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Weekly Message from Attorney General Bill McCollum
This week my CyberSafety Education program reached an incredible milestone. Volunteer educators from my office and I have now brought this critically important safety presentation to more than 100,000 students throughout Florida. As the end of the year approaches, I'm so pleased to be able to say that more than 220 middle and high schools have recognized the value of internet safety education and invited us to bring that message directly to their students.
My CyberSafety Education program combines real-life stories and examples to help middle and high school students identify ways they could be victimized by predators online and to encourage safe internet use. My team has been bringing the 50-minute cybersafety program students statewide since the beginning of the school year. Principals throughout the state have recognized the program as innovative and captivating and have provided positive feedback about the program's impact on students and faculty alike.
My team is now in its final push to complete as many presentations as possible throughout the state in these final weeks before the summer break. Our goal is to eventually ensure every middle and high school student has the opportunity to attend one of my CyberSafety Education programs to get the tools he or she needs to make safe choices online. Next school year, we'll be back with the students to continue our mission.
I'd like to say a special thank-you to the more than 100 dedicated attorneys, victim advocates, and other employees of my office who have recognized the importance of this effort and volunteered their time, sometimes without pay, to bring our CyberSafety Education program to the students. Their efforts and the support of parents, principals, superintendents, law enforcement agencies and so many others throughout Florida are the reason this program has been so successful in its first year.
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Attorney General McCollum's CyberSafety Program has exceeded the 100,000 student mark, an important milestone as the end of the school year rapidly approaches. The program combines real-life stories and examples to help middle and high school students identify ways they could be victimized by predators online and to encourage safe internet use. Members of the Attorney General’s Office have been bringing the 50-minute cybersafety program students statewide since the beginning of the school year.
A Hillsborough County man has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing and promoting child pornography. Jerry Barfield was arrested by the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit in February 2007 after investigators determined Barfield possessed multiple images of child pornography and was distributing those images over the internet. The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Florida has joined 48 states and the District of Columbia in an agreement with Facebook, a popular internet social networking site. The agreement focuses on several changes Facebook will make to better protect children from predators and inappropriate content and to participate in a task force on implementation of age and identity verification software.
A Volusia County man is in custody after investigators with Attorney General McCollum’s CyberCrime Unit discovered his possession of multiple images of child pornography. Authorities with the CyberCrime Unit and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ivan Zapata, who will be charged with possession of child pornography.
CyberSafety Update - To date, the Attorney General's CyberSafety Presentation has reached more than 100,000 students.
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Attorney General McCollum issued a consumer advisory cautioning Florida consumers about potential risks associated with unsecured wireless internet connections. The advisory, originally issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), warns consumers about hackers, viruses and other potential issues caused by using unsecured wireless connections to the internet.
Attorney General McCollum's office has obtained a judgment against a Palm Beach County pool service business and its owner for imposing additional pool cleanup and chemical charges to consumers after hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004. Pool Companies, Inc., operating under the name Caribbean Pool Service and Repairs, and owner John Hynes must pay more than $173,000 in consumer restitution to customers who were charged even though the extra costs were not called for in the service contracts.
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Florida Attorney General McCollum and U. S. Attorney Alexander Acosta announced the indictment and arrest of a Miami pharmacy owner on federal charges of defrauding the Medicaid program. Marilyn Garcia Ferro, a licensed pharmacist and the owner and operator of Accu Care Services. Inc., was arrested today by agents from the Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit based on a federal health care fraud indictment.
A Central Florida woman has been sentenced to 18 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of probation for participating in criminal mortgage fraud schemes. Patricia C. Grant and her daughter, Geisha Morris, were previously found guilty by an Orange County jury for their role in a mortgage fraud ring that operated throughout Central and South Florida. The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Two Hillsborough County men have been convicted of conspiracy to commit racketeering for their involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme. David E. Tuggle, Jr. and Eric S. Steinhauser pleaded guilty today in Polk County and could face up to five years in prison when sentenced in September. As part of the plea agreement, neither man may be employed in the mortgage, title, or real estate industries. The men were prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
A Texas man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted for multiple criminal drug charges, including drug trafficking and organized scheme to defraud. Thomas O. Martino previously pleaded guilty in February to the charges, which were prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
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Pharmacy Owner Indicted, Arrested for Defrauding Medicaid
McCollum Issues Consumer Advisory on Wireless Safety
Central Florida Woman Sentenced for Participation in Mortgage Fraud Scheme
McCollum: CyberSafety Message Reaches More Than 100,000 Students
South Florida Pool Service Business to Pay $173,000 in Consumer Restitution
Hillsborough Man Gets 5 Years in Prison for Possessing, Promoting Child Pornography
Florida Announces Agreement With Facebook to Boost Social Networking Safety
Attorney General McCollum Promotes Safe Prom and Graduation Season
Volusia County Man Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography
Two Hillsborough County Defendants Plead Guilty to Criminal Mortgage Fraud
Texas Man Gets 10 Years in Prison for Drug Diversion Scheme
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Attorney General Bill McCollum's bi-weekly audio message for this week is available online at the following link: http://www.clickcaster.com/billmccollum
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The Attorney General's visit to Charlotte High School was covered by a local TV station here.
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Florida Attorney General McCollum and The Century Council brought a life-saving lesson about the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking to students of Leon High School. Nationally recognized speaker Brandon Silveria and his father Tony spoke to students about the importance of “making the right choice” about alcohol and emphasized that if students are under the age of 21, the only responsible decision is not to drink. Brandon is a young man who at age 17 was involved in an alcohol-related crash just before his high school prom. The Century Council is a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking.
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