Florida Federal Tort Claims Law
<h2> <center> United States of America v. Michael Ray Pennington </h2> </center>
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Reported by <a href="https://www.morelaw.com/vendors/vendor.asp?f=Kent&l=Morlan&i=28729&z=74119&s=OK" target="_new">Kent Morlan</a> In November 2025, federal and local law enforcement conducted an undercover operation to identify and appr... More...
$ (08-06-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Scott Robinson </h2> </center>
Pensacola, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represents the defendant charged with drug alteration. Reported by <a href="https://www.morelaw.com/vendors/vendor.asp?f=Kent&l=Morlan&i=28729&z=74119&s=OK" target="_new">Kent Morlan</a> Scott Robinson, 51, of Pace, Florida, via his website, advertised and sold the animal drug toltrazuril to customers across the United States. Under the Federal Foo... More...
$ (06-22-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Gina Mr. and Diego Ramirez-Aldana </h2> </center>
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendant charged with robbery. Reported by <a href="https://www.morelaw.com/vendors/vendor.asp?f=Kent&l=Morlan&i=28729&z=74119&s=OK" target="_new">Kent Morlan</a> Gina Parra-Martinez (age 39) and Diego Ramirez-Aldana (age 29) and others robbed a jewelry vendor who was visiting Tampa to sell her jewelry at an exhibition at a hotel near... More...
$ (06-22-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Lauren Hornbuckle </h2> </center>
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with attempt to tamper with consumer products. Reported by: <a href="https://www.morelaw.com/vendors/vendor.asp?f=Kent&l=Morlan&i=28729&z=74119&s=OK" target="_new">Kent Morlan</a> Lauren Hornbuckle, ate 37, of Seminole, Fllorida, was a Florida-licensed registered nurse who worked at Hospital #1. Between November 2023 a... More...
$ (06-11-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Kenia Marrero and Joan Navarro Bruguet </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants engaged in a conspiracy to obtain and sell Medicare beneficiary identifier numbers (BINs) of thousands of patients for use in Medicare fraud schemes. Reported by: <a href="https://www.morelaw.com/vendors/vendor.asp?f=Kent&l=Morlan&i=28729&z=74119&s=OK" target="_new">Kent Morlan</a> Kenia Marrero, 46, of Miami, paid Joan Navarro... More...
$ (06-12-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Peter Daniel Ring </h2> </center>
Gainesville, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with sending multiple threatening interstate communications to kill or cause physical injuries. By Kent Morlan In June 2025 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received a complaint that a threat to kill a reporter had been received. The Peter Daniel Ring, 31, of Bell, Florida, was identified as the source ... More...
$ (05-11-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Rebecca Stewart Vaughn
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. By Kent Morlan Rebecca Stewart Vaughn, age 64, Tampa, Florida, engaged in a fraud scheme to obtain Social Security benefits and City of New York pension benefits that did not belong to her. The benefits were being paid to Vaughn’s aunt, J.C. ... More...
$ (05-11-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Roody Metelus </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with preparing and submitting false tax forms to support more than 200 fraudulent loan applications under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). By Kent Morlan Roody Metelus, 47, of Westlake, owned and operated JRS Tax Services, LLC, in Dania Beach. From app... More...
$ (05-11-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Joel Rufus French </h2> </center>
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States Government, mail fraud, and money laundering. By Kent Morlan Joel Rufus French, age 47 of Armory, Mississippi, engaged in a conspiracy to defraud of the United States. French worked with overseas telemarketing call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide thei... More...
$ (05-09-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Colleen Kieran </h2> </center>
Orlando, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud. Colleen Kieran, age 57, of Clermont, Florida, oversaw the accounting department of a business based in Seminole County. Over the course of nearly 13 years, Kieran used her position to siphon more than $3.9 million from the company’s accounts into her own personal PayPal account. After taking the money... More...
$ (04-30-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Boise Cascade </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendant charged with Lacey Act Trafficking. The Boise Cascade Company (Boise Cascade) was accused of felony violation of the Lacey Act for its role in a timber trafficking scheme to evade countervailing and anti-dumping duties. “Boise Cascade either knew about or was willfully blind to the illegal importation of the plywood they w... More...
$ (04-30-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Mario G. Davis </h2> </center>
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Marlo G. Davis, 47, of Havana, Florida, appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick i... More...
$ (04-21-2026 - FL)<h2> <central> United States of America v. Joseph Elegele, Jr. </h2> </central>
Orlando, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Between August 2017 and June 2023, Joseph Elegele, Jr. (41, Orlando) was part of a fraud scheme that laundered funds that had been fraudulently obtained from various businesses throughout the United States and in the Bahamas. Elegele’s role in the scheme was to establish bu... More...
$ (04-20-2026 - FL)<H2> <center> United States of America v. Howard Neil Martin </h2> </center>
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with possession and distribution of drugs and possession of a machine gun. The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report about a burglary in progress. When they arrived, Howard Neil Martin, 46, of Sopchoppy, Florida, was parked in the driveway of the residence and in a verbal dispute with som... More...
$ (04-01-2026 - fl)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Ronald St. Clair </h2> </center>
Fort Myers, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with attempted tax evasion. Ronald St. Clair attempted to hide his assets from the IRS after accumulating tax debts for 2011 through 2017. In 2020, after the IRS notified St. Clair that it intended to levy his assets to collect his unpaid taxes, St. Clair sold real property he owned and transferred the proceeds into ... More...
$ (04-10-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Jasen Butler </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering. Jasen Bulter, age 38, of Jupiter, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between A... More...
$ (04-10-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Jean Joseph and Janalies Camille Bingham </H2> </center>
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendants charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jean Joseph, also known as “Jon,” 55, of Boca Raton, and Camille Bingham, also known as Janalie Camille Joseph, 44, also of Boca Raton were accused of orchestrating a years-long real estate investment fraud scheme that raised more than $50 million from inves... More...
$ (04-01-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> State of Florida v. Briana McCarthy, Brianna Hannan, Carlotta Hawkins, Kearla Walerk Whitney Branch, and Kavon Reese </h2> </center>
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants chargd with fraud. Six individuals charged with defrauding the Florida. The individuals were accused of orchestrating a scheme to process property damage claims through the Florida Division of Risk Management, allegedly defrauding the state of $1.7 million. The Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigati... More...
$ (03-31-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Irazmar Carbajal De Jesus </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with agreeing to use an unlicensed money services business to circumvent U.S. sanctions relating to Venezuela by transferring approximately $100,000 from the Dominican Republic. Irazmar Carbajal De Jesus, 60, agreed to transfer approximately $99,500 delivered in cash in the Dominican Republic to a specified bank account ... More...
$ (03-27-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Christopher Harwood </n2> <center>
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Christopher Harwood, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, admitted that he owned and operated a telemedicine company called TelevisitMD. Harwood and his co-conspirators targeted Medicare patients through aggressive telemarketing campaigns, inducing them to ... More...
$ (03-27-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Michael Deon Woulard </h2> </center>
Jacksonville, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with interference with commerce by threat or violence, possession of machine gun during a drug transaction. Michael Deon Woulard (49, Gainesville) robbed a pawn shop in Jacksonville, stealing goods valued at approximately $45,945. On November 25, 2023, Woulard robbed a jewelry store in Jacksonville, during which h... More...
$ (03-21-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Victor Waldeck Oliveira Iglesias </h2> <center>
Miami, Florida criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to distribute firearms outside the United States and smuggling. Victor Waldeck Oliveira Iglesias, 31, conspired with co-defendant Alvaro Teixeira, 50, to smuggle eight sets of HK firearm parts to Brazil. The co-defendants planned to conceal the illegal gun parts inside shipments that were otherwise legally ... More...
$ (03-20-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Tomás Niembro Concha </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Powers Act and Wire Fraud. Tomás Niembro Concha, 64, of Miami, Florida, conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus Bank, ultimately leading to the bank’s failure in 2023. Niembro and his co-conspirators concealed from other Nodus Bank board members and execut... More...
$ (03-21-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with defrauding COVID-19 relief programs of millions of dollars and concealing his criminal conduct during the naturalization process. Between April 2020 and May 2021, Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds through companies he owned or controlled and by p... More...
$ (03-19-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Desire Doreen Segari </h2> </center>
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with making an interstate threat to injury someone. On August 17, 2025, Desiree Doreen Segari, age 41, of Sarasota, posted a video on TikTok calling for MAGA supporters to be shot on sight. Segari stated, “so if we all get our guns and use our second amendment right…and you see somebody with a MAGA hat, ‘pew pew’... More...
$ (03-11-2026 - FL)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Willan Pupo, Joel Castillo, William Castillo, Miriam Pupo, and Jessica Forpomes </h2> </center>
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Willan Pupo, 38, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison; Joel Castillo, 39, to 58 months; William Castillo, 42, was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison; Miriam Pupo, 36, to 37 months; and Jessica Forpomes, 40, to 36 months. Each defendant previously pleaded guilty to... More...
$ (03-11-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Mario Mercier Hernandez
Tamps, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with interstate transportation of stolen property. Beginning around 2019, Mario Mercier Hernandez (61, New Port Richey) embarked on a string of thefts of avionics equipment from more than forty airports across the United States, including airports in Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey, Maryland, and South Carolina. Mercier, ... More...
$ (02-27-2026 - FL)Thomas O'Neal v. Ameircan Shaman Franchise System, Inc., et al.
Tampa, Florida, employment law lawyer represented the Plaintiff on a Fair Labor Standards Act violation theory. We have held that a settlement agreement bars litigation of wage-and-hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act only if the settlement was approved by a court or the Department of La- bor. See Lynn’s Food Stores, Inc. v. United States, 679 F.2d 1350, 1352– 53 (11th Cir. 19... More...
$ (02-11-2026 - FL)Jafet Castro-Reyes v. City of Opa-Locka, et al.
Miami, Florida, crivil rights lawyers represented the Plaintiff on excessive for claims under 42 U.S.C. 1983. Plaintiff-Appellee Jafet Castro-Reyes experienced an episode of erratic behavior at his apartment in Opa-Locka, Florida. During that episode, Castro-Reyes’s friend and family members became so concerned with his behavior that they tied Castro-Reyes up at his hands and feet using e... More...
$ (02-10-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Tabias K. Bryant
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.... More...
$ (02-10-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Celso Navarro Diaz
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiring to traffic more than five kilograms of cocaine on vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and conspiring to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Celso Navarro Diaz was the head of an organization in Colombia that transported cocaine and marijuana from the Pac... More...
$ (02-10-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Morales-Ramirez
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with charged with forcibly assaulting a federal officer. On Aug. 13, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers attempted to execute an arrest warrant for Fredy Aureliano Morales-Ramirez, 39, residing in Lake Worth Beach,, who was illegally present in the U.S. Officers located Morales-Ramire... More...
$ (02-11-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Joel Rufus French
Tampa, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need. “This defendant’s conduct was egr... More...
$ (02-03-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Nhan Pham
Orlando, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with receipt in interstate commerce and proffered delivery of an adulterated device, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Between 2015 and 2019, Nhan Pham (55, Orlando) , a physician who performed cosmetic procedures, ordered silicone oil online and injected the silicone into his patients for glute... More...
$ (01-30-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Sherwood Avionics and Accessories, Inc.
Miami, Florida - Sherwood Avionics and Accessories, Inc. (Sherwood), headquartered in Opa-Locka, has agreed to pay $109,618 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to use contractually required and updated technical manuals when performing repairs on U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) C-130 aircraft landing gear. “The False Claims Act protects more than taxpayer dollars�... More...
$ (01-29-2026 - FL)United States of America v. Sean J. Alterman
Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks. Sean Alterman, 38, of Lake Worth, owned and operated two laboratories, Live Beyond Medical MGMT, LLC and Dynix Diagnostics LLC, through which he purchased doctors’ orders for expensive genetic testing from patient recruiter... More...
$ (01-20-2026 - FL)<H2> United States of America v. Jevan Antonio Miller
Tallahassee, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct after previously pleading guilty in federal court. Between April 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, detectives of the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office,... More...
$ (01-16-2026 - FL)<H2> United States of America v. Geoffrey Lee Dudding
Jacksonville, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. On January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make... More...
$ (01-16-2026 - FL)<H2> United States of America v. Jasen Butler,
West Palm Beach, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of War and other federal agencies out of over $4.5 million. Jason Butler, 37, of Jupiter, Florida, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire tra... More...
$ (01-16-2026 - FL)<H2> United States of America v. Chason Reed Peck
Ocala, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud and money laundering. On February 3, 2017, Chason Reed Peck (37, Palm City) applied for and received business financing from Deere & Company (“John Deere”). On February 16, 2020, Peck applied for a $300,000 total credit limit on his John Deere credit. Peck hand-wrote the financial application and gave... More...
$ (01-09-2026 - FL)