Federal district · prosecutions
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
40 pandemic-relief fraud prosecution records for the Middle District of Florida, naming 39 defendants. By program: 26 PPP, 6 EIDL, 7 unemployment insurance, 1 other or unclassified. 14 have a case page in the archive. An amount is stated for 38 of them, from $7,500 to $7,200,000. Source dates run from 2021-07-01 to 2026-09-14.
Cases
39 defendants from 40 rows · 14 with a case page · sorted by amount, largest first
| Defendant | Case page | Program | Charge | Amount | Disposition | Sentence | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don V. Cisternino | USA v. Cisternino — U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla., Orlando Division | PPP | wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal monetary transaction | $7,200,000 obtained (release: forfeiture order of $7.21 million, the total proceeds obtained) | sentenced | 102 months | 2023-01-12 |
| Willie F. Murray, Jr. | Broward County Man Sentenced To Prison For Filing Thousands Of Fraudulent COVID-19 Testing Reimbursement Claims, And Ordered To Forfeit Over $5.6 Million And Properties | HRSA | wire fraud and aggravated identity theft | $5,671,611.74 obtained | plea | 61 months | 2025-01-23 |
| Mehdi Tazi | Tampa Man Sentenced For Conspiracy To Commit COVID-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud And Identity Theft | UI | conspiracy to commit wire fraud; aggravated identity theft (conspiracy and substantive counts) | $3,500,000 loss alleged | plea | 60 months | 2024-05-22 |
| Steve Aloysius Moodie, Jr. | Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than Five Years For Conspiracy To Commit COVID-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud And Identity Theft | UI | conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft; wire fraud; aggravated identity theft | $3,500,000 attempted | plea | 70 months | 2023-03-03 |
| Timothy Craig Jolloff | Fort Myers Couple Sentenced To Federal Prison For $3.4 Million COVID Relief Fraud Scheme | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud, bank fraud | $3,400,000 obtained (release: forfeiture of $3.4 million "which was the proceeds of the offense"; restitution the same) | sentenced | 97 months | 2025-04-11 |
| Lester John Parker, Jr. | 2025 11 14 Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced To Ten Years In Federal Prison For His Role I 61300854 | PPP | conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft | $3,000,000 over $3 million in fraudulent PPP loan proceeds disbursed (release says "over") | plea | 121 months | 2025-11-14 |
| Daniel Joseph Tisone | USA v. Tisone — U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon | $2,617,447.17 restitution ordered (release) | sentenced | 87 months | 2023-02-24 |
| Verlynn Horne | Winter Garden Woman Sentenced to 30 Months for COVID Relief Fraud and Failure to File Tax Returns | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud; willful failure to file tax returns | $2,517,930 received (release: "As a result of her scheme, Horne received $2,517,930") | guilty plea | 30 months | 2026-09-14 |
| Casey David Crowther | United States v. Casey David Crowther — M.D. Fla., No. 2:20-cr-114-JES-MRM | PPP/Mortgage | bank fraud, false statement, money laundering | $2,100,000 obtained | trial | 37 months | 2021-07-01 |
| Daniel Ira Johnson | UI | shipping firearms to the United Kingdom, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft | $1,900,000 attempted (release: $1.9 million in attempted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, over $555,000 of which were paid) | sentenced | 90 months | 2023-04-20 | |
| Kenneth Steven Landers | Jacksonville Business Owner Sentenced To Federal Prison For COVID Relief Fraud — USAO Florida, Middle | PPP | wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction | $1,410,000 requesting a total of | guilty plea | 13 months | 2023-12-04 |
| Evan Graves | Lee County Man Sentenced To Prison For $1.35 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme | EIDL | wire fraud | $1,355,600 EIDL loans fraudulently obtained | guilty plea | 18 months | 2024-06-10 |
| Johnson W. Eustache | Palm Bay Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For COVID Relief Fraud And Tax Fraud | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns | $1,343,029.50 proceeds received | plea | 60 months | 2022-01-18 |
| Levelle Joseph Harris | PPP PPP/EIDL | wire fraud Wire fraud (mortgage scheme to evade COVID forfeiture) | $1,283,029.81 proceeds received $640,911.85 mortgage proceeds fraudulently obtained to pay criminal forfeiture | plea guilty plea | 27 months 21 months | 2026-06-01 2023-01-23 | |
| Al Clint LaRoche | United States v. Al Clint Laroche — M.D. Fla., Fort Myers Division, No. 2:23-cr-00013-TPB-NPM | PPP | bank fraud | $1,078,652.50 proceeds of the bank fraud | guilty plea | 24 months | 2023-05-12 |
| Kary Stevenson | Tampa Men Sentenced For Fraud And Identity Theft In COVID Benefits Conspiracy | UI | conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft | $1,000,000 attempted | plea | 70 months | 2021-12-13 |
| Amber Rewis Bruey | USA v. Bruey et al — U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida | PPP, EIDL | conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, illegal monetary transactions | $881,058.35 obtained (release: lenders and the SBA issued a total of $881,058.35 in PPP and EIDL funds) | plea | 48 months | 2022-07-14 |
| Brian A. Blake | EIDL, UI | access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by convicted felon | $832,274 amount sought | plea | 116 months | 2023-08-21 | |
| Louis Thornton III | 2022 01 18 St Petersburg Man Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Prison For Covid 2e0b85ef | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud | $814,632.50 obtained | plea | 42 months | 2022-01-18 |
| Emmet Bowens | United States v. Bowens — U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla., Orlando Division | PPP | wire fraud and money laundering | $739,582 obtained | plea | 63 months | 2026-05-11 |
| Tomas Ziupsnys | COVID Relief Fraudsters Sentenced To Prison | PPP | conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft | $632,000 obtained (release: forfeit $632,000 "which they had obtained"; three loans of about $897,000 funded, $265,300 frozen) | plea | 60 months | 2022-05-18 |
| Dexter Ray King | DOJ Usao Mdfl Press Release Orlando Man Sentenced Over Six Years Bank Fraud And Aggravate 2026 04 15 | UI | bank fraud and aggravated identity theft | $549,375.50 largest figure in the release | sentenced | 75 months | 2026-04-15 |
| Edrica Leann Watson | United States v. Edrica Leann Watson — M.D. Fla., Fort Myers Division | PPP | making a false statement to a financial institution | $434,227.50 amount defrauded | guilty plea | 15 months | 2022-08-18 |
| Jeanty Cherilus | Lakeland Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For $370,000 COVID Relief Fraud Scheme | PPP/EIDL | wire fraud | $370,000 PPP and EIDL funds fraudulently obtained | guilty plea | 18 months | 2025-05-02 |
| Denis Casseus | USA v. Casseus — U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla., Fort Myers Division | PPP | bank fraud and an illegal monetary transaction | $298,875 loan amount | plea | 24 months | 2023-10-23 |
| Christopher Leo Daragjati | Christopher Leo Daragjati fraud case — M.D. Fla., Jacksonville Division | PPP | wire fraud (two counts), aggravated identity theft (two counts), theft of government property over $1,000 | $150,000 PPP loan proceeds received in stolen identities (approximately, per release) | plea | 60 months | 2024-03-18 |
| Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria | Tampa Man Sentenced To 30 Months In Federal Prison For COVID-19 Fraud | EIDL | wire fraud | $149,900 loan amount | plea | 30 months | 2023-02-16 |
| Rolanda Wingfield | Tampa Woman Sentenced To Prison For Access Device Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft Related To COVID Unemployment Insurance Benefits | UI | access device fraud and aggravated identity theft | $135,576 obtained | plea | 36 months | 2022-07-18 |
| Crystal Denean Harvell | United States v. Crystal Denean Harvell — M.D. Fla., Jacksonville Division, No. 3:24-cr-00179-WWB-LLL | PPP | conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud | $131,782.63 restitution amount | plea | 24 months | 2025-03-11 |
| Diop McKenzie | United States v. Diop McKenzie — M.D. Fla., Fort Myers Division | PPP/EIDL | bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft | $117,832 largest figure in the release | sentenced | 45 months | 2024-09-09 |
| Carnisha Maurica Rogers | USA v. Rogers - Carnisha Maurica Rogers | PPP | conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false representation of a Social Security number, wire fraud | $108,867.63 obtained | plea | 36 months | 2025-11-13 |
| Devaris McClain | Tampa Man Sentenced To Over 5 Years For Conspiracy To Commit Access Device Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft Related To COVID Unemployment Insurance Benefits | UI | conspiracy, aggravated identity theft | $92,346.54 largest figure in the release | sentenced | 61 months | 2022-08-01 |
| Alexander Alli | Riverview Man Sentenced To 13 Months’ Imprisonment For COVID-19 Relief Fraud | EIDL | conspiracy and wire fraud | $82,500 proceeds of the fraud | trial | 13 months | 2024-06-11 |
| Randy Xavier Jones | Sarasota Man Sentenced To More Than Five Years In Prison For COVID-19 Related Fraud (DOJ, July 18, 2022) | EIDL, UI | wire fraud, aggravated identity theft | $50,000 actual loss | plea | 61 months | 2022-07-18 |
| Desmond Williams | United States v. Desmond Dondre Williams — M.D. Fla., No. 3:22-cr-00134 | PPP | $41,827 restitution ordered | 5 years probation | 2023-07-18 | ||
| Tommy Louisville | Doctor Sentenced For Unlawful Drug Distribution, False Statements To Medicare, And Paycheck Protection | PPP | false statements | $35,319.23 largest figure in the release | sentenced | 12 months | 2024-03-06 |
| Bridgitte Keim | United States v. Bridgitte Keim — M.D. Fla., Tampa, No. 8:21-cr-00370 | PPP | bank fraud | $7,500 proceeds received | plea | 24 months | 2022-04-12 |
| Nabil Dajani | EIDL | conspiracy to bribe a public official, submit a false claim, commit theft of government property, and commit wire fraud; submission of a false claim; and enticement of another to travel for prostitution | plea | 78 months | 2023-08-11 | ||
| Rosenide Venant | Middle District of Florida Task Force Continues to Combat COVID-19 Fraud (USAO Middle District of Florida, 2023-01-17) | PPP/EIDL/UI | 60 months | 2023-01-17 |
Data and method
Each row is one row of the pandemic-relief sentences table, printed as that table prints it: defendant, program, charge, amount and its basis, disposition, and the date of the source the row was read from. A blank cell is a blank cell in the table. The sentence column states the months of imprisonment the table records, or the years of probation where it records no custodial term. A case page is linked only where a case page in this district names the defendant; 14 of the 40 rows do. District is the table’s own district field, resolved to this court. Rows whose district field names only a state with more than one federal district are not placed on any district page. A date the table writes in another form is restated as YYYY-MM-DD; a cell that is not a date is printed as it stands. An amount of $1 billion or more is left out — 3 rows here: those cells carry a program appropriation quoted in the source release, not a sum attributed to the defendant. Some defendants have more than one row because the table read them from more than one source.
Court hub: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida — every filing in the archive from this court, with the case pages it holds.