Tag: March 2015
Publix Bomber: Hallandale Man Charged with Extortion
HALLANDALE, FL – Brian Henderson, 49, of Hallandale, is facing a mountain of federal charges after allegedly attempting to shake down Publix Super Markets, Inc. with a campaign of terror that escalated to a real explosion. Federal prosecutors unsealed an eleven-count indictment today detailing a brazen extortion scheme involving threats to damage Publix stores using…
Smith Gets 17 Years for Treasure Coast Bank Robberies
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Herbert Lenorris Smith, Jr., 37, of West Palm Beach, will spend the next 17 years behind bars after being sentenced May 20, 2014, for his role in a brazen series of armed bank robberies that terrorized Florida’s Treasure Coast. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez handed down the hefty sentence…
Miami Man Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Fraud Scam
MIAMI – Josue Pierre, 30, a Miami resident, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for orchestrating a brazen identity theft tax fraud scheme. Pierre’s scheme began in early 2013 when he utilized his brother’s IRS electronic filing identification number (EFlN) to obtain pre-paid debit cards. With this EFIN, Pierre filed false tax returns…
Three Sentenced in FL Identity Theft Scam
GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE – In a stunning turn of events, the final three defendants in a sprawling identity theft ring have been sentenced for their roles in one of the largest such schemes in Florida history. Kawana Brown, 35, Elton Baker, 29, and Eltonya Wiley, 40, were all handed down prison terms following guilty pleas…
Jamaican Lottery Scammer Barrett Extradited to Florida
OPA-LOCKA, FL – Damion Bryan Barrett, 28, arrived in Opa-locka, Florida today, the first Jamaican citizen ever extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to a predatory international lottery scheme. Barrett is accused of systematically defrauding elderly Americans out of thousands of dollars with the false promise of lottery winnings. A 38-count indictment in…
Caty Gets 8½ Years for Tax Fraud Scheme
TAMARAC, FL – Nick Caty, 44, is headed to federal prison for 8½ years after pleading guilty to a brazen identity theft and tax refund fraud scheme that bilked the IRS out of nearly a million dollars. Caty was sentenced to 102 months, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $876,215.00…
Broward Residents Guilty of Tax Fraud
Three Broward residents have pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns for their clients, according to an announcement made by Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Steven Tidas, of Tamarac, Sylvanie Junior Pierre, of Lauderdale…
Miami Medicare Scam Nets Ten, $12.5M Stolen
MIAMI, FL – Ten individuals are facing federal charges after a brazen $12.5 million Medicare fraud scheme was exposed in South Florida. The indictment, unsealed today, details a network of patient recruiters and company owners who allegedly bilked the system by offering kickbacks for fake home health care services. U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer, alongside…
Florida Dealer Pleads Guilty to Coral Trafficking
KEY WEST, FL – Curtis W. Waters, 53, of Weeki Wachee, Florida, has confessed to illegally plundering South Florida’s reefs, entering a guilty plea today in U.S. District Court for trafficking in protected marine life. The case, a grim example of environmental exploitation for profit, centers around the illegal sale of approximately 150 specimens of…
Miami Seafood Firm ‘True Nature’ Hooks $1M Fine in Labeling Scam
MIAMI, FL – A Miami-based seafood wholesaler, True Nature Seafood, LLC (TNS), is reeling after being slapped with a hefty $1 million penalty and five years of probation for a brazen scheme to mislabel imported fish. The company pleaded guilty to federal charges related to violations of the Lacey Act, a law designed to combat…
