TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shut down a complex criminal enterprise using the dark web and cryptocurrency to commit identity theft and launder money. An Orlando teen led the complex cybercrime operation. The lead defendant, Justin Vassell, used cryptocurrency to buy bundles of stolen personal information to open credit card accounts and purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office and FDLE today announced the arrest of Justin Vassell, Jacqueline Vassell, Shannon Vassell, Marc Williams, Deonte Benejan and Lawrence Dority for the criminal enterprise that illicitly purchased more than $350,000 worth of merchandise, including ammunition and firearm parts. The group then sold the items to pawn shops around the Orlando area to obtain cash.   Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning the U.S. Department of Justice against a politically-motivated investigation of Florida’s immigrant relocation program. In a letter to the DOJ, Attorney General Moody states that there is no legal basis for California’s request for the DOJ to investigate the program. Attorney General Moody’s letter responds to a request by the California Governor and Attorney General to the DOJ to investigate Florida and defends the state’s actions to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities on a volunteer basis. The letter also points out that California’s request is a political stunt and not a legal request, as California’s letter does not identify any violation of federal statute, judicial decision or law.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “California’s letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Florida is a ridiculous political stunt. Our voluntary immigration relocation program is lawful, and California’s request fails to identify any violation of federal law. As an Attorney General who leads hundreds of highly-qualified lawyers and has led dozens of legal challenges against this administration, it is jarring that California is not competent enough to articulate even a minimal legal basis for its request. I thought California loved to tout its commitment to illegal immigrants, but now its governor does not want more immigrants in California, claiming that more of them could break his state—how ironic.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today is National Lottery Day, and Attorney General Ashley Moody is releasing a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about sweepstakes scams. Lottery scams often begin when a scammer calls or sends messages to targets, often seniors, claiming the target won a prize. The scammer will then request service fees or financial information from the target stating that this is necessary for the winnings to be transferred.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Receiving a message that you have won a large cash prize can be exciting, but it’s also likely a scam. If you receive one of these messages, be suspicious, do some research and never open any links included in the message. For more tips to avoid lottery scams, check out our latest Consumer Alert.” Continue reading →