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
U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced five Bradenton residents to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute the drug. Clemente Betancourt (29) received a sentence of 15 years and 8 months, while Estevan Betancourt (20), Adonis Bonilla (29),Continue Reading
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced 22-year-old Leonardo Marino of Orlando to 22 years in federal prison for producing child sex abuse images. The court also ordered Marino to forfeit his smart phone that was seized on the date of his arrest. Marino entered a guilty plea on April 2, 2024. AccordingContinue Reading
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has returned a superseding indictment charging nine individuals involved in a large-scale operation to launder U.S. currency into cryptocurrency on behalf of drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia. The defendants are also charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.Continue Reading
Two Florida men, Jasen Harvey of Tampa and Christopher Johnson of Orlando, have been sentenced for their roles in a tax fraud scheme known as the “Note Program.” Harvey received a 48-month prison sentence, while Johnson was sentenced to 37 months, both for conspiring to defraud the United States. BetweenContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 46-year-old Timothy Burch Morris of Boynton Beach has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material over the internet. Morris faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release.Continue Reading
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Alice Marie Pence, 68, of Port Charlotte, Florida, to 10 months in federal prison for threatening a United States district judge in the Northern District of Texas. Pence pleaded guilty on June 28, 2024, to the charge of influencing a federal officialContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 19 Polk County residents with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. If convicted, each individual could face a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also states the United States plansContinue Reading