Page 19 - Florida Sentinel 5-1-18

CrimeCounterfeit Credit Cards Gets
Armed Drug Traffickers Plead Guilty
JOSHUA CHRISTIAN CANTRELL
TRACY LEE WILLIAMS
Two people entered guilty pleas on Friday to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of drugs and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Joshua Christian Cantrell, 24, of Dade City, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and to car- rying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
He is facing a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Ms. Tracy Lee Williams, Tracy Lee Spann, a.k.a. 38, of Tampa, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distrib- ute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. She is fac- ing a mandatory minimum term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agree- ments, on three separate occa- sions, in April and May 2017, Ms. Williams sold metham- phetamine to an undercover detective in Brandon. During the first transaction, she sold the undercover detective ap- proximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine. On the sec- ond occasion, she sold the de- tective approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine.
Cantrell drove Ms. Williams to conduct the third sale, which involved approxi- mately 8 ounces of metham- phetamine. They were both arrested. Law enforcement found a loaded pistol in Cantrell’s waistband and a search of his vehicle revealed another pistol, additional weapons, ammunition, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
No sentencing date has been scheduled in the case.
Seventh Member Of
Gang Sentenced
Man 4 Years
‘Manche Boy Mafia’
A U. S. District judge sen- tenced a man to serve time in prison. He was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U. S. District Judge Vir- ginia Hernandez Coving- ton sentenced Michael Washington, 34, of Tampa, to 4 years and 3 months in prison. Washington pleaded guilty on February 2, 2018.
According to court docu- ments, on July 2, 2016, Washington was arrested at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa with 9 counterfeit credit cards, encoded with account numbers from Canadian Im- perial National Bank (CIBC) in his possession.
He fraudulently used the CIBC account numbers to en- code and emboss the credit cards that he then used to purchase goods, including cartons of cigarettes from the
MICHAEL WASHINGTON
Tribal Smoke Shop, and gift cards from retail stores in Florida. Washington sold the gift cards for cash, for ap- proximately 60% of their face value.
Washington sold more than 490 gift cards that he had purchased with counter- feit CIBC cards, with a value exceeding $44,000.
The total loss for the 9 counterfeit credit cards and the fraudulent purchases, in- cluding the cigarettes, was $143,532.47.
U. S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr., sen- tenced Johnnie Earl Ross, 24, of Tampa, to 6 years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to com- mit credit card fraud and ag- gravated identity theft February 8, 2018.
According to court docu- ments and statements made in open court, from at least January 2015, through No- vember 2016, Ross and oth- ers affiliated with the “Manche Boy Mafia” or “MBM” organization con- spired to commit credit card fraud and identity theft in the Tampa Bay area.
To carry out the scheme, the men bought stolen credit and debit card account num- bers online. They then ob- tained reloadable gift cards
JOHNNIE EARL ROSS
and used machines to em- boss the stolen account num- bers and their own names onto the front of the gift cards, producing counterfeit credit cards.
They used these counter- feit cards at various retailers around the Tampa Bay area to purchase gift cards and electronics, which they either kept or sold for cash.
Woman Must Pay $117,234 In Social Security Fraud Case
Two Plead Guilty To Bank Robbery Charges
A 48-year-old woman was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for theft of government funds. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment of $117,234.40, which are con- sidered the proceeds of the offense.
Ms. Arritta Spence, of Haines City, pleaded guilty on December 4, 2017.
According to court docu- ments, Ms. Spence received Supplemental Security In- come (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administra- tion (SSA) and was the repre- sentative payee for 5 of her minor children. She also re- ceived Supplemental Nutri- tion Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid bene- fits.
Ms. Spence failed to no- tify the SSA and the DCF about changes in her house- hold, which resulted in over- payment to her and her children. She won several thousand dollars at the casino and failed to report the win- nings.
Officials said that on March 4, 2010, Ms. Spence won $20,568.78 at the Semi- nole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Between January 2011 and March 2014, she won an additional $108,776.90 at the casino.
She was required to report her winnings at the casino and any other changes to her household the Social Security Administration and the De- partment of Children and Families.
JOHN GOFF, JR.
Two men have pleaded guilty to bank robbery charges. The second defen- dant entered his plea in fed- eral court on Friday.
John Lowell Goff, Jr.,
46, of Ruskin, pleaded guilty to four counts of bank rob- bery. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.
His co-defendant, Lemuel Tony Davis, 43, of Eufala, Alabama, previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.
According to court docu- ments, Goff robbed the BB&T Bank, 5331 Spring Hill Drive, in Spring Hill, August 29, 2017 and again on Sep- tember 20, 2017. He robbed
LEMUEL DAVIS
the Fifth Third Bank, 16509 Fishhawk Boulevard, in Lithia, September 5, 2017; and the BB&T Bank, 180 North Suncoast Boulevard in Crystal River, on September 6, 2017.
During each of these rob- beries, Goff intimidated the bank tellers by implying that he would hurt them and threatening that he had a gun on at least one occasion.
As a result, all of the tellers complied and gave Goff money from their banks’ cash drawers. When Goff robbed the Spring Hill BB&T Bank the second time, Lemuel Davis drove the getaway car. Shortly after the robbery, responding law en- forcement officers pulled the car over and arrested both men.
UNCLE SANDY
All that I am, 5, 11, 17, 18 or hope to be, 20, 25, 38, 40 I owe to 10, 39, 41, 45 my angel mother. 9, 36, 50, 52.
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