Florida

Colombian Man Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking Scandal That Let Cartels Know Where Navy Ships Were

Colombian Man Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

**Tampa, FL** – A U.S. District Court sentenced Cesar Augusto Romero Caballero of Colombia to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Judge James Moody Jr. issued the sentence on Wednesday, following Romero Caballero’s guilty plea on April 8.

Court documents revealed that Romero Caballero, formerly of the Colombian Navy, recruited active-duty navy members to plant GPS tracking devices on vessels. This enabled Transnational Criminal Organizations to navigate cocaine-laden ships around Colombian Navy patrols en route to the United States.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi remarked on the significance of the case, emphasizing its importance to the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat drug trafficking. Special Agent Deanne L. Reuter acknowledged the teamwork and dedication involved in bringing this case to a close.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative supported the prosecution. This initiative promotes collaboration among multiple agencies to address major drug trafficking operations.

New York Federal Jury Convicts Florida Man of Mail Fraud

Federal Jury Convicts Florida Man of Mail Fraud

**Central Islip, NY** – A federal jury in Central Islip, New York, has found Phillip Priolo, 61, a resident of Hallandale Beach, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud. Priolo was charged in November 2021 for running a mass mailing fraud scheme that defrauded thousands, mostly elderly individuals, by promising them false prizes.

During the trial, evidence demonstrated that from March 2015 to December 2016, Priolo and his partners mailed millions of misleading prize notices. These notices falsely claimed recipients had been chosen for a significant cash prize, contingent upon paying a fee. Instead of the promised reward, payees received nothing, confirming that the mailings were mass-produced and not personalized.

Both the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service emphasized their commitment to protecting elderly citizens from such fraudulent schemes. Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth acknowledged the thorough investigation by the Postal Inspection Service, and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen stressed the vulnerability of older demographics to financial exploitation.

Priolo will face sentencing later this year before U.S. District Judge Nusrat Jahan Choudh

Florida Dentist Sentenced for Threatening Public Figures

Florida Dentist Sentenced for Threatening Public Figures

**Tampa, FL** – A Florida dentist was sentenced to two years in prison for making threats to public figures, an election official, and others over several years. Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, from Tampa, initially made these threats between September 2019 and July 2020.

Court documents reveal Kantwill sent over 100 threats via social media, email, and text, targeting individuals based on their political commentary. The targets included an author, a religious figure, and a television personality. From April 2022 to April 2024, Kantwill sent additional threats to four public figures, including an election official in another state in February.

In November, Kantwill pleaded guilty to four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. The case was announced by officials from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the FBI.

The FBI conducted the investigation, while the prosecution was led by Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Scheme

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Scheme

**Jackson, MS** – A Florida resident has admitted guilt in a case involving a decade-long scheme promoting an illicit tax shelter and committing wire fraud. The individual also confessed to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns for clients using the shelter.

Stephen T. Mellinger III of Delray Beach worked as a financial advisor, insurance salesman, and securities broker in various states. Since late 2013, he and his accomplices marketed an illegal tax shelter, encouraging clients to claim inappropriate deductions for “royalty payments” to unlawfully minimize their taxes.

Court documents reveal these royalty payments constituted a deceptive money flow, creating the facade of legitimate business expenses. Clients would transfer funds to accounts managed by Mellinger and his partners, who would return the sum—minus their fee—to an account controlled by the client, allowing them to claim false deductions.

Through the scheme, clients claimed over $106 million in misleading tax deductions, leading to a $37 million tax loss for the IRS. Mellinger and one unnamed co-conspirator reportedly earned approximately $3 million from the operations. They also misappropriated over $2.1 million from clients under investigation, some of which M