Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography

WASHINGTON—Anthony Mangione, 51, of Parkland, Florida, pleaded guilty today to one count of transportation of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Mazanec of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Al Lamberti of the Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.

Mangione pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Hopkins in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was taken into custody pending sentencing.

According to court documents, between March 2010 and September 2010, Mangione transported visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Mangione faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Mangione also faces a term of supervised release of five years to life following his prison sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works or attends school. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 5, 2012.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is being investigated by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Assistant Deputy Chief Alexandra R. Gelber and Trial Attorney Michael Grant of the Criminal Division’s CEOS are prosecuting the case.

Florida Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sex Trafficking of Minors and Production of Child Pornography

WASHINGTON – James Mozie of Oakland Park, Fla., was sentenced today to life in prison on charges of sex trafficking of minors and production of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office.

 Mozie, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to the life prison term, Mozie was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.

 On Dec. 20, 2011, Mozie was found guilty of all 10 counts against him, including sex trafficking of minors, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and production of child pornography.   

 At trial, seven different victims, many minor runaways at the time they met Mozie, testified that they worked or were recruited to work as prostitutes at Mozie’s residence, which he advertised as “The Boom Boom Room.”  According to the trial evidence, The Boom Boom Room, also known as Lot 29, operated for more than one year as a house of prostitution.  Mozie advertised the business through the use of mass text messages to his contacts, letting people know about the activities taking place at the house each night.  When customers arrived, they paid a cover charge to the security guard working the front door.  The females, many of them minors, worked in the house dancing for tips and engaging in sexual activity with male customers for money.

 The seven victims, all minors when the offenses occurred, testified that when they first arrived at the residence, Mozie asked them to complete an application with information such as name, stage name, date of birth and the sexual acts they were willing to perform.  All of the minor victims testified that they provided their correct dates of birth to Mozie, who advised them not to tell customers that they were underage.  Several of the minor victims testified that before working as a prostitute for Mozie, he required them to have sex with him as part of their “orientation,” which he explained was his way of “testing the merchandise.”  They also testified that Mozie would take sexually explicit pictures of them, which he attached to the text messages advertising the brothel.

 Previously, co-defendant Laschell “Shelly” Harris pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.  Co-defendant Willie David Rice pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to four years in prison.

 The case was investigated by the FBI and the Broward County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office Minor Vice Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry Wallace and Corey Steinberg of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Thomas Franzinger of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Miami Top Stories: Operation Oxy Alley

Three Additional Defendants Sentenced Today in Operation Oxy Alley

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced the sentencing of three additional defendants in connection with charges stemming from Operation Oxy Alley, a coordinated investigation into pill mills in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Including the three defendants sentenced today, 11 defendants have been sentenced to date on an indictment unsealed on August 23, 2010 that charged 32 defendants. The indictment alleged that defendants Christopher and Jeffrey George, twin brothers, operated, managed and financed four pain management clinics in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. According to the indictment and statements made in court, from 2008 to early 2010, these pill mills distributed approximately 20 million oxycodone pills and made more than $40 million from the illegal sales of controlled substances. Thirteen of the 32 defendants were doctors.

Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced three defendants, all of whom had previously pled guilty in Oct. 2011 to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Jeffrey George, 30, of Wellington, was sentenced to 186 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Marc Anthony Naya, 26, of Boynton Beach, was sentenced to nine months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Jason Leve, 33, of Wellington was sentenced to eight months in prison, to be followed one year of supervised release.

At present, 28 of the 32 defendants named in the indictment have pleaded guilty, including clinic owners Christopher and Jeffrey George. The sentencing hearings are scheduled to continue throughout January and February 2012.

The investigation and prosecution was the result of work by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. FBI, DEA, IRS-CID, were assisted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Hollywood Police Department, the Boca Raton Police Department, and the Davie Police Department. Coordination efforts also included cooperation by the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office as well as contributions by the Delray Beach Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, West Palm Beach Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, Medley Police Department, Homestead Police Department, North Miami Beach Police Department, and Sunny Isles Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Schwartz, Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Strider Dickson.

“Brazen Bandit” Bank Robber Sentenced to 52 Years in Prison

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office; Al Lamberti, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office; and Daniel C. Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, announced today that Michael Anthony Price, 44, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was sentenced earlier today. U.S. District Court Judge William J. Zloch sentenced Price to 52 years in prison, to be followed by five years’ supervised release.

Price, dubbed the “Brazen Bandit,” was convicted of two counts of bank robbery, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, two counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. According to evidence presented at trial, the first bank robbery took place on Friday, August 13, 2010, at the PNC Bank. Price, wearing a black baseball cap and sunglasses, entered the bank and approached a customer service consultant. Price stated he wished to open an account and then pointed a black revolver at the consultant. He then approached a teller station, placed a backpack on the counter, and pointed his firearm at a victim teller. He demanded money and told the teller that she had “15 seconds” to comply. While the gun was pointed at her, the teller placed the money in the defendant’s backpack. Price then left the bank.

The second bank robbery occurred on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at the Amtrust Bank in Deerfield Beach. According to the evidence at trial, Price wore a black baseball cap, sunglasses, and a bandana covering his mouth when he entered the bank. He carried a black revolver in his hand. Price vaulted the teller counter and demanded money from multiple tellers at various stations, while brandishing the firearm. As Price was jumping back over the counter to flee with his loot, he shot a 67-year-old customer. After shooting the customer in the neck, Price left the bank, discharging two rounds from his revolver as he fled. The shooting victim is paralyzed from the neck down.

Co-defendant Greg Bryan Senser, 29, of Boynton Beach, who was the getaway driver for each of the robberies, pled guilty on February 25, 2011 before Judge Zloch and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2011.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer commended the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and the Boca Raton Police Department for their excellent work on this matter. The FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force includes members from the FBI, BSO, U.S. Secret Service, and the police departments from the City of Miami, Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Dispoto, Cynthia Stone and Jason Linder.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Child Exploitation

Wilton Manors Resident Sentenced to 30 Years on Child Exploitation Charges


Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigations, announced that defendant Scott Joseph Smith, 50, of Wilton Manors, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 360 months' imprisonment and a life-long term of supervised release.

On January 28, 2010 the defendant plead guilty to charges of production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), 2252(a)(2), and 2252(a)(4)(B).

According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent downloaded numerous images and video files depicting child pornography from Smith’s computer via a peer-to-peer file sharing program. A search warrant was executed at Smith’s place of business. A forensic review of Smith’s computer by ICE special agents revealed numerous images and video files depicting child pornography. Further investigation by the FBI revealed that Smith sexually molested several minor victims at multiple locations in Broward County and Palm Beach County and recorded one instance of molestation via a digital camera.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ICE’s Office of Investigations in Miami, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and members of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Strider Dickson.

Police Books from Florida

April 22, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three law enforcement officials from Florida who have written books.

In 1996, Robin Powell began her law enforcement career with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) as a Detention Deputy Sheriff. In 1999, she became a regular deputy sheriff, assigned to patrol. After the birth of her daughter, she transferred to a civilian position as a Detention Program Specialist. In 2006, she left the criminal justice field. Robin Powell is the author of Girl Power: Saving Our Daughters Movement.

According to the book description of Girl Power: Saving Our Daughters Movement, “In today’s society, young girls are faced with many challenging issues for example peer pressure, school safety, chatroom safety, personal safety, love of self, education and HIV/AIDS. Many of these pressures draw girls to choosing the wrong paths. This book is an educational and empowering tool for young girls, parents, families, educators, coaches and many others.”

Vern Thornton is a retired Chief Deputy from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. In his retirement he founded Seniors Vs. Crime, in 1989. Vern Thornton is the author of
Not Today Buster! and And Today is only Monday.

According to the book description of And Today is only Monday, “Going back to the 1920s the book follows the life of a man in a small New England town as he gives up a secure government job to become a newspaper reporter, then an editor, with dramatic and often humorous accounts of events of the times. Hoodwinked into a new profession, this time in law enforcement, examine his career in Connecticut and Florida that followed.”

Vincent Van Hasselt is a professor of psychology and director of the Interpersonal Violence Program at Nova Southeastern University (Florida). He began his law enforcement career in 1995, when he joined the Plantation Police Department (Florida) as a part-time, certified police officer. In addition to his academic career, he has worked in the criminal justice field as: an instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute, Broward County Police Academy (Florida); a consultant to the Major Crimes Unit of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office; lecturer and consult to the FBI Behavior Science Unit; and, to a variety of law enforcement related crisis response and negotiation teams.

Vincent Van Hasselt is the author of Handbook of Adolescent Psychopathology and he is a coauthor of Basic Interviewing: A Practical Guide for Counselors and Clinicians.

According to the book description of Basic Interviewing: A Practical Guide for Counselors and Clinicians, “This book offers clear and direct answers to the questions most frequently asked by students and trainees learning how to talk to clients and extract critical data from them. Its development reflects the old adage that "necessity is the mother of invention." For many years, the editors taught beginning level mental health clinicians. They found, however, no text to be satisfactory--including a number that they themselves were involved in producing. Some were too difficult; some were too simplistic; some were too doctrinaire; still others had missing elements.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 984 police officers (representing 412 police departments) and their 2085 police books in 35 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.