supervised release.  McGough was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.

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

HSI investigated the case with assistance from Castle Rock Police Department in Colorado.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay J. Alexander prosecuted this case.

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.

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-60061.

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MIAMI – Samuel Harris, 43, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department (“MDPD”), was sentenced today, Dec. 11, to 4 months in prison, followed by 4 months in home detention by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), and an EIDL advance.

According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing on July 3, Harris, who was a full-time MDPD police officer, also was the owner and president of Oregen Digital, Inc. (“Oregen”).  Working with an associate, on June 29, 2020, Harris submitted and caused to be submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application falsely claiming that Oregen had 10 employees and a monthly payroll of over $50,000 per month. In support of this application, Harris submitted a fraudulent IRS Form W-3 falsely claiming that Oregen had paid 10 employees over $602,000 in wages during 2019. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, Harris obtained a $125,579 PPP loan from a Georgia-based SBA-approved PPP lender. 

Harris also admitted that on June 30, 2020, he caused to be submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application in the name of Oregen, seeking both an EIDL and an EIDL advance. In this fraudulent application, Harris falsely claimed that for the twelve-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Oregen had gross revenues of over $859,000 and 10 employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Oregen obtained from the SBA a $10,000 EIDL advance that did not need to be repaid and $149,900 in EIDL loan proceeds.

At sentencing, Judge Scola also ordered that Harris serve 3 years of supervised release, including 4 months in home detention, after Harris completes his prison term, and that Harris make full restitution in the amount of $285,479.

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 Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC OIG)announced the guilty plea.

The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDPD and MDC-OIG, investigated the case in conjunction with IRS-CI and SBA OIG.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted the case.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

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. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here. 

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-20189.

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MIAMI — On Dec. 6, Dion De Cesare, 54, of West Palm Beach, Florida was sentenced to 71 months in prison for operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiring to commit money laundering, using a facility of interstate commerce to carry on prostitution activities, and tax evasion. As part of his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ordered De Cesare to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $$1,046,224.19.The Government is seeking approximately $10,000,000 in the forfeiture of numerous items and money, including two residential properties, two commercial properties, a storage facility, five condos, six vehicles, and a Rolex watch. The Court will hold a forfeiture hearing at a later date.

In a previous hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart, De Cesare admitted that from around April 2008 to November 2022, he owned two social clubs: Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT. During various times, the businesses provided an array of prostitution services to its customers. De Cesare collected the proceeds from those businesses and laundered them through third party bank accounts and the payment of mortgages and expenses owed on several of his properties in West Palm Beach.  

De Cesare also admitted that from about May 20, 2015 to October 2022, De Cesare also operated an online sports gambling business through a website whose server was located in Costa Rica. De Cesare laundered the gambling proceeds by having the gamblers send their debt payments to third party individuals and entities for De Cesare’s benefit.  From 2011 to 2017, De Cesare owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach. From various times between 2011 and 2013, and from 2015 to 2016, De Cesare failed to pay personal and payroll taxes.

U.S Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. 

HSI West Palm Beach Office, PBSO, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto and Trial Attorney Francesca Bartolomey of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Grosnoff and Raemy Charest-Turken are handling asset forfeiture.

You may find related court documents and information 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-80188.

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MIAMI - On Dec. 6, Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23 of Fort Pierce, Florida, was ordered detained in custody pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, after he was charged by federal criminal complaint for participating in a conspiracy to commit a postal/U.S. Property robbery, armed postal/U.S. Property robbery, illegal theft/possession of a U.S. Postal Service Arrow Key, and use or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

According to the criminal complaint, between November 19, 2022, and October 21, 2023, Brown and two other individuals (Bernard Jerome Davis, III, and Jalen Dennis Elliott) committed armed robberies of U.S. Postal Letter Carriers, in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange, and Miami-Dade Counties.

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, Fort Pierce Police Department Chief Diane Hobley-Burney, Miami Beach Police Department Chief Richard Clements, Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson made the announcement.

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

A criminal complaint contains allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In May of 2023, the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the Project Safe Delivery campaign to crack down on postal crimes and attacks on postal employees. Part of this effort includes increased reward amounts for these crimes. Currently there is an up to $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in these crimes. If you have information, please report it via  www.uspis.gov/report or by calling 877-876-2455.

You may find related court documents and information 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-mj-00124.

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MIAMI – On Nov. 28, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida- Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP); Broward Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces; Broward Sheriff’s Office; and Farm Share Inc. hosted a Free Food Drive-Thru Distribution at Franklin Park.

The Drive-Thru Distribution provided over 450 households with free food items to community residents, as well as resource materials for social and economic services. The food items distributed included: chicken, assorted produce, canned goods, orange juice, and walnuts totaling over 40 pounds of free food per household.

Office volunteers for the event included Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section professional staff members: Keisha Bazile, Darcey Lindsley, Audrey Charles, John Hampton, Jorge Lorente, Mark McKinney, Michael Martinez, Robin McCowen, Corey Mackay, and Todd Goodman. The United States Probation Office also provided volunteers for the event.

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MIAMI – Federal prosecutors have charged Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and ultimately as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba.

“This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that for over 40 years, Victor Manuel Rocha served as an agent of the Cuban government and sought out and obtained positions within the United States government that would provide him with access to non-public information and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve. To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”

“The Southern District and our law enforcement partners stand ready to protect the United States from individuals who act unlawfully as agents of foreign governments,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Individuals who violate federal law by engaging in clandestine activity for hostile foreign states, and by providing false information about those activities to the U.S. government, endanger American democracy. That is especially so for past or present employees of the United States who took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and for U.S. citizens who benefit from the freedoms and opportunities of this country. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in South Florida, and elsewhere, will continue to vigorously enforce all federal laws.”

“Like all federal officials, U.S. diplomats swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Acting as an agent for Cuba – a hostile foreign power – is a blatant violation of that oath and betrays the trust of the American people,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to rigorously defend against foreign governments targeting America, and we will find and hold accountable anyone who violates their oath to the United States, no matter how long it takes.”

“For decades, Rocha allegedly worked as a covert agent for Cuba and abused his position of trust in the U.S. government to advance the interests of a foreign power,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “However long it might take, we will deliver justice to those who betray their solemn oaths to the American people.”

According to the complaint, beginning no later than approximately 1981, and continuing to the present, Rocha, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Colombia, secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s General Directorate of Intelligence.

To further that role, according to the complaint, Rocha obtained employment in the U.S. Department of State between 1981 and 2002, in positions that provided him access to nonpublic information, including classified information, and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. After his State Department employment ended, Rocha engaged in other acts intended to support Cuba’s intelligence services. From in or around 2006 until in or around 2012, Rocha was an advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, a joint command of the United States military whose area of responsibility includes Cuba.

The complaint alleges that Rocha kept his status as a Cuban agent secret in order to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity. Rocha provided false and misleading information to the United States to maintain his secret mission; traveled outside the United States to meet with Cuban intelligence operatives; and made false and misleading statements to obtain travel documents.

According to the complaint, Rocha began his State Department career in 1981, rising through the ranks to serve in a variety of roles, including (1) from in or around February 1989 until in or around November 1991, as the First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico; (2) from in or around November 1991 until in or around July 1994, as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; (3) from in or around July 1994 until in or around July 1995, as a Department of State employee, as the Director of Inter-American Affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, with special responsibility for, among other things, Cuba; (4) from in or around July 1995 until in or around July 1997, as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba; (5) from in or around July 1997 until in or around November 1999, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and (6) from in or around November 1999 until in or around August 2002, as Ambassador to Bolivia at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia.

The complaint alleges that, in a series of meetings during 2022 and 2023, with an undercover agent from the FBI posing as a covert Cuban General Directorate of Intelligence representative, Rocha made repeated statements admitting his “decades” of work for Cuba, spanning “40 years.” When the undercover told Rocha he was “a covert representative here in Miami” whose mission was “to contact you, introduce myself as your new contact, and establish a new communication plan,” Rocha answered “Yes,” and proceeded to engage in a lengthy conversation during which he described and celebrated his activity as a Cuban intelligence agent. Throughout the meetings, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, consistently referring to the United States as “the enemy,” and using the term “we” to describe himself and Cuba. Rocha additionally praised Fidel Castro as the “Comandante,” and referred to his contacts in Cuban intelligence as his “Compañeros” (comrades) and to the Cuban intelligence services as the “Dirección.” Rocha described his work as a Cuban agent as “a grand slam.”

Rocha is charged with conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; and with using a passport obtained by false statement. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Miami today, Dec. 4.

The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable contributions by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and John C. Shipley of the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorneys Heather M. Schmidt and Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. 

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A criminal complaint 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, under case number 23-mj-04368.

23-MJ-4368-TORRES

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MIAMI – A five-count indictment, lodged against Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez, 39, was unsealed today during the defendant’s initial appearance in federal court in Miami. Medina Rodriguez was extradited from Colombia to the United States to face federal charges.  Medina Rodriguez was indicted by a Miami federal grand jury in 2022 for charges that include conspiring to murder members of the United States Uniformed Services and attempted murder of members of the United States Uniformed Services.

According to the indictment, Medina Rodriguez, in concert with other co-conspirators, planned a bombing attack against U.S. Army soldiers present at the Colombian 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia.  Medina Rodriguez used his status as a medically discharged Colombian Army Officer to gain access to the base where he conducted surveillance.  As part of the surveillance, Medina Rodriguez took photographs and video of the areas where the U.S. Army soldiers were primarily located.

One of Medina Rodriguez’s co-conspirators instructed Medina Rodriguez to find and purchase a vehicle suitable for conducting a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (“VBIED”) attack at the base.  Medina Rodriguez purchased a white SUV and Medina Rodriguez and his co-conspirators drove the vehicle to Venezuela where it was outfitted with the explosives.

On June 15, 2021, Medina Rodriguez drove the vehicle with the VBIED to the 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia, where he parked it in front of the location where U.S. and Colombian military personnel were located.  Medina Rodriguez pulled the detonation pin on the explosive and left the area on foot before fleeing on a motorcycle driven by a co-conspirator.  As a result of the detonated VBIED, three U.S. Army soldiers were injured. 

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office announced the unsealing of the charges.

The FBI investigated the case.  The FBI, including the FBI Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, was assisted by the Colombian National Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy A. Hummel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Camacho, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division Trial Attorneys David C. Smith and Michael Dittoe are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota worked with Colombian authorities, including the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, to secure the arrest and extradition of Medina Rodriguez.

An indictment 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 22-20054-CR-SCOLA/GOODMAN.

22-20054-CR-SCOLA

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MIAMI – On Nov. 28, a Lake Placid man entered a guilty plea in federal court to production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.

Frederick Anderson Bowen, 76, of Lake Placid, Florida, recorded himself performing oral sex on a child. Highlands County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the video saved on Bowen’s cellphone.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Bowen faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and up to lifetime supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Paul Blackman of Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, announced the guilty plea. 

FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it.

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.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, you can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, or contact the FBI directly at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). 

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-14028.

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MIAMI – On Nov. 17, a federal jury convicted the former major of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, of abusive sexual contact with a minor under 12 years old.

The conviction comes after a five-day jury trial before U.S. Senior District Judge Donald L. Graham in Miami.

In May 2023, Justin Dale Sigmon, 47, while on a cruise that departed from the Port of Miami, repeatedly put his hands up the skirt of a nine-year-old, rubbing her inner thighs and private area, despite her repeatedly pushing his hands away on multiple occasions. Two good Samaritans, who were seated next to Sigmon in the cruise ship dining room, noticed his behavior, recorded it, and reported it to cruise ship security. The cruise ship’s surveillance cameras also captured Sigmon’s actions. When cruise security officials confronted him about his conduct, Sigmon identified himself as a law enforcement officer. 

Sentencing is set for Jan. 12, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in Miami. Sigmon faces up to life in prison.

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

FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Carnival Cruise Line security. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and Lacee Elizabeth Monk prosecuted it.

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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, 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. 

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-20294.

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MIAMI – On Nov. 7, a federal jury found a former Florida International University (FIU) student guilty of three counts of cyber harassment. 

Anthony Brillante II, 35, of Miami, a student at FIU during most of the time of the crimes, spoofed hundreds of different phone numbers to send three victims—his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter—tens of thousands of phone calls and text messages, including countless explicit threats to kill them over a 15-month period between 2021 and 2022. 

Brillante texted two of his victims that he would shoot them in the face, run them over with a car, and even messaged the minor victim that he planned to kill her parents, had “been practicing at the range,” and he thought he was “a pretty good shot.”

Brillante’s cellphones revealed he contemplated bribing a law enforcement officer in his quest to find his victims’ new phone numbers after they changed them due to the spam calls and threatening text messages. They also demonstrated his interest in buying guns and a silencer, and his disregard for multiple law enforcement warnings to stop the threats—even texting his brother “idk is threatening to kill a child different…lol.”

U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham is scheduled to sentence Brillante on Jan. 24, 2024. Brillante faces up to 20 years in prison.

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 convictions.

FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Egozi and Alexandra D. Comolli are prosecuting 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 22-cr-20493.

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MIAMI – Gzuniga Ltd., y su fundadora, Nancy Teresa González de Barberi, de 70 años, presentaron hoy una declaración de culpabilidad por cargos federales que surgieron de la importación ilegal de mercancía hecha de vida silvestre hacia los Estados Unidos desde Colombia.

Gzuniga y González se declararon, cada uno, culpables de los cargos en la acusación formal, que los imputaba a ellos y a otros dos individuos con un cargo de concierto para delinquir y dos cargos de contrabando por importación ilegal continua de bolsas de diseñador hechas de piel de caimán y pitón desde febrero de 2016 hasta abril de 2019. Tanto el caimán como el pitón son especies protegidas por la Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies de Flora y Fauna Silvestre en Peligro de Extinción (CITES, por sus siglas en inglés); de la que tanto los Estados Unidos como Colombia son signatarios. González, una ciudadana de Colombia, fue extraditada recientemente a los Estados Unidos para enfrentar los cargos en su contra.

Los acusados presentaron una declaración de culpabilidad antes el Juez del Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos Robert Scola. El Juez Scola estableció una audiencia de sentencia para ambos acusados para el 5 de febrero de 2024, a las 9:00 a.m. en Miami. González enfrenta hasta cinco años en prisión por el cargo de concierto para delinquir, y hasta 20 años en prisión por cada uno de los cargos de contrabando, seguido de un posible periodo de libertad supervisada. Adicionalmente, ella enfrenta posibles multas de hasta $250.000 dólares estadounidenses por cada cargo, o el doble de las posibles ganancias derivadas de la conducta relevante, lo que sea mayor. Gzuniga enfrenta posibles multas de $500.000 dólares estadounidenses por cada uno de los tres cargos de la condena, o el doble de las posibles ganancias derivadas de la conducta relevante, lo que sea mayor.

Los acusados solicitaron a amigos, familiares y empleados de la empresa manufacturera de González en Colombia que actuaran como mensajeros y transportaran bolsas de diseñador en su persona o en su equipaje durante sus viajes en aerolíneas de pasajeros. Una vez que las bolsas de diseñador fueron introducidas de contrabando en los Estados Unidos, fueron entregadas o enviadas a la sala de exposición de Gzuniga en Manhattan, Nueva York, en donde fueron puestas para exposición en tiendas minoristas de lujo para vista y compra de reventa en sus tiendas. La conducta involucró cientos de carteras y bolsos. El precio promedio de menudeo para estas bolsas marca “Nancy González” fue de más de $2.000 dólares estadounidenses.

Otro acusado en el caso fue también extraditado desde Colombia y se encuentra esperando juicio. Un cuarto acusado no se encuentra en custodia actualmente.

El fiscal de los Estados Unidos Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida, fiscal auxiliar Todd Kim de la División de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales del Departamento de Justicia, y el Agente Especial a cargo Stephen Clark de la Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos (USFWS por sus siglas en inglés), Región Sureste, anunciaron las declaraciones de culpabilidad.

La Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley de USFWS en Valley Stream, Nueva York llevó a cabo una investigación con la asistencia de la oficina del Agente a cargo residente en Miami de USFWS. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la División Penal, oficina del agregado judicial en Bogotá, Colombia proporcionaron asistencia valiosa para lograr el arresto y extradición de González de Barberi. El Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos (USMS) proporcionó apoyo instrumental en este caso. Los Estados Unidos también agradecen a las autoridades del orden colombianas por su valiosa asistencia y colaboración.

El fiscal auxiliar de los Estados Unidos Thomas Watts-FitzGerald y el Abogado Litigante de Rango Superior R.J. Powers de la División de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de la Sección de Delitos Ambientales se encuentran procesando el caso.

Una denuncia penal contiene simplemente alegatos, y todos los acusados son presuntamente inocentes a menos que y hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad en un tribunal de justicia.

La información y los documentos judiciales relacionados se pueden encontrar en la página de internet del Tribunal de Distrito del Distrito Sur de Florida, www.flsd.uscourts.gov o en la página http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, bajo el número de caso 22-cr-20170.

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MIAMI – Gzuniga Ltd., and its founder, Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, 70, entered guilty pleas today to federal charges arising from the illegal importation of merchandise made from wildlife into the United States from Colombia. 

Gzuniga and Gonzalez each pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment naming them and two other individuals with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for repeated illegal importation of designer handbags made from caiman and python skin from February 2016 to April 2019. Both the caiman and python species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which both the United States and Colombia are signatories. Gonzalez, a citizen of Colombia, was recently extradited to the United States to face the charges brought against her.  

The defendants entered their guilty pleas before United States District Court Judge Robert Scola. Judge Scola set sentencing for both defendants for Feb. 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in Miami. Gonzalez faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in prison on each of the smuggling charges, which may be followed by a term of supervised release. In addition, she faces potential fines of up to $250,000 on each count, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, whichever is greater. Gzuniga faces potential fines of $500,000 on each of the three counts of conviction, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, whichever is greater.

The defendants solicited friends, relatives, and employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia to act as couriers and transport designer handbags on their person or in their luggage while traveling on passenger airlines. Once the designer handbags were smuggled into the United States, they were delivered or shipped to the Gzuniga showroom in Manhattan, New York, where they were put on display for high-end retailers to view and purchase for re-sale in their stores. The conduct involved hundreds of purses, handbags, and totes. The average retail price for these “Nancy Gonzalez” brand handbags was over $2,000. 

An additional defendant in the case was also extradited from Colombia and is awaiting trial. A fourth defendant is not currently in custody.

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 Stephen Clark for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Region, announced the guilty pleas.

The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Miami Resident Agent in Charge Office of USFWS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez de Barberi. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) was instrumental in supporting the case. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance and close collaboration and partnership.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Senior Trial Attorney R.J. Powers of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal 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 22-cr-20170.

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MIAMI – A federal criminal complaint was filed today charging City of Miami Police Department (MPD) Officer Frenel Cenat, 40, of Boynton Beach, Florida, with Hobbs Act extortion and attempted extortion under color of official right, theft of government funds, and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to the criminal complaint, Cenat, in conjunction with an individual he believed to be involved in drug trafficking, agreed to use his MPD issued unmarked vehicle and police position to conduct a traffic stop on a driver who was represented to be carrying a large amount of drug proceeds. After making these arrangements, Cenat carried out this traffic stop on the evening of November 3, 2023, using his lights and siren to pull over the vehicle driven by an undercover agent posing as a drug trafficker who had a backpack containing what were represented to be drug proceeds. As the complaint details, Cenat identified himself as “Officer Martez” of the “Miami PD – Dade County Narcotics Unit,” told the driver that he had been investigating him, and then gave the driver the option of giving Cenat the backpack filled with $52,000 in $100 bills or going to jail. Cenat then took the bag of money, let the driver leave, and met up with the individual who told him about the deal, giving him $13,000 and keeping the other $39,000.

Cenat followed this up by conducting another traffic stop theft in conjunction with that individual. As the complaint explained, Cenat asked the individual if he had anyone who they could stop and steal drugs and money from. This led to Cenat once again using his MPD unmarked vehicle and police lights to stop a different undercover agent who he had been told would be transporting both money and 7 “bricks,” a street term for kilograms of cocaine. This traffic stop took place late in the evening of November 16, 2023, in the area of Deerfield Beach in Broward County. During the stop, Cenat introduced himself as “Officer Martez of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office - Narcotics Unit.” Once again, Cenat pretended to have been investigating the driver and gave him the choice of giving up the drugs and money or going to federal prison. Cenat then took the duffle bag containing $80,000 in $100 bills and 7 kilograms of fake cocaine and allowed the driver to leave. When Cenat arrived at the location arranged for the split of the proceeds, he was arrested, and the 7 kilogram-shaped packages and a large quantity of $100 bills were found in his official MPD vehicle. 

A pre-trial detention hearing has been scheduled in this matter for Nov. 28 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Panayotta Augustin-Birch in Fort Lauderdale. A preliminary hearing, arraignment and report rate counsel hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Augustin-Birch.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the City of Miami Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, announced the charges.

The FBI Miami Palm Beach Resident Agency, DEA Miami Division, along with the Miami Area Corruption task force which includes officers from the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Section investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Lapointe thanked the City of Miami Police Department for their invaluable assistance with this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corrupt officials,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials, to include law enforcement officers, that breach the public’s trust by carrying out criminal acts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the invaluable assistance provided by FBI, DEA, and City of Miami Police Department in this matter.”

“I want to thank the City of Miami Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for their close partnership and diligence throughout this investigation,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “The FBI is committed to bring to justice government officials, including police officers, who choose to abuse their positions of trust and authority for personal profit. Public corruption is our top priority among criminal investigations.”

“The DEA Miami Field Division stands ready to assist our federal and state law enforcement partners with the investigation and prosecution of any and all serious drug-related crimes,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The DEA is committed to holding those accountable who violate the public’s trust.”

“The Miami police department is always pleased to work with our local and federal partners,” said Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the MPD.

A criminal 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 23-mj-6566.

A copy of the criminal complaint is attached here:

Criminal Complaint

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MIAMI – On Nov. 14, a New York man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for surveilling and later planning the shooting of his victim from point-blank range.

Jaime Serrano Jr., 46, of New York, flew down from New York to Miami to kill his victim. Once Serrano arrived in Miami, he surveilled his victim at the victim’s home and business. Serrano rented a vehicle to conceal his surveillance of the victim. After four days of surveillance, Serrano exchanged his rental vehicle for another one to commit the shooting. Serrano’s co-defendant, Jimenez, entered the victim’s residential community wearing a mask, gloves and holding a firearm. While the victim was in his vehicle about to pull into his garage, Jimenez ran up behind him and started shooting. Jimenez fired eight rounds at the victim. The victim survived but was hit three times and needed surgery to remove the projectiles left inside his body. Jimenez ran back to Serrano’s parked car and hid in the trunk. Serrano then drove them away.

The sentence comes after Serrano’s conviction following a two-week trial in August.

A restitution hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12, 2024.

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

FBI Miami’s Violent Crimes and Fugitive Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman, Michael E. Gilfarb and Katherine W. Guthrie 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 22-cr-20389.

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MIAMI – Three Indian River County, Florida residents were sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking crimes, following a long-term drug trafficking investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO).

Beginning in July of 2022, the IRCSO began an undercover operation to purchase cocaine, methamphetamine (meth), fentanyl, and other illegal substances from individuals in Indian River County. The investigation was initiated due to historical complaints of narcotic transactions and narcotics overdoses at an Arcade in Vero Beach. During this operation, the IRCSO and DEA joined forces and used an undercover detective to purchase the controlled substances. In addition, from July 2022 until March 2023, the DEA and IRCSO investigated a loosely organized drug trafficking organization that was distributing meth in Indian River County. During the investigation, the IRCSO and DEA utilized an undercover detective to purchase illegal narcotics from members of the drug trafficking organization. The investigation led to the seizure of approximately 859 grams of meth. 

Montravius Deon Stuckey, 23, Karen Dayana Bermudez-Torres, 42, and Lakesia Denise Blackshell, 41, all of Indian River County, pleaded guilty for their involvement in the drug trafficking organization, as set forth in their respective agreed upon factual proffers and plea agreements. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez sentenced each of the three defendants to federal prison.

On Nov. 8, Stuckey was sentenced to 97 months in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of meth, and three substantive counts of distribution of a of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of meth.

On Nov. 8, Bermudez-Torres was sentenced to 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of meth, and three substantive counts of distribution of a of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of meth.

On Oct. 2, Blackshell was sentenced to 70 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to two substantive counts of distribution of a of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of meth.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of DEA, Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Eric Flowers of IRCSO announced the sentences imposed.

DEA Miami Field Division, Port St. Lucie Resident Office and IRCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Acosta prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch 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-14015. 

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MIAMI – On Nov. 1, a Miami federal grand jury charged three Miami residents for their alleged role in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Heidi Cid, 54, Lazaro Verdecia Hernandez, 36, and Yadier Rodriguez Arteaga, 38 all of Miami, Florida, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to the allegations in the indictment and statements made in court, Cid, Verdecia Hernandez, and Rodriguez Arteaga allegedly submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications to SBA-approved PPP lenders. In support of the fraudulent loan applications, the defendants allegedly submitted several false and fraudulent documents misrepresenting the number of the companies’ employees to make the businesses appear eligible for pandemic relief. According to the allegations, SBA-approved lenders disbursed over $14.5 million to bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators, who allegedly would then withdraw the money and give Cid, Verdecia Hernandez, and Rodriguez Arteaga a portion of the proceeds.

Cid, Verdecia Hernandez, and Rodriguez Arteaga made their initial appearance in federal magistrate court in Miami. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and fraud counts, and two years on the money laundering counts. A 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, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros for the United States Secret Service (USSS), and SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the charges.

USSS Miami and SBA OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

The following defendants have pleaded guilty for their involvement in this COVID-19 relief fraud scheme (sentencing information is noted where available):

• Roberto Lopez, Kenia Carrillo, Lester Hedman Safont, Oreste Ruiz Linares, Honolio Navarro Caballero, Barbara Alvarez, and Alfredo Contrera, all of Miami, Florida (22-cr-20368). Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Jorge Trueba Lopez, of Miami, Florida (21-cr-20382). Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Nancy Saavedra Torres, of Miami, Florida (21-cr-20225). Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Felix Martinez and Yailin Perez, both of Miami, Florida (21-cr-20276).
• Yoliesse Sarmiento Carrion of Miami, Florida (22-cr-20530). Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Osiel Rodriguez Furgel, of Miami, Florida (21-cr-20251). Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Leonardo Gonzalez Lopez, of Miami, Florida (23-cr-20113). His sentencing hearing is scheduled on Nov. 28, at 9:30 a.m. in Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting this case.
• Giraldo Caraballo, of Miami, Florida (21-cr-20264). Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Rubin is prosecuting this case.

Nancy Bahos Serna, of Miami, Florida (23-cr-20310) has made her initial appearance in federal court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein is prosecuting this case.

Javier Pico, of Miami, Florida, and Erisbel Gonzalez Gomez, of Palm Beach County, Florida (22-cr-20368) have been charged for their alleged involvement in the scheme but remain fugitives.

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

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

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. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here. 

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-20421.

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MIAMI – On Nov. 1, a New York man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for surveilling and later shooting a victim from point-blank range.

Julian Jimenez, 27, of New York, flew down from New York to Miami to kill the victim. Once Jimenez arrived in Miami, he surveilled his victim at the victim’s home and business. After four days of surveillance, Jimenez entered his victim’s residential community wearing a mask, gloves and holding a firearm. While the victim was in his vehicle about to pull into his garage, Jimenez ran up behind him and started shooting. Jimenez fired eight rounds at the victim. The victim survived but was hit three times and needed surgery to remove the projectiles left inside his body.

The sentence comes after Jimenez’s guilty plea in August. A restitution hearing is scheduled on Jan. 30, 2024.

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

FBI Miami’s Violent Crimes and Fugitive Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman, Michael E. Gilfarb and Katherine W. Guthrie 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 22-cr-20389.

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MIAMI – On Nov. 1, a federal jury in West Palm Beach convicted Willie Boone, 24, on multiple drug trafficking and firearms charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to sell a synthetic opioid, commonly sold as fentanyl, cocaine, and Eutylone (a synthetic cathinone with effects akin to Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and his possession of a machinegun in furtherance of those crimes.  

According to court documents, on or about March 3, 2022, the West Palm Beach Police Department executed a search warrant at a West Palm Beach residence.  Boone was detained on scene.   During the search, officers recovered multiple controlled substances, including N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene, Eutylone, and cocaine. Other recovered evidence included two of Boone’s cellphones and two firearms, one of which was a Glock Model 17 pistol with a machinegun conversion device. That conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock Switch” rendered the pistol fully automatic. Boone, who previously had been convicted of three felony drug-trafficking offenses was prohibited from possessing a firearm, including the unregistered machinegun.  Forensic evidence recovered from the cellular telephones and Boone’s DNA on the Glock Model 17 pistol confirmed his possession of the firearm and possession in the charged drug conspiracy. 

The jury convicted Boone of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and failing to register a machinegun.

Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 45 years in prison. A 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, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and West Palm Beach Police Department Chief Frank Adderley announced the conviction.

ATF and the West Palm Beach Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon O’Shea Darsch and Alexandra Chase are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

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 22-CR-80175.

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MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI Miami, State Attorney Harold F. Pryor for Broward County, and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle for Miami-Dade County addressed over 200 South Florida law enforcement officers during a day-long interactive training session on hate crimes in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The training was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI, along with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office Hate Crimes Unit and the Broward State Attorney's Office Hate Crimes Taskforce Unit. Presenters addressed federal and state hate crimes statutes, recent federal cases, victim services, and held a panel discussion. Highlights included a keynote address from Judy and Dennis Shepard of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and a presentation by the Anti-Defamation League.

This type of law enforcement training is extremely impactful and reinforces the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI to combat hate crimes. Training programs also help to ensure that hate crimes are promptly and properly addressed. All law enforcement agencies within the FBI Miami area of responsibility were invited to attend the training program, along with several other agencies.

“It is our united responsibility to stand against hatred and bigotry in all its forms and protect those most vulnerable in our society,” stated U.S. Attorney Lapointe. “By facilitating and taking part in invaluable training programs, we can better serve our communities and collectively work to thwart potential threats to our diverse south Florida residents.” 

“Educating the public -and law enforcement – about hate crimes is an ongoing, continuous effort that FBI Miami will always prioritize,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Training events like this one today are an excellent opportunity for law enforcement professionals to learn so that we are in a better position to protect our communities against bias motivated crimes and investigate incidents when they occur.”

Lapointe and Veltri recently issued a statement addressing their commitment to combat hate crimes and potential threats to the community. A copy of the statement can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/joint-statements-us-attorney-markenzy-lapointe-southern-district-florida-and-special.

The community is encouraged to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 27, a former corrections sergeant with the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCRD), was sentenced to 18 months in prison for COVID-19 relief fraud, followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $432,051 in restitution. 

Arashio Harris, 49, of Miami-Dade County, Florida, had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and an EIDL advance.

Harris, along with being a MDCRD sergeant at the time of the crimes, was the owner and president of The Good Family Property Solutions Inc. (“Good Family”) and Flying Lions LLC (“Flying Lions”). Harris, with the help of an associate, submitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) a false and fraudulent EIDL application in the name of Good Family, seeking both an EIDL and an EIDL advance. As a result of this fraudulent application, Good Family obtained from the SBA a $9,000 EIDL advance that did not need to be repaid and $14,500 in EIDL loan proceeds. Harris also submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA for Flying Lions grossly overstating the company’s gross revenues and number of employees, allowing him to fraudulently obtain $150,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA.

Harris continued his fraud scheme by obtaining two PPP loans in the name of Good Family. In July 2020, Harris submitted a PPP loan application grossly overstating Good Family’s payroll. In support of this fraudulent application, Harris submitted several false and fabricated 2019 IRS documents claiming that Good Family had a total income of over $1,000,000 and had paid wages and salaries that year of over $768,000. These documents included false IRS Form W-2s and Good Family payroll records for these supposed employees. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, Harris obtained a $129,275 PPP loan from an SBA-approved PPP lender. 

In February 2021, Harris began the process of seeking a Second Draw PPP loan for Good Family to take advantage of the additional PPP relief being offered to businesses that had suffered revenue losses in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Again, the Second Draw application relied on the fraudulent income and payroll numbers used to obtain the first PPP loan, and the application package included fraudulent 2019 IRS forms and fabricated Good Family payroll records for those supposed employees. As a result of this Second Draw application, Good Family obtained a Second Draw PPP loan of $129,276 from a different SBA-approved PPP lender.  

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office; SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC OIG), announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.

U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from MDC OIG, working in conjunction with IRS-CI and SBA OIG, in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken handled asset forfeiture.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

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. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here. 

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-20295.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 26, the lead defendant in a 15-defendant, $36 million health care fraud conspiracy scheme, was sentenced to 104 months in prison.

Arisleidys Fernandez Delmas, 33, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 104 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,671,377, for her participation in a health care fraud conspiracy that billed Blue Cross Blue Shield (“BCBS”) for more than $36 million for physical therapy services that patients never received. Fernandez Delmas and 11 other defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court in South Florida for their participation in the scheme.

According to the factual proffers filed with the court, from August 2018 to February 2023, co-conspirators in the scheme paid kickbacks to beneficiaries of health insurance plans managed by BCBS. The co-conspirators offered these kickbacks to employees of JetBlue Airways, AT&T Inc., and TJX Companies Inc. to induce the beneficiaries to serve as patients at 30 South Florida physical therapy clinics. The co-conspirators who owned the clinics then submitted fraudulent health insurance claims to BCBS for health care benefits that were medically unnecessary and not even provided.

According to the court documents, these co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes to their co-defendants in return for referring additional BCBS beneficiaries to the physical therapy clinics so more fraudulent health care claims could be submitted. These co-conspirators also paid licensed massage therapists—several of whom were among the defendants convicted—to act as “nominee owners” and operators of the physical therapy clinics. This allowed the leaders of the scheme to avoid various medical clinic licensing requirements and attempt to evade criminal prosecution.

The following defendants have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the fraudulent physical therapy billing scheme (sentencing information is noted where available):

• Pedro Hugo Prieto Garcia, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on July 27, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20560-Williams). Prieto Garcia was sentenced on Oct. 16, to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $341,887.

• Leidys Delmas Garcia, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on July 24, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20560-Williams). Delmas Garcia was sentenced on Oct. 16, to 68 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $1,599,933.33.

• Carlos Jose Martin Gomez, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20249-Altonaga). Martin Gomez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled on Jan. 3, 2024.

• Julio Acosta Perez, of Homestead, Florida, pleaded guilty on June 14, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20561-Moreno). Acosta Perez was sentenced on Sep. 6, to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $822,524.21.

• Yohana Iriza (aka Yohana Lozada), of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 4, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20562-Altman). Iriza was sentenced on Aug. 4, to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $367,207.64.

• Gabriel Lozada, of Fort Meyers, Florida, pleaded guilty on May 1, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20561-Altman). Lozada was sentenced on July 31, to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $255,694.16.

• Emiliano Joaquin Garcia, of Lakeland, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 18, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20560-Williams). Garcia was sentenced on Oct. 24, to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

• Anthony Lozada, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 4, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20562-Altman). Lozada was sentenced on Aug. 4, to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $223,604.78.

• Daimara Borroto Garcia, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty on May 4, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20560-Williams). Borroto Garcia was sentenced on Sep. 18, to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

• Elias Caises Maurino, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 25, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 22-cr-20560-Williams). Maurino was sentenced on Aug. 9, to six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

• Linda Taylor, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Case No. 23-cr-20248-Scola). Taylor’s sentencing hearing is scheduled on Nov. 17.

The following three other defendants have made their initial appearances in federal court, Gabriel Jaime Mejia, of Miami, Florida (22-cr-20560-Williams); Yarlon Valdes Morejon, of Miami, Florida (23-cr-20131-Scola), and Ariel Gonzalez, of Naples, Florida (23-cr-20248-Scola).

A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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 cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will J. Rosenzweig and Michael B. Homer are prosecuting them. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda 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-20560.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 25, a federal jury convicted a Latin King gang member of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement, and use of interstate facilities in aid of racketeering. The convictions followed a seven-day jury trial in front of Chief District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in Miami.

Jason Wagner, aka “King Ace,” 41, of Miami, Florida, forced several women to engage in commercial sex since as early as 2003. To make his adult and underaged victims engage in commercial sex, Wagner locked them in his apartments, took their personal identification documents, subjected them to violence and threats of violence, and provided them with drugs. Wagner initially came to the attention of law enforcement after a woman alerted a good Samaritan that she was being held hostage in Wagner’s home. After Wagner’s arrest in this case, he repeatedly asked the woman to drop the charges and refuse to testify in court.

Sentencing is set on Jan. 12, 2024, at 8:30 a.m., in Miami. Wagner faces up to life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the guilty verdict. 

HSI Miami, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lacee Elizabeth Monk and Jessica Kahn Obenauf prosecuted it.

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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, 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. 

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

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-20124.

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MIAMI –Following a one-month trial, a federal jury convicted a Miami Beach man for his role in a violent transnational organized crime group operating in Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and South Florida since as early as 2009.

Javier Hernandez, 50, of Miami Beach, Florida, was convicted on Oct. 18, following a jury trial of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, conspiracy to transport stolen vessels, conspiracy to traffic in certain motor vehicles, trafficking in certain motor vehicles, and conspiracy to launder money to promote stolen property trafficking, and the bribery of public officials.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Hernandez and his codefendant, Ramon Reyes Aranda, 38, of Naples, Florida, stole vessels from the west coast of Florida. Reyes Aranda would identify the vessels, and Hernandez transported them to Mexico, where they would be used to fund and facilitate the enterprise’s illegal activities. Prior to the trial, Reyes Aranda pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy to promote stolen property trafficking and the bribery of public officials.  

The stolen property, which included boats and vessels, were transported to a coconspirator in Mexico, who would then use the stolen property to facilitate and promote the organization’s activities. For example, evidence introduced at trial showed that Hernandez transported a vehicle to Mexico for use in bribing a foreign official so that the organization could continue conducting migrant smuggling without interference from law enforcement.

An extensive multi-national operation, led by American and Mexican law enforcement authorities, was formed to combat the activities of a violent transnational organized crime group known collectively in Mexico as La Mafia Cubana en Quintana Roo, or the Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo. Through this operation, law enforcement officials learned that Jose Miguel Gonzalez Vidal, 36; Reynaldo Abreu Garcia, 56; Yohismy Perez Gonzalez, 40; Yosvani Carbonel Lemus, 43; Reynaldo Crespo Marquez, 44, and Jancer Sergio Ramos Valdes, 37, all Cuban citizens residing in Mexico at the time of the charges, along with Maikel Antonio Hechavarria Reyes and Monica Susana Castillo, both of Mexico, were part of an organized crime group that profited from various schemes, including the smuggling and extortion of Cuban migrants held hostage in Mexico for the payment of smuggling fees (United States v. Vidal, et al., Case No. 21-cr-20050-CMA).

According to evidence contained in the court record, Gonzalez Vidal introduced Hernandez to Reyes Aranda so that they could work together to transport stolen vessels for the organization. Both Hernandez and Reyes Aranda were paid by Gonzalez Vidal and other members of the organization for their transportation of the stolen property.

The members of the migrant extortion racket required the victims to provide contact information of a family member from whom they would later demand a $10,000 USD ransom fee. The men contacted the victims’ relatives, some of whom were in Miami, and threatened to torture, starve, and kill the victims if the relatives refused to pay. If a victim’s relative was able to pay the ransom, the organization released the victim and sent them by bus to the United States-Mexico border with instructions to seek political asylum. The victims whose relatives were unable to pay the fee were beaten, threatened with knives and guns, and shocked with stun guns until they were finally rescued by Mexican authorities. Members of the organization also sought to profit from drug trafficking and fraud schemes.

Further, once the defendants were charged in the United States and detained pending trial, they continued operating the organization by seeking to obstruct justice, violating court orders, and distributing contraband in a federal detention center. As part of their prison racket, the organization paid bribes to a federal employee to introduce contraband and controlled substance for distribution into the Federal Detention Center (FDC), in Miami.

For their participation in the criminal scheme, Gonzalez Vidal, Crespo Marquez, Abreu Garcia, Perez Gonzalez, Carbonel Lemus, and Ramos Valdes previously pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and migrant smuggling. Their sentencing hearings have been scheduled for November and December in Miami.

Reyes Aranda’s sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 15, at 10:00 a.m. in Miami. Hernandez’s sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 5, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in Miami.

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 Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region; Warden Gio Ramirez of the Federal Detention Center (FDC), Bureau of Prisons (BOP);; Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Chief of Police Tracy Frazzano for the Marco Island Police Department, and Interim Police Chief Matt Fletcher of the Naples Police Department, made the announcement.

The prosecution of this organization has involved significant support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s International Violent Crimes Unit, and the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

These multinational prosecutions are the result of ongoing efforts of the Operation Sisyphus Task Force, a multi-agency partnership established by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Priority Transnational Organized Crime Program. Since 2012, Operation Sisyphus Task Force participants have secured the conviction of over thirty members and associates of the criminal organization. 

The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arielle Klepach and Brian Dobbins prosecuted U.S. v. Hernandez, et al., Case No. 22-cr-20557.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manolo Reboso, Quinshawna Landon and Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. prosecuted U.S. v. Vidal, et al., Case No. 21-cr-20050. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis conducted collateral litigation regarding obstruction of justice activities in the Vidal, et al. prosecution.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda handled asset forfeiture.

If you believe you are a victim of migrant coercion or extortion, or know someone who is, you are encouraged to call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).

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 case numbers referenced above.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 20, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola sentenced James Catalano, 62, of Fresno, California, to 12 months in prison for sending hundreds of harrowing messages to a local activist against gun violence whose daughter was murdered during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

On March 28, 2023, Catalano pled guilty to cyberstalking. According to the court record, beginning in or around December 2021 and continuing through July 2022, Catalano sent the victim hundreds of disparaging messages, which graphically described the victim’s daughter’s death, and focused on the debate surrounding gun control and the victim’s activism against gun violence. 

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arielle Klepach 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 22-cr-20356.

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon. In just a few minutes, U.S. Attorney Lapointe and I will meet with the law enforcement officers gathered around this table.

I am grateful to each of them for being here, and look forward to our discussion.

At the top of our agenda will be our shared efforts to help keep our communities safe from violent crime.

As always, but especially right now, that includes remaining vigilant in the face of the potential threats of hate-fueled violence and terrorism.

Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel have created understandable fear among communities across the country.

As the FBI has noted, we are seeing an increase in reported threats against faith communities, particularly Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions.

Last week, I directed all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the FBI to be in close touch with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in their districts.

Yesterday I met with, and today and tomorrow I will continue to meet with, our U.S. Attorneys and federal, state, and local law enforcement officials here in Florida.

I have also directed our U.S. Attorneys to reach out to religious and other community leaders in their districts to reaffirm our commitment to them and assess what additional support they may need.

Our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and with the communities they serve, are at the center of our efforts to keep our country and our communities safe.

That strategy also guides our work to attack every aspect of the trafficking of fentanyl, the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced.

Earlier this month, we announced charges in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida against eight chemical companies based in China, and 12 of their executives for crimes related to the production, distribution, and importation of fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, methamphetamines, and their precursor chemicals.

That same day, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a set of individuals and entities involved in fentanyl trafficking. That included all of the China-based companies charged here in the Southern District of Florida.

That case is just one example of how we are going after every link in the cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking networks. That includes the cartels' chemical suppliers often based in China, their clandestine lab operators, their security forces, their weapons suppliers, their drug traffickers, and their money launderers.

It also includes the cartels' leaders. Last month, we extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel and one of EI Chapo's sons, from Mexico to the United States.

I am proud of the work the extraordinary public servants of this office are doing every single day on multiple fronts - from violent crime, drug trafficking, and human smuggling to hate crimes and the threat of foreign and foreign-incited terrorism acts.

Every day, the dedicated men and women of this Office work to fulfill our mission: to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

But we cannot do that work without the law enforcement partners in this room today. The entire Department is grateful for that partnership.

I am grateful for that partnership.

We are now going to begin our meeting.

MIAMI – On Oct. 17, a federal district judge sentenced an Okeechobee man to 20 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for being found in the United States after a prior removal, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).

Jose Lara-Santos, 54, was previously removed from the United States in 2017, and was found back in the United States early this year during an arrest in Okeechobee, Florida. Lara-Santos was previously convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Field Office Director Liana J. Castano of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), announced the sentence. 

ICE ERO, Stuart Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock 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-14019.

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MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for running a fraudulent cryptocurrency and stock investment scheme. The judge also ordered forfeiture in the amount of $988,895.85.

From June 2020 through March 2022, Ryan James Crawford, aka “Brody,” 30, tricked victims into investing almost $1 million in his scheme by: falsely claiming to be a highly successful licensed stockbroker who had made tens of millions of dollars through similar cryptocurrency and stock investments; falsely claiming to have access to enough money to timely repay potential investors; falsely claiming that he had developed an artificial intelligence trading software that “never lost,” and misrepresenting the investment as low-risk and high reward, among other things.

Crawford did not return any victim funds, or generate the exponential returns he promised. Rather, on some occasions, he simply diverted investors’ funds and cryptocurrency for his own personal use, including to pay for luxury rental cars and gambling at the casino.

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 Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the sentence.

FBI Miami, USSS Miami, and MDPD’s Cyber Crimes Investigative Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR). Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hauser prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Stone and Mitch 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 23-cr-20100.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 16, 2023, Jeffry Arista, 32, and his brother, Jonathan Arista, 29, had their initial appearances in federal court on federal kidnapping charges.  

According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint on October 13, 2023, Jeffry Arista, Jonathan Arista, and Raymond Gomez committed an armed kidnapping of the victim outside of the victim’s apartment. After forcefully transporting the victim to an AirBnB, a rental property located in Plantation, Florida, the kidnappers realized that they had abducted the wrong person. Rather than releasing the victim, the kidnappers waterboarded and threatened to kill the victim while pointing firearms, tasers, and an electric drill at the kidnapped victim. Upon learning that the intended target was at a business in Pompano Beach, Florida, the kidnappers forcefully brought the victim to the business and ordered the victim to go into the business and lure out the intended target. Upon entering the business, the victim called law enforcement and all three kidnappers were arrested.

A criminal complaint charges all three defendants with kidnapping, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a) and conspiracy to kidnap, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(c).  If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.  

Raymond Gomez has not yet had his initial appearance on the charges. 

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 pending criminal complaint charges.

FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay Alexander is prosecuting this case. 

A criminal 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 23-mj-6485.

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U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office, issued the following statements, reinforcing a united commitment to combat hate crimes and potential threats:

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local FBI partners are focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.  “There is no justification for terrorism.  There is no place for hate, evil acts, or threats against Jews, Muslims, or anyone in our diverse South Florida communities or around the globe.  We hold a place in our hearts for anyone impacted by acts of terror and grieve for those who are suffering unspeakable losses.  As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated this weekend ‘We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate.’” 

“FBI Miami is working closely with our law enforcement partners in South Florida to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office.  “As always, we take seriously any tips or leads we receive regarding potential threats and investigate them rigorously to determine their credibility. The FBI encourages members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

The community is encouraged to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 5 and 11, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida held the 2021-2023 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer (OLEO) Award Ceremony, in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, respectively.  Approximately 200 award recipients, from various federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations, were recognized for having distinguished themselves by virtue of the work they performed in a criminal prosecution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida handles some of the most important and impactful cases in the nation. The stellar investigative work by the office’s law enforcement partners, in particular the award nominees, makes it possible for the district’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys to file cases charging the gamut of federal crimes. Collectively, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, civil rights violations and hate crimes, violent crime, illegal firearms offenses, bank robbery, public corruption, environmental crimes, national security threats, the broad landscape of financial fraud that plagues our district, and more.

As U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida stated, “It takes a village to carry out the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice - to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights. The office’s prosecutors cannot do their jobs alone.”  The U.S. Attorney’s Office relies on the dedicated men and women in law enforcement who work tirelessly to identify the criminals so that they can be held accountable in a court of law.  The honorees hard work often comes with tremendous personal sacrifice. The award recipients’ commitment to the pursuit of justice is worthy of special recognition. “They are having a direct impact on our quality of life, safety, and security,” said Lapointe.

Law enforcement partnerships and collaboration are invaluable crime-fighting tools.  The honorees represent agencies and departments from across the district that work together to protect and serve the public. Lapointe noted that the South Florida award recipients are “some of our nation’s most talented, effective, and impactful public servants.” 

Honorees were recognized from agencies and departments to include: Biscayne Park Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), City of Miami Police Department (MPD), FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), Hialeah Police Department, Homestead Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Lauderhill Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Miami Gardens Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Springs Police Department, Sunny Isles Police Department, Sweetwater Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and CBP-Office of Intelligence, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG).

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MIAMI — Recently, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida took a trip down memory lane when he hosted a community engagement meeting where he graduated high school.

Miami Edison Senior High School Principal James Dominique and the school’s staff graciously welcomed Lapointe back to his alma mater. As Principal Dominique’s message reads on the school’s homepage, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Lapointe acknowledged the impact of those words by adding that our united “village is called upon to raise, educate, serve, and protect our children. For many, education starts at home but not everyone has that opportunity. For our youth to grow into successful and productive citizens, we must all come together to offer our support and mentorship. We need to safeguard the youth of today so that, hopefully, they never become a victim or commit a crime.” 

The auditorium of Miami Edison Senior High School was full of both students and community stakeholders who listened intently as Lapointe gave his opening remarks. Afterward, audience members lined up in the aisle to ask questions of the Edison graduate who was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the District. Lapointe is the first African American to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the first Haitian-born individual to serve as a U.S. Attorney in any office across the Nation.

One question directed at Lapointe during the community program was what advice he would give young adults.

“Understand from the get-go that education is your only way out,” he said. “You can’t count on a trust fund. When I was growing up we didn’t have a choice—we knew it was education. That’s the core element of success and how we made it through.”

One of the primary missions of the United States Attorney's Office is to ensure that federal crimes affecting the people in the Southern District of Florida are investigated and that the perpetrators are prosecuted, convicted, and punished. Common sense and experience have taught us, however, that we cannot prosecute, arrest, and punish our way out of the problems that illegal drug use, violent crime, and criminal gangs visit upon our community. Prosecution alone will not eliminate the threat they pose to our way of life. Every sector and member of our community, including Edison High School students, has an important role to play in our efforts to put an end to these problems.

Lapointe recounted what it was like growing up in the Miami Edison Senior High School area.

“I lived right over there on 12th and 59th,” he said. “[I] Had pots and pans all over the apartment floor to catch rain because the roof leaked. I know what you’re going through because I have lived it. And if I can make it, then you all can make it too.”

During his high school years, Lapointe used visualization to help him remain focused and in a positive mindset.

“I would sit on top of our building on 12th Street and from there I could see an outline of downtown in the distance,” he said. “And I would say to myself, ‘This is where I should be.’ And that helped me.” Years later, Lapointe found himself exactly where he envisioned one day being–in downtown Miami, working as a lawyer.

Lapointe encouraged the students to stay the course, to make smart decisions, to read as much as possible, and to seek the guidance of others in their time of need. 

The program at Miami Edison Senior High School was put together by the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe speaks to a group of community members and Miami Edison Senior High School students during a recent community engagement event. Lapointe, an Edison graduate himself, stressed the importance of education and making good decisions.

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MIAMI – Carl R. Ruderman, 82, former chairman of 1 Global Capital LLC (“1 Global”) pled guilty yesterday to a $250 million securities fraud scheme. Four of Ruderman’s co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty for their role in this fraud, including two lawyers who provided him with false legal cover to skirt federal securities laws.

Ruderman pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. In his plea agreement, Ruderman agreed to a sentence of 5 years, the statutory maximum, and to a forfeiture money judgment of over $250 million.  

1 Global was a commercial lending business based in Hallandale Beach, Florida, that made the equivalent of “pay day” loans to small businesses at high interest rates, termed merchant cash advance loans (“MCAs”). Ruderman was the chairman of 1 Global.

Ruderman admitted that he and others made false and misleading representations to investors and potential investors as to the profitability of 1 Global’s business in marketing materials and periodic account statements. According to plea documents, investors were falsely told that 1 Global had audited financials by a public accounting firm, that the investor’s money would be spent on the MCAs, and that they could expect double-digit returns on their investments, among other things.

Ruderman admitted that he spent 1 Global’s investor’s money on credit card payments, vacation travel, insurance payments for his art collection and valuable jewelry, drivers, nannies, housekeepers, mortgage payments for his house, tuition, and payments for a luxury car. Ruderman also admitted that he diverted 1 Global investor money to businesses benefitting him and his family, without the investors’ knowledge.

Questions arose during the operation of the business as to whether 1 Global was offering or selling a security and whether the investment offering was required to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Ruderman admitted in plea documents that he knew that if 1 Global’s investment offering were determined to be a security, it would undermine the ability of 1 Global to raise funds from retail investors and to continue to operate without substantial additional expenses and reporting requirements. Ruderman also admitted that he directed a lawyer, Jan Atlas, to author two opinion letters in 2016 containing false information that allowed 1 Global to skirt federal securities laws. 

Four of Ruderman’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty for their roles in the fraud.

Alan G. Heide, 65, of Lake Worth, Florida, the former 1 Global chief financial officer, pleaded to a single count information, charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud (case no. 19-cr-60231), and was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. Judge Altman also ordered Heide to pay over $57 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme.

Andrew Dale Ledbetter, 81, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud (case no. 20-cr-60103), and was sentenced by Judge Altman to 60 months in prison. Judge Altman also ordered Ledbetter to pay over $148 million to the victims of the scheme.

Steven Allen Schwartz, 78, of Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud (case no. 20-cr-60003), and was sentenced to 24 months in prison by Judge Altman. Judge Altman also ordered Schwartz to pay over $36 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme.

Jan Douglas Atlas, 78, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud (case no. 19-cr-60258), and was sentenced to eight months in prison by Judge Altman. Judge Altman also ordered Atlas to pay over $29 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme.

1 Global filed for bankruptcy on July 27, 2018. As of that time, according to documents from related cases, 1 Global had more than 3,400 investors and had raised more than $250 million during the scheme. The bankruptcy case, In re: 1 Global Capital LLC, et al., No. 18-19121-RBR (S.D. Fla.), remains pending.

The SEC previously filed civil fraud actions related to the 1 Global Fraud, captioned, SEC v. 1 Global Capital LLC and Carl C. Ruderman, Case No. 18-61991-CV-BB (S.D. Fla.); SEC v. Alan G. Heide, Case No. 19-62047-CV-FAM (S.D. Fla.); SEC v. Jan Douglas Atlas, 19-62303-CV-WPD (S.D. Fla.); SEC v. Steven A. Schwartz, Case No. 20-80008-CV-DMM (S.D. Fla.); and SEC v. Andrew Dale Ledbetter, Esq., Case No. 20-61972-CV- (S.D. Fla.).

Information about the related cases can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/1Global-Capital.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, made the announcement.

U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of FBI Miami, IRS-CI Miami, and the FDIC-OIG, Atlanta Region, for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Young and Amanda Perwin are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.

A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation, 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-20303-CMA.

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MIAMI – On Sept. 29, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking to forfeit more than $72 million involved in a bribery and money laundering scheme centered around Ecuador’s public police pension fund (ISSPOL).

As alleged in the complaint, from 2014 through 2020, more than $2.6 million in bribes were paid to ISSPOL officials (directly or through family members) to obtain and invest ISSPOL funds for the benefit of Jorge Cherrez Miño (Cherrez), his companies, and co-conspirators.

Under an agreement between ISSPOL and Cherrez—reviewed by ISSPOL officials, including at least one to whom a bribe was paid—ISSPOL entrusted Cherrez with approximately $327 million worth of their local Ecuadorian bonds to invest in the global market and to provide ISSPOL with the return on that investment. Cherrez allegedly obtained approximately $65 million in profits from one aspect of the scheme.

Payments from the ISSPOL investment business were obtained in an account in the United States, Florida-based companies and bank accounts were used to pay the bribes and acts in furtherance of the bribery scheme occurred in the Southern District of Florida. Further, to conceal and promote the bribery scheme, corrupt proceeds were allegedly laundered through Florida-based companies and bank accounts, including numerous U.S. investment fund companies incorporated in Florida with Cherrez as an officer or director.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annika M. Miranda and Jorge R. Delgado are handling the civil forfeiture case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has provided significant assistance on this matter.

IRS-CI and HSI, jointly under the auspices of the Global Illicit Financial Team, investigated the related criminal cases. Trial Attorneys Katherine Raut and Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the related criminal cases, United States v. Jorge Cherrez Miño, et al., Case No. 21-CR-20528-KMW (S.D. Fla.), and United States v. Luis Alvarez Villamar, Case No. 21-CR-20308-KMW (S.D. Fla.).

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-cv-23730.

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MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with federal and local law enforcement partners, announced today federal criminal charges as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing initiative to prosecute fraud in connection with COVID-19 pandemic relief programs that offered assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as other crimes relating to the pandemic.

The charges were brought in 17 separate cases filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  Collectively, the charges allege that 17 defendants participated in independent schemes to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and participating lenders by fraudulently applying for loans and other relief through the PPP and EIDL program.  These programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  In total, the defendants allegedly received $495,171 in assistance unlawfully and used the proceeds to unjustly enrich themselves.

During today’s initial hearings, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt in Fort Lauderdale, prosecutors advised the Court that, during the period of the alleged schemes, each of the charged defendants was employed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO).  According to court documents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Office of Inspector General for the Board of the Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG),  and BSO, has been conducting a criminal investigation to determine whether any BSO employee violated federal law in connection with obtaining or attempting to obtain any form of relief authorized under the CARES Act, such as loans through the PPP and EIDL program. 

“Today’s announcement is a reminder that the South Florida Strike Force remains fully committed to its mission - to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to uncover the fraud schemes and hold anyone involved accountable – regardless of an individual’s role in the community. No matter the amount, we will not allow limited federal tax dollars, which were intended to provide a lifeline to small businesses as they struggled to stay afloat during the economically devastating pandemic lockdown, to be swindled by those who were employed in a position of trust and cast aside their duty to uphold and abide by the law.  Our work is not done.  This investigation is ongoing.” 

“This investigation sends a message to individuals who knowingly and illicitly capitalized on the COVID-19 national emergency to enrich themselves through the CARES Act at the expense of struggling businesses and their employees,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “While these programs have ended, our commitment to seeking out those who defrauded them has not.”

“Today’s announcement demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who exploit and defraud financial institutions and the government’s pandemic response for personal gain, no matter who they are,” said Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “I want to commend and thank our agents, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts and their dedication to the pursuit of justice.”

“Department prosecutors around the country, including the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces, will pursue these SBA pandemic fraud cases for the full 10 years of the extended statute of limitations,” said Department of Justice Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Michael C. Galdo.  “Our partners are closely examining the pandemic data to identify fraud, including fraud by those holding a position of public trust. I would remind anyone who committed fraud, that in order to receive the full benefit from the Department’s policy on self-disclosure, you must disclose before law enforcement knocks on your door.”

“Today’s announcement regarding federal charges against more than a dozen Broward Sheriff’s Office employees is the culmination of a BSO-initiated Office of Inspector General investigation. The investigation began in November 2021, after the BSO Office of Inspector General became aware of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud as an emerging trend within public service agencies. Shortly thereafter, the BSO Public Corruption Unit received a tip from a BSO employee that several employees may have committed PPP fraud. After being notified that BSO personnel may have participated in fraudulent schemes to defraud the federal government, I ordered an agency-wide investigation of all 5,600 employees – from top to bottom. BSO Public Corruption Unit detectives determined more than 100 employees had submitted applications for the PPP loans. Only the employees who did not obtain the loans legally were subject to criminal investigation.  To ensure a thorough and objective investigation was conducted, BSO sought out and partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For five years, I’ve maintained an organization committed to transparency and accountability. I will continue to expect integrity and commitment to excellence from every BSO employee,” Sheriff Gregory Tony said.

The following cases were announced today:

U.S. v. Stephanie Diane Smith, Case No. 23-mj-6477-PMH

On Oct. 11, Stephanie Diane Smith, 53, of Florida, was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud.

According to the complaint affidavit, Smith applied for and received two PPP loans on behalf of herself as a sole proprietor doing business as Children 1st Basketball Training and Agape Smith Vending, respectively, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax form submitted with her applications.  The complaint further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Smith sought forgiveness of the PPP loans she received.  According to the complaint, Smith has been employed by BSO since approximately 1996 and held the title of Deputy Sheriff in BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Katrina Brown, Case No. 23-cr-60169-Altman

On Sept. 14, Katrina Brown, 46, of Florida, was charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Brown applied for and received two PPP loans on behalf of herself as a sole proprietor, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with her applications. In addition, Brown submitted an application to the SBA for an EIDL that contained materially false information, including, among other things, the borrower’s gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and number of employees.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Alexandra Acosta, Case No. 23-cr-60170-Scola

On Sept. 14, Alexandra Acosta, 37, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Acosta applied for and received a PPP loan on behalf of herself as a sole proprietor, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with her application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. La’Keitha Victoria Lawhorn, Case No. 23-cr-60171-Bloom

On Sept. 14, La’Keitha Victoria Lawhorn, 41, of Florida, was charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud.   

According to the indictment, Lawhorn applied for and received three PPP loans on behalf of herself and her company, Home Empire Enterprises, LLC, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s average monthly payroll and annual gross receipts, as well as falsified IRS tax forms submitted with her applications.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Lawhorn sought forgiveness of the fraudulent PPP loans she received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Jewell Farrell Johnson, Case No. 23-cr-60172-Martinez 

On Sept. 14, Jewell Farrell Johnson, 46, of Florida, was charged by indictment with two counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Johnson applied for and received two PPP loans, one on behalf of herself as a sole proprietor and one on behalf of LRJ Enterprises of South Florida, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s average monthly payroll, as well as falsified IRS tax forms submitted with her applications.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Johnson sought forgiveness of the fraudulent PPP loans she received.  Additionally, Johnson allegedly applied for a loan through the EIDL program for her company, G.I.G Productions LLC, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s annual gross revenue in 2019. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Carolyn Denise Wade, Case No. 23-cr-60173-Williams

On Sept. 14, Carolyn Denise Wade, 48, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Wade applied for and received a PPP loan on behalf of herself as a sole proprietor based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with her application.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Wade sought forgiveness of the PPP loan she received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Rorie Brown, Case No. 23-cr-60174-Williams

On Sept. 14, Rorie Brown, 42, of Florida, was charged by indictment with two counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Brown applied for and received one PPP loan on behalf of himself as the sole proprietor, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2020, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application. In addition, Brown submitted an application to the SBA for an EIDL that contained materially false information, including, among other things, the borrower’s gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and number of employees. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Alexis Monique Greene, Case No. 23-cr-60182-Dimitrouleas

On Sept. 28, Alexis Monique Greene, 47, of Florida, was charged by indictment with two counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Greene applied for and received two PPP loans based upon materially false information about the borrower’s gross income and purpose for the loan, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with her applications.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Greene sought forgiveness of the PPP loans she received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Ritchie Noah Dubuisson, Case No. 23-cr-60183-Martinez

On Sept. 28, Ritchie Noah Dubuisson, 25, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Dubuisson applied for and received a PPP loan based upon materially false information about the borrower’s gross income and purpose for the loan, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Dubuisson sought forgiveness of the PPP loan he received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Keshondra Tameisha Davis, Case No. 23-cr-60184-Altman

On Sept. 28, Keshondra Tameisha Davis, 37, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Davis applied for and received a PPP loan based upon materially false information about the borrower’s gross income for the year 2019 and purpose for the loan, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with her application.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Davis sought forgiveness of the PPP loans she received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Allen Dorvil, Case No. 23-cr-60185-Moore

On Sept. 28, Allen Dorvil, 33, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Dorvil applied for and received a PPP loan based upon materially false information about the borrower’s gross income and purpose for the loan, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.  The indictment further alleges that, as part of the fraud scheme, Dorvil sought forgiveness of the PPP loan he received.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Jean Pierre-Toussant, Case No. 23-cr-60189-Moore

On Oct. 5, Jean Pierre-Toussant, 35, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Pierre-Toussant applied for and received one PPP loan on behalf of himself as a sole proprietor based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kleo is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Ancy Morancy, Case No. 23-cr-60191-Bloom

On Oct. 5, Ancy Morancy, 33, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Morancy applied for and received one PPP loan on behalf of himself as the sole proprietor of Moore Services Investment Group, LLC, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Marcus Errol Powell, Case No. 23-cr-60192-Gayles

On Oct. 5, Marcus Errol Powell, 37, of Florida, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Powell applied for and received one PPP loan on behalf of himself as the sole proprietor of Bonvivant Industries, LLC, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2020, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Derrick J. Nesbitt, Case No. 23-cr-60193-Huck

On Oct. 5, Derrick J. Nesbitt, 46, of Florida, was charged by indictment with two counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Nesbitt applied for and received two PPP loans on behalf of himself as the sole proprietor of Designer Life, LLC, based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. Keith Dunkley, Case No. 23-cr-60197-Smith

On Oct. 6, Keith Dunkley, 46, of Florida, was charged by information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the information, Dunkley conspired to cause the submission of false and fraudulent applications and received funds for one PPP loan and one EIDL on behalf of himself as a sole proprietor and for Global Group Alliances, LLC, which applications included materially false information about, among other things, the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

U.S. v. George Anthony III, Case No. 23-cr-80168-Cannon

On Sept. 14, George Anthony III, 50, of Florida, was charged by indictment with two counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Anthony applied for and received one PPP loan on behalf of himself as a sole proprietor based upon materially false information about the borrower’s total gross business income for the year 2019, as well as a falsified IRS tax form submitted with his application. In addition, Anthony unsuccessfully applied for a second PPP loan using the same false information. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Daren Grove is handling asset 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, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement.

FBI Miami, FRB-OIG, and BSO investigated these cases.

The maximum sentence for a wire fraud conviction is 20 years in prison. The maximum sentence for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction, as charged, is 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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 the case numbers referenced above.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 4, a man pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after discharging a firearm in the Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area in Martin County, Florida.

Dominic Elvir, 26, of Delray Beach, discharged a Glock, model 19, 9mm pistol into the air in the Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area. Law enforcement agents located a video of Elvir on a social media platform discharging the firearm. In 2019, Elvir was previously convicted of burglary and grand theft.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 21, before United States District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Elvir faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

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 Office; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.

ATF Fort Pierce Field Office and HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting 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 22-cr-14058.

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MIAMI – A federal judge in Miami has sentenced Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, to 151 months in prison, for conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug, and for contempt of court. Mark Grenon, 66, and Joseph Grenon, 36, were sentenced to 60 months in prison, the statutory maximum sentence for conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug. All four defendants were found guilty by a federal jury following a trial this summer.

The Grenons, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution (“MMS”). MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper. The Grenons claimed that ingesting MMS could treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19. The FDA, however, had not approved MMS for treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use. Rather, in prior official warning statements, the FDA had strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. See https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products. In fact, FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS.

Before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and leukemia, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use. The Grenons sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (“Genesis”), an entity they created to avoid government regulation of MMS and shield themselves from prosecution. Genesis’ own websites describe Genesis as a “non-religious church,” and defendant Mark Grenon, the co-founder of Genesis, has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis “has nothing to do with religion,” and that he founded Genesis to “legalize the use of MMS” and avoid “going [ ] to jail.” The Genesis websites further stated that MMS could be acquired only through a “donation” to Genesis, but the donation amounts for MMS orders were set at specific dollar amounts, and were mandatory, such that the donation amounts were effectively just sales prices. The Grenons received more than $1 million from selling MMS.

The federal jury also found defendants Jonathan and Jordan Grenon guilty of criminal contempt of court. The United States previously filed a civil case against the defendants and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. See United States v. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, et al., Case No. 20-21601-CV-WILLIAMS. In that civil case, the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS. The Grenons willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS. The Grenons also threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case, and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco.”

During trial in July 2023, the jury saw photos and video of a dirty rundown shed in Jonathan Grenon’s backyard in Bradenton, Florida, where the defendants were manufacturing their MMS.  These photos showed dozens of blue chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and other items used in the manufacture and distribution of MMS.  The blue chemical drums of sodium chlorite powder—the primary active ingredient in MMS—had warning labels advising the product was toxic, flammable, and highly dangerous to consume.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Assistant Commissioner Justin D. Green of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.

FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and John Shipley prosecuted the case.  

Lapointe commends and thanks the government of Colombia for its assistance. Lapointe also extends his gratitude to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogota, Colombia for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mark Grenon and Joseph Grenon to the United States. 

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-20242.

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MIAMI – On Oct. 4, a registered sex offender was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography material.

Jerry K. Seal, 60, of Boca Raton, Florida, agreed with a person in the Philippines, through an online networking platform, to send the person money in exchange for a video of a prepubescent child being exposed in a sexual manner. Seal aka Dirty Rook, who is a registered sex offender with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), received a probationary period in Broward County, Florida, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in 2015.

In February 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) conducted a sex offender operation targeting sex offenders in Palm Beach County, Florida. During the operation, an arrest warrant was executed for Seal at his Boca Raton residence for violating his sex offender registration requirements. Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) officers then located a hidden tablet device in Seal’s residence containing a copy of the child's video. In addition, Seal’s online payment provider reported suspicious payment activity to the Philippines connected to Seal's email address.

As part of his sentence, Seal is now also required to register as a federal sex offender.

“The protection of children around the globe is among our nation’s highest obligations. Within our district, the prosecution of those who repeatedly sexually offend children is of the utmost priority,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The sentence announced today reflects the gravity of child pornography offenses. We implore the public to report all suspected child abuse and exploitation to law enforcement, so that we may protect our children from threats from near and afar.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community through enforcement actions in conjunction with our state and local partners,” said U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the USMS. “The U.S. Marshals Service would also like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and our State and local partners for the successful prosecution of this case.”

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the USMS announced the sentence.

USMS, West Palm Beach investigated the case with assistance from PBSO, Sexual Predator Offender Trafficking (SPOT) Unit, and the PBSO, Internet Crimes Against Child (ICAC), and Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), Internet Crimes Against Child (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.

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.

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-80095.

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MIAMI – A Palm Beach Gardens attorney pleaded guilty in federal district court to possessing child pornography.

As part of his guilty plea, Michael Thomas Dolce, 54, admitted to downloading child pornography to his personal laptop at his West Palm Beach apartment. According to court records, Dolce used peer-2-peer software to search for and download the illegal material, including prepubescent children. Nearly 2,000 images and videos were recovered from Dolce’s laptop. Forensic evidence confirmed that Dolce was in the process of downloading child pornography files just before law enforcement seized his laptop during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. Dolce faces up to 20 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and payment of restitution to his victims.

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.

The West Palm Beach Resident Agency of the FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it.

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.

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.

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A federal jury in Miami convicted a Florida man and woman today for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare by billing over $93 million for home health therapy services that were never rendered.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Karel Felipe, 42, of Miami Shores, and Tamara Quicutis, 54, of Hialeah, conspired with others to submit false bills to Medicare for three home health companies located in Michigan. Their co-conspirators recruited individuals from Cuba to sign Medicare enrollment documents and appear as the owners of the home health agencies to conceal the identities of Felipe, Quicutis, and others involved in the scheme. Felipe, Quicutis, and their co-conspirators used these home health companies to submit claims for services that were not rendered using lists of stolen patient identities. Felipe, Quicutis, and their co-conspirators used hundreds of shell companies and bank accounts to launder the Medicare fraud proceeds and convert the proceeds into cash at Miami-area ATMs and check cashing stores.  

After the trial commenced, a third defendant, Jesus Trujillo, 52, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. Trujillo oversaw a group of people that recruited nominee owners for home health agencies and shell companies and converted Medicare fraud proceeds into cash.

The jury convicted Felipe and Quicutis of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each conspiracy charge. Trujillo is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri 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 Omar Pérez Aybar 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 Attorneys Jamie de Boer, D. Keith Clouser, and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken 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, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 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.