U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced four Florida residents for their involvement in a $54.3 million health care fraud scheme that exploited Medicare through unnecessary prescriptions and kickbacks. From 2018 to 2021, the defendants conspired to defraud Medicare by paying kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providersContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced 28-year-old Jason Alan Wacker of Pasco County, Florida, to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Wacker to forfeit two cellphones, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Wacker entered a guilty plea on August 12, 2024.Continue Reading
Javier Alejandro Anaya-Leal, 31, of Ruskin, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to eight years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 500 grams of cocaine, as well as possession of controlled substances with intent toContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Andre Adams, Jr., 43, of Bradenton, to 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Adams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime,Continue Reading
Jarod Hawks, 43, of Port Orange, and John Padgett, 40, of Edgewater, were arrested today on multiple felony charges, including assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, for their alleged actions during the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. Their alleged conduct disrupted a joint sessionContinue Reading
Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, a dentist from Tampa, pleaded guilty today to sending more than 100 violent threats to public figures, including an election official, between 2019 and 2024. According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Kantwill used platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, email, and text messagesContinue Reading
Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. Alongside his prison term, Li was fined $250,000 and will serve three years of supervisedContinue Reading
Celestine “Skip” Aniekwu, 65, of Sunrise, Florida, was sentenced on Thursday, November 21, 2024, to 16 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Aniekwu, who had been a fugitive for 15 years before surrendering earlier this year, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge RodneyContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 61-year-old Pooran Ramjattan of Kissimmee, FL, has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ramjattan faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to court documents,Continue Reading
Kendra Evone Johnson, 37, of Lutz, has been indicted on charges of international parental kidnapping and passport fraud. If convicted, Johnson faces up to 13 years in federal prison. The indictment alleges that in June 2023, Johnson submitted fraudulent passport applications for her two minor children, falsely claiming she hadContinue Reading