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Attorney General Pam Bondi

Two Sentenced in Massive Heroin and Human Trafficking Case

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today secured the conviction and sentencing of Keith Hamlet, 47, and Edward Redmond, 32, for drug trafficking and racketeering. A jury convicted the defendants on charges related to trafficking large quantities of heroin and cocaine. At one point during the investigation, the defendants trafficked more than 100 grams of heroin weekly.    

 “These two monsters were involved in a massive drug and human trafficking ring that saturated Central Florida streets with heroin and cocaine, and even fed these addictive drugs to young trafficking victims to further coerce and exploit them for sex,” said Attorney General Bondi. “I applaud my Statewide Prosecutors Matthew Davenport and Gary Malak for a great job at trial and obtaining 25-year sentences to ensure these traffickers stay behind bars.”

The investigation uncovered both criminals trafficked these addictive drugs from suppliers to street level addicts, prostitutes and users. The investigation revealed that Hamlet threatened violence to force several women into prostitution and encouraged the prostitution of a 17-year-old girl.

The Orange County jury found the two men guilty of multiple charges including racketeering, conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic in heroin, 28 grams or more. Following this 10-day trial, the Honorable A. James Craner, Circuit Judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, sentenced both Hamlet and Redmond to 25 years as a minimum mandatory sentence in the Department of Corrections.  

Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department and other agencies throughout Florida.

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on President Trump’s Initiative to Combat Opioid Abuse

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump’s nationwide initiative to combat opioid abuse and reduce drug supply and demand:

“I want to thank President Trump for his leadership combating the opioid crisis and saving lives, and as a member of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, I am pleased with the role we played in developing this nationwide initiative. The President’s comprehensive approach will help stop the influx of dangerous drugs, treat addiction, raise awareness and hinder the spread of this deadly epidemic claiming approximately 175 lives in our country every day.”

Dozens Arrested in Massive Multi-Million Dollar SNAP/EBT Fraud Investigation

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution joined the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Secret Service, and other federal authorities in announcing the end of a lengthy investigation involving five million dollars in benefits fraud.    

“Food stamp trafficking steals from Florida’s hardworking taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The SNAP/EBT program is designed to provide services to the most vulnerable among us and for anyone to take advantage of this system is shameful. I want to thank local and federal authorities for putting an end to this scheme and look forward to my Office of Statewide Prosecution holding these defendants accountable in a court of law.”  

The investigation focused on fraudulent transactions involving the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and Electronic Benefits Transfer cards, commonly known as the SNAP/EBT throughout the Jacksonville area.

Many of these fraudulent transactions occurred when individuals took advantage of taxpayers and Floridians entitled to benefits offered by SNAP/EBT. The defendants allegedly traded personal benefit cards from beneficiaries to make phony food purchases or went through a middleman ultimately swapping benefits for cash at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar. These fraudulent transactions occurred at fictitious seafood and meat shops established as part of the undercover operation. The Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute more than 115 felony cases relating to this massive investigation.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple undercover operations and created fictitious businesses where the fraudulent transaction took place. During a six-month period, undercover detectives conducted approximately 390 undercover transactions at these business, meeting with more than 130 individuals. SNAP/EBT cards are explicitly required to be used strictly for the purchase of food. The SNAP program is USDA-funded and administered in Florida by the Florida Department of Children and Families. The program provides supplemental nutrition assistance to vulnerable populations, such as seniors, children and families in economic distress.    

As a result of this investigation, more than 115 individuals have been charged with felonies and 61 others with misdemeanors. The following agencies also assisted in the investigation: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigators, Florida Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Attorney General Bondi Files Complaint to Save the Ritz Theatre

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Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday filed a complaint against the Ritz Theatre 100, Inc., a non-profit corporation tasked with renovating and operating The Ritz Theatre in downtown Winter Haven, and Stella C. Heath, Executive Director and consultant for the corporation. The complaint alleges that misconduct and mismanagement by the defendants have placed the future of the Ritz Theatre in jeopardy. Despite substantial grants, gifts, and funding from the State of Florida, the City of Winter Haven, and others to pay for needed renovations and operating costs, the Ritz Theatre remains underutilized, strapped for cash and in peril of closure.

Efforts by several community members to obtain seats on the Board of Directors to help redress management and financial problems have been rejected by the board, which instead improperly filed an unsubstantiated $250,000 lien against the Ritz Theatre property in favor of Heath.

Attorney General Bondi’s Office is seeking the appointment of a receiver to take possession of and preserve all assets of The Ritz Theatre 100, Inc., to manage the corporation and the theatre, to determine all outstanding indebtedness, and to report to the Attorney General’s Office and the court all steps needed to enable the theatre to fulfill its longstanding mission of serving the interests of the Winter Haven community.

The Attorney General’s Office also is seeking an accounting, as well as temporary and permanent injunctive relief, including relief from the improperly-filed lien, to ensure that the theatre’s mission is and will continue to be met.  

To view the complaint, click here.

Attorney General Bondi Warns of Common Scams in Recognition of National Consumer Protection Week

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Attorney General Pam Bondi is warning Floridians about common scams in recognition of 2018 National Consumer Protection Week. Scammers often target Florida because of its large senior population, military bases and millions of tourists. Tax scams and vacation rental scams are also common during this time of the year.

“My office will continue to work tirelessly to fight fraud and protect Floridians from consumer-related scams, and we need you to join us in this effort.” said Attorney General Bondi. “This National Consumer Protection Week I urge Floridians to learn how to spot scams and what to do if you are targeted.”

Some common types of scams reported in Florida include:
 
Tech Support: Fraudulent pop-up ads claiming a computer is infected with malware that can be eliminated by calling the tech support number on the ad. If a consumer calls the number, the scammer will try to take remote control of the computer and hold it for ransom. For more information, click here. 

IRS Tax Scams: Scammers will call impersonating an IRS official and threaten to arrest or take legal action against a consumer for back taxes, unless the victim immediately wires funds or provides a prepaid debit card number. For more information, click here. 

Illegal Robocalling: Pre-recorded messages pitching a product or seeking financial information. Often the number is spoofed, or changed using software, to appear to be from a reputable company or charity. For more information, click here. 

Vacation Rental Scams: Fake internet postings advertising a vacation rental property not owned by the scammer. The goal is to steal the tourist’s deposit by leading them to believe they have booked a hotel or vacation house. For more information, click here. 

Military Scams: Scammers will target military members, veterans and their families promising exclusive discounts or other deals related to military service, benefits or charity. In 2017, Attorney General Bondi created the Military and Veterans Assistance Program to identify and stop scams targeting the military. For more information, click here.

Floridians can report these scams or other fraudulent business practices to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling (866) 9NO-SCAM or filing a consumer complaint online at MyFloridaLegal.com.

Since taking office in 2011, Attorney General Bondi’s Consumer Protection Division has recovered more than $10 billion for Floridians and consumers nationwide. Today, Attorney General Bondi will be reaching out directly to Floridians with Consumer Protection Tips on Twitter. To follow the Attorney General’s Twitter campaign visit Twitter.com/AGPamBondi.

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on Unanimous Passage of HB 21

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today praised the Florida House for unanimously passing HB 21 to help fight the national opioid crisis claiming lives in Florida:

“This legislation is vital to our continued efforts to combat the national opioid crisis claiming lives in Florida. I want to personally thank Representative Jim Boyd for sponsoring HB 21 and leading the House fight against opioid addiction. I also want to thank each member who voted unanimously to approve this life-saving legislation. This vote comes while I am at the White House for a National Opioid Summit, and I hope the entire country will follow Florida’s lead.”

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on the Passing of Reverend Billy Graham

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement on the passing of Reverend Billy Graham:

“God worked through his humble servant, Reverend Billy Graham, to change lives and make our world a better place. Reverend Graham exemplified what it means to be a Christian and to give your life wholly to others. Today, he enters the kingdom of heaven—a good and faithful servant.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Statement on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement regarding the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School:

“Praying for everyone involved in today’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I am on the way with my victim advocates and we will be available in full force to help all victims and their families with any services they need.”

Attorney General Bondi Leads Bipartisan Coalition of All 56 US AGs Urging Congress to Help Protect Employees from Sexual Harassment

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Attorney General Pam Bondi and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein are leading a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from every U.S. state and territory urging Congress to end secret, forced arbitration in cases of workplace sexual harassment. Too often employees are required to sign employment contracts containing arbitration agreements mandating that sexual harassment claims be resolved through private arbitration instead of the judicial process. The secrecy surrounding these proceedings can protect serial violators and provide inadequate relief to victims.  

“Decades of private arbitration proceedings regarding sexual harassment have had the unintended consequence of protecting serial violators and it must end,” said Attorney General Bondi. “I am proud to lead this bipartisan coalition of all 56 U.S. attorneys general, along with General Stein, and look forward to the passage of strong federal legislation to help protect employees from workplace sexual harassment.”

The letter sent Monday to leaders in the United States House of Representative and the United States Senate asks Congress to pass appropriately-tailored legislation to ensure that sexual harassment victims have a right to their day in court.

“Congress today has both opportunity and cause to champion the rights of victims of sexual harassment in the workplace by enacting legislation to free them from the injustice of forced arbitration and secrecy when it comes to seeking redress from egregious misconduct condemned by all concerned Americans,” states the letter.

Attorneys general from the states, D.C. and five U.S. territories joined the letter: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  

It has been a decade since all 56 U.S. Attorneys General have joined a letter to Congress. A copy of the letter is available here. 

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on Passage of SB 8 by the Senate Appropriations Committee

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement on the unanimous approval of SB 8 by the Senate Appropriations Committee:
“I am thrilled this life-saving legislation is moving quickly through the legislature. We must continue our fight to end the opioid crisis that is claiming more than 14 lives a day in our state.”