Month: July 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

被告与外国捐赠者一起参加了 2017 年竞选筹资活动并与时任美国总统合影

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Christopher Froehlich (40, Wauchula) on a criminal complaint charging him with production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Froehlich faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison for production of child pornography, a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison for distribution of child pornography, and a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, and a potential life term of supervised release on all counts. Froehlich made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda A. Sansone on Friday and was ordered detained pending trial. 

According to the complaint, in December 2017, Froehlich posed as a 15-year-old boy and connected with the 15-year-old victim via Live.Me, a live-streaming video service. Froehlich convinced the child victim that they were in a relationship and coerced the child to produce sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich. When the child tried to stop producing sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich, Froehlich threatened to post the videos and photos to social media for the child’s family and friends to see.

In June 2020, the child attempted to stop communication with Froehlich, at which point Froehlich posted the child’s nude photos to social media. Froehlich continued to contact the child until June 2022 by using various phone numbers and different usernames on social media platforms.

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

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Wauchula Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Rolanda Wingfield (39, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also ordered Wingfield to pay $135,576 in restitution to the various state workforce agencies she defrauded. Wingfield had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.

According to court documents, from approximately May through September 2020, Wingfield obtained the personal identifying information of others and used that information to submit, or cause the submission of, false and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to various state workforce agencies in order to obtain UI benefits to which she was not entitled. These UI benefits were then transferred to bank accounts or loaded onto debit cards issued in the names of others. Wingfield then used, or attempted to use, the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money using ATMs. The U.S. Department of Labor determined that Wingfield obtained $135,576.

In March 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who were not ordinarily eligible for benefits.

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

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Randy Xavier Jones (34, Sarasota) to five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit proceeds traceable to the offense, including 12 fraudulently obtained prepaid debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits to which Jones was not entitled.  Jones had pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022.

According to court documents, from July 2020 through at least September 2020, Jones knowingly engaged in a scheme to defraud several federal and state programs by obtaining COVID-19 related benefits—both loan proceeds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program and unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits from state workforce agencies—to which he was not entitled. Specifically, Jones obtained an EIDL loan in the amount of $50,000 in the name of a non-existent entity. In addition, in response to numerous fraudulent applications filed in multiple states, Jones obtained UI benefits, loaded on to prepaid debit cards, from state workforce agencies in Arizona, California, and Nevada, among others. In order to retrieve the proceeds of the scheme, Jones, a resident of Sarasota, flew to California and, over a period of several weeks, withdrew cash from the prepaid debit cards that were funded as a result of the fraudulent applications. Through both schemes, Jones and others obtained nearly a half million dollars.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relied to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today the launching of Think Again, an informational campaign aimed at educating the public on how to prevent illegal firearms from getting into the wrong hands.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) in this initiative, as part of a joint effort to reduce gun-induced violence and to increase reporting of illegal firearms activity.

“The fight against gun violence requires the coordination of law enforcement agencies. More importantly, our success relies on the help of the community. With this campaign, we invite the public to be a part of the solution to gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Our message is simple. We ask everyone to Think Again, before you agree to be a straw gun purchaser for a person who is not permitted to own a firearm. To Think Again, before you make a decision that could lead to an illegal firearm ending up in our streets. And to Think Again, before you ignore illegal gun activity. Instead, report it to the authorities. Let’s work together and let’s be the cure to the gun violence epidemic.”

“Each and every person plays a critical role in protecting their neighborhoods and preventing crime, and when we make the right decision and push back against those involved in committing crimes, we help make a much safer community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Before you break the law, before you help put a firearm in the hands of a dangerous individual, or before you make a choice that could put yourself or those around you in danger, we want you to Think Again and consider the consequences.”

The Think Again campaign combines a multi-media dissemination of information, to include 30-second radio spots, Public Service Announcements, promoted social media messaging, and billboard advertisements designed to increase awareness about gun crimes and underscore the dangers of illegal firearms purchasing or misuse. The information will also be shared with certain school districts within Western North Carolina in an effort to engage in outreach with students, guardians, teachers, and school administrators. Furthermore, information on how to spot illegal gun purchases and other important information related to straw purchasing of firearms will be disseminated to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in Western North Carolina via ATF’s notification system.

An important component of the campaign is the anonymous reporting of gun-related criminal activity. The campaign enourages the public to get involved by reporting illegal firearms to the ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), via text at 63975, or online at WWW.ATF.GOV/ATF-TIPS.

For additional information about our Think Again initiative, please visit our website. You can view our Think Again Public Service Announcements here.