LawFuel.com – 20 August, 2009 – Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that Clinton
Edward Bell (age 51, of Nassau County) today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.

Bell faces a mandatory minimum of two years in federal prison.
According to court documents, from 1982 – 1984, Bell was convicted in the state of Louisiana of armed robbery, unarmed robbery, kidnaping, and multiple counts of escape.

He was sentenced 99 years in prison. After serving approximately twenty-four years in prison, Bell was placed on parole. He then relocated to Florida and was placed under the supervision of the Florida Parole Commission.

On January 28, 2009, Bell entered the Division of Driver License Office located at 7439 Wilson Boulevard, Jacksonville and presented a social security card and Florida birth certificate in the name of his brother, Larry Edward Bell. Clinton Bell used these documents to obtain a duplicate Florida driver’s license in the name of Larry Bell. Larry
Bell is as a registered sex offender in the state of Florida; thus, the issuance of the duplicate license in his name triggered an investigation by law enforcement. After comparing the picture on the duplicate license to known pictures of Clinton Bell, law enforcement determined that Clinton Bell had fraudulently obtained the license.

On April 2, 2009, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper pulled Clinton Bell’s vehicle over and requested identification from Clinton Bell. Clinton Bell responded by handing the Trooper the Larry Bell license. Clinton Bell was subsequently arrested. During the booking process, Clinton Bell’s wallet was inventoried and a social security card in the name of
Larry Edward Bell with the issuance date of “3/17/2009” was located. This triggered a separate investigation into the fraudulent issuance of the Larry Bell social security card. The Social Security Administration (“SSA”), Office of Inspector General determined that on March 17, 2009, Clinton Bell had entered the SSA Jacksonville North Office located in
Jacksonville, Florida, where he presented the fraudulently obtained license in the name of Larry Bell and obtained a duplicate social security card in the name of Larry Bell.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, Bureau of Investigations and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

LawFuel.com – 20 August, 2009 – Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that a federal jury today found Miguel Florez-Hernandez (age 28, of Polk County) guilty of possessing firearms and
ammunition as an illegal alien. Florez faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2009. Florez had been indicted on April 22, 2009.

According to court documents, on February 4, 2009, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was executing a narcotics-related search at a residence in Winter Haven when four individuals in a Dodge Durango pulled up to the house. A detective approached the vehicle and asked for identification. Florez, in the backseat, tried to hide a loaded .45
caliber semi-automatic handgun and a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun under his jacket. Both weapons had rounds in the chamber, and Florez had.45 caliber rounds in his pocket. In addition, two other firearms were recovered from the vehicle. Florez is a
native and citizen of Mexico, and was illegally in the United States.
As was noted in open court prior to commencement of the trial, Florez and the other occupants of the vehicle were wearing necklaces with images of La Santisma Muerte (a/k/a the saint of death) and Jesus Malverde (a/k/a the narco-saint). Florez is alleged to be a member of the Mexican Mafia gang.

This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas N. Palermo and Shauna S. Hale.