My Crime Fiction: 'Up And Coming'

The story below is another chapter of my crime novel in progress.  

The story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine. 

You can read the earlier chapters via the links below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Rigano Murders'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'From South Philly To Sicily' 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Salvie Shotgun'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Nick The Broker'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Upton "Uppercut" Clarke'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Face'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Three Soldiers'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Jadroll'

Up and Coming

By Paul Davis

For our next interview session, I met Salvatore Stillitano at Saint Monica’s Church in South Philadelphia.

I had been chronicling Stillitano’s former life of crime in my column in the local paper. Stillitano, once known as “Salvie Shotgun,” was a caporegime in the Philadelphia-South Jersey Cosa Nostra organized crime family until he became a cooperating government witness and testified against the mob bosses who plotted to murder him,

Stillitano, who confessed to seven murders, returned to the Catholic Faith while incarcerated in a federal prison. He asked me to meet him at Saint Monica’s as he attended daily mass in the beautiful church.

I walked in, dabbed Holy Water on my forehead and joined Stillitano in a pew. After the mass, Stillitano suggested we go to the Penrose Diner and have breakfast. We got into Stillitano’s car and drove to the Penrose.

We slipped into a booth and ordered coffee. The waitress brought us our cups of coffee, and we gave her our orders. I ordered a cheese omelet and Italian sausage with rye toast. Stillitano ordered steak and eggs.

We ate and made small talk, two old South Philly guys about the same age. We both had an interest in boxing. I had been an amateur middleweight in my youth, having boxed at the old South Philly Boys Club, and later in the Navy. Although Stillitano was a tough kid, a street fighter, he never fought in the ring. But he grew up around fighters in gyms while shadowing his boxing promoter father. 

After we finished our fine breakfast and drank a second cup of coffee, I took out my cell phone and began a recording of our conversation. Stillitano asked me if I remembered John Reed. I did not.

“He fought under the name of “Handsome Johnny,” Stillitano said.

Yes. That rang a bell.

“Johnny was an up-and-coming middleweight, and my father was promoting a fight between him and a contender named Gergory “The Grinder” DeGregorio” in 1978.

Stillitano’s late father, Nunzio “Nick the Broker’ Stillitano preceded his son as a Philadelphia Cosa Nostra caporegime, and he was a major boxing promoter and illegal gambler.

“Johnny was half-Italian like you, with an Irish father and Italian mother.”

“My mother was Italian and my father was Scot-Welch,” I said.

“I knew Johnny from the neighborhood. He was a handsome kid and a good fighter. Fast hands and legs. He was a showboat like Muhmmad Ali. I introduced him to my father, and it was arranged that Johnny would get a shot with DeGregorio, a contender waiting to fight the middleweight champ.    

“Thanks to Phil Coyle, the old Philly Daily News sports columnist, the fight was heavily publicized and highly anticipated, with big money being bet on it. Coyle turned the fight into more than a boxing bout. He made it into a fight story, a grudge story, and even a love story.”

There was a wedding a month or so before the bout. Both DeGregorio and Reed were in attendance, as was Salvatore Stillitano and his father Nick Stillitano. Also at the wedding was a striking brunette named Marie Anici. The young woman was with DeGregorio and Reed and Salvatore Stillitano were at the bar watching the two dance on the dance floor of the catering hall.

“You know, for an athlete, old Greg can’t dance very well,” Reed said with a laugh.

“Yeah,” Salvatore replied. “But he can sure punch.”

“I’ll take him,” Reed said. “Bet all you got on me.”

After the dance, Anici went to the Ladies Room. Reed waited near the restroom door and when he saw Anici, he walked up to her and introduced himself as Johnny Reed.

“Yes, Handsome Johnny. I read about you in the Daily News.

“So, what ae doing with that gorilla, a beautiful girl like you?”

“I read that you called Greg a gorilla. That’s not a nice thing to say. Greg is a nice man.”

“Is he your boyfriend or what?”

“No. We date sometimes but he is just a friend.”

“Would you go out with me?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You will. Believe me you will,” Reed said with a smile.

The next day, Reed’s manager called him into the gym’s office.

“Johnny, we made a deal. We got a three-fight deal with DeGregorio. You lose the first fight, then you win the second, and he wins the third before he takes on the champ.”

“Bullshit, I can take that gorilla.”

“Johnny, I was lucky to get you a fight with DeGregorio. He’s a top contender and you are just an up-and-comer.  And we got no choice. Nick Stillitano made the deal, and bets will be made for you and me. We’ll clean up.”

“I want to talk to Nick.”

“No way. It’s a done deal. You go through with it or you’re out of the fight game.”

Reed called Salvatore Stillitano and asked his friend to set up a meeting with the father.

Reed met Nick and Salvatore Stillitano at a bar. They sat in the back at a table.

Nick said nothing and let the fighter talk.

“Nick, I know you made a good deal with my manager, but I know I can beat that gorilla. All the smart money with be on him as the favorite but think of the money you can make if I win against the odds.”

Nick Stillitano sipped his coffee and thought about the idea.

“I think he can win, Dad,” Salvatore Stillitano said.

“I’ll think about it and talk to some people,” Nick said.

“Thank you.’

Reed discovered where Marie Anici worked and met her there after her work shift. She agreed to have a drink with him. From that first drink, the two became inseparable.

DeGregorio found out and became furious as he believed he and Anici were a true couple. He confronted her and she told the rugged fighter that she was in love with Reed. DeGregorio was crushed, but he walked away in silence.

On instructions from his father, Salvatore Stillitano met with Phil Coyle and told him about the love triangle. The love angle made good copy, and Coyle’s next Daily News column featured the love triangle prominently, citing anonymous sources.

Anici was embarrassed by the column and both DeGregorio and Reed were angry, but the publicity helped the ticket sales and the betting.

Nick Stillitano met with Reed’s manager and told him that the three-fight deal was off, and he had better ensure that Reed beat DeGregorio.

On the night of the fight, DeGregorio and Reed pounded each other. Reed’s fast hands gathered points as he struck DeGregorio’s face and body time and time again. Reed moved fast and avoided most of DeGregorio’s powerful blows, but several punches connected and hurt Reed badly.

By the end of the fight Reed was still on his feet and DeGregorio was exhausted from swinging and missing Reed.

The three judges all gave Reed the fight on points.

Nick Stillitano and the gamblers cleaned up.

Marie Anici met Reed after the fight, and they attended a party in a hotel suite. Nick Stillitano and his son Salvatore were there, as were others who congratulated the prize fight’s winner.

Reed’s manager came up to Reed and told him that Nick Stilliano was going to arrange a rematch with DeGregorio.

“OK. I’ll beat that gorilla again.”

Salvatore Stillitano smiled as he told me this fight story.

“It was like a movie. Handsome Johnny won the fight and he won the girl. He made a bundle on the fight, and he invested the money wisely and then he married Marie.

“But he lost the rematch to DeGregoio.”

© 2026 Paul Davis 

Two Defense Contractors Arrested For Bribery And Major Fraud Conspiracy Scheme Affecting Department Of War Technology Innovation Contracts

The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

The Justice Department announced criminal charges against Leonard Pick, 62, of Palm Beach Shores, Florida, and Brian Kent, 59, of Tampa, Florida, for orchestrating a bribery and major fraud conspiracy that corrupted the competitive procurement process for a Department of War technology innovation lab in the Pacific. The defendants’ alleged conduct specifically affected the construction and operation of the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus, which was intended to be a hub for testing new technologies for the Department of War.

The indictment, filed in the District of Hawaii on May 14 and unsealed today, alleges that, from January 2021 to October 2022, Pick and Kent conspired to bribe a U.S. Army employee with approximately $1.25 million over five years and fraudulently inflated government contracting costs to include the U.S. Army employee’s bribe payments. The indictment further alleges that, from approximately September 2020, up to and including October 2022, defendant Kent further defrauded the government by inflating government contract costs to include approximately $680,000 in payments intended for and sent to Kent’s personal consulting business.

“When defense contractors obtain government-funded work through bribery and fraud, they rob our military and the American people of the benefits of a fair, competitive procurement process,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its partners in the Procurement Collusion Strike Force will vigorously prosecute those that seek to profit at the expense of American taxpayers.”

“Government contracts must be awarded based on fair competition, not secret bribes hidden in inflated costs,” said Acting Director of Criminal Enforcement Paul V. Courtney of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Those who corrupt the procurement process and defraud the American taxpayer should know this: we will find you, prosecute you, and hold you accountable.”

“Corruption in our military procurement processes harms honest companies seeking to compete fairly, steals from our taxpayers, and erodes faith in our government institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “We remain committed to holding accountable in federal court any defense contractors who attempt to undermine fair competition through bribery and corrupt practices.”

“The criminal conduct uncovered in this investigation represents a profound betrayal of the public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “The defendants used bribery and fraud to obtain significant defense contracts, prioritizing personal profit over national security. Let this serve as a clear warning — the FBI and our federal partners will aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone who attempts to corrupt government procurement processes for personal gain.”

“Those who scheme for ill-gotten profits through unscrupulous and shady dealings should take heed of these very serious charges,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of War, Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office. “Swindling the American taxpayers through corruption and fraud will never be tolerated by the dedicated professionals of DCIS and our partner agencies.  We are steadfast in our commitment to ensure the integrity of the U.S. military procurement system and hold those who threaten it accountable.”

“Those who attempt to corrupt government processes for personal gain undermine public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bjornstad of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General Western Investigations Division. “GSA OIG special agents will continue working with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate those who abuse positions of trust and responsibility.”

“Bribery and conspiracy within the defense supply chain are more than just financial crimes; they represent a direct threat to our mission readiness and the safety of our service members,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS will continue working tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle corrupt networks and safeguard the resources necessary to support our warfighters.”

Defendants Pick and Kent are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and major fraud against the United States, one count of bribery, one count of major fraud against the United States, and one count of wire fraud. Kent is also charged with a second count of major fraud against the United States. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bribery and major fraud is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for bribery is 15 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or three times the monetary value of the bribe, whichever is greater. The maximum penalty for major fraud against the

United States is 10 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

These indictments result from ongoing federal investigations into fraud and collusion in the defense contracting industry in Hawaii. The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Trial Attorneys Nolan Mayther, Andrew Schupanitz and Kylie McLaughlin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Mikal Condon, are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.  

Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.                                                                   

Members Of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Charged With Laundering Cartel Funds

The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

An indictment returned in the Eastern District of Virginia was unsealed yesterday charging Ruhuan Zhen and Hongce Wu, both Chinese nationals, with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

According to court documents, beginning in at least November 2016 and continuing to April 2025, Zhen, Wu, and their co-conspirators are alleged to have used a variety of secretive and clandestine methods, including mirror transfers, foreign bank accounts, encrypted communications applications, a serial-number verification system, and trade-based money laundering, to launder substantial volumes of narcotics proceeds and funds represented to be narcotics proceeds on behalf of transnational criminal organizations. The conspiracy is alleged to span the course of years with co-conspirators operating across the United States, Mexico, Latin America, China, and elsewhere, and involve drug proceeds stemming from the importation and sale of illicit narcotics, including cocaine and fentanyl.

Zhen and Wu were indicted on April 24, 2025, by a federal grand jury empaneled in Alexandria, Virginia, and remain at large.

If convicted of the offense, Zhen and Wu each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement.

The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, and DEA’s offices in Memphis Resident Office (RO), Lexington RO, Chicago Field Division (FD), New York FD, Washington FD, Charleston RO, Atlanta FD, Charlotte District Office, Bogota Country Office (CO), and Dubai CO.

Trial Attorney Chelsea R. Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. MNF Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell provided substantial assistance throughout the investigation. 

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.                                                                                

Memorial Day 2026

 

Gunman Who Believed He Was Jesus Christ Opened Fire On White House Checkpoint, Neutralized By Secret Service

The New York Post reports on the White House shooting incident:

A crazed gunman who believed he was Jesus Christ pulled out a revolver and opened fire outside the White House Saturday night, before he was quickly taken down by a barrage of shots from the Secret Service, sources said.

Nasire Best, 21, fired at a checkpoint at about 6:10 p.m. after being seen pacing in a strange manner up and down 17th St. Northwest, sources told The Post. He only got off a few shots before he was shot and killed in a hail of bullets from federal officers.

At least one bystander was hit and seriously wounded in the fusillade, the sources said.

While a motive for the attack hasn’t been confirmed, sources said Best is a mentally troubled individual who was well-known to the Secret Service for repeatedly loitering around various entry posts and who has violated a previous court order to stay away from the White House.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

  White House on lockdown after dozens of shots fired 

My Philly Daily & Broad + Liberty On Crime Column On Iran's Leaders Acting Like Monty Python's Black Knight

Broad + Liberty & Philly Daily ran my On Crime column today on Iran’s leaders acting like Monty Python’s Black Knight. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Paul Davis: Iran’s leaders are like Monty Python’s Black Knight

I’ve covered murderers, carjackers, and child molesters, but they are nothing in comparison to the mass murdering Iranian war criminals who for more than 47 years have directly or indirectly killed scores of Americans as well as killed thousands of their own people who were protesting in the street against the government.

Iran has funded, trained and directed murderous terrorist proxy groups that have caused so much mayhem, misery and death in the Middle East and beyond. They needed to be stopped.   

I support President Trump’s attack on Iran, which will prevent one of the most evil regimes in the world from acquiring a nuclear weapon – as well as having a bit of payback for murdering Americans for all those years. 

Iran’s arrogant, fanatical and unrealistic bluster in peace negotiations with America after the U.S. and Israeli military virtually destroyed its military and industrial base reminds me of Monty Python’s classic Black Knight sketch.

The Black Knight is a clever sketch, which appears in the British comedy group’s 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As King Arthur, portrayed by Graham Chapman, is about to cross a bridge over a stream, a knight, portrayed by John Cleese, dressed in black with a full helmet stops the King and his troop from crossing the bridge.

“None shall pass,” the Black Knight tells King Arthur.

The two men draw their swords and fight. King Arthur defeats the Black Knight by cutting off his left arm, but the proud knight refuses to accept defeat and says, “Tis but a scratch.”

The King then cuts off his right arm, and the Black Knight, armless, kicks the King. The King then cuts off the Black Knight’s left leg and then his right leg, leaving the Black Knight with only a torso and a helmeted head.

“All right,” the Black Knight says to the King. “We’ll call it a draw.”

I’d like to see President Trump go all out and defeat the Iranian fanatical clerics and military, accepting only an unconditional surrender as we did with Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, rather than allow the Iranian leaders to prolong the conflict with delaying tactics. 

Fox News senior strategic analyst and retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane (seen in the above photo) believes that the United States is on the cusp of returning to full-throttle combat operations in Iran.

“They want to run this clock out, increase the political economic pressure on the president,” General Keane said on Fox. “And they just don’t care about the suffering of their people. What do they care about? They care about, one, the survival of the regime and themselves. That’s what this is all about. And if they get a negotiated deal, they think that they’ll get financing to help recover the regime. That is what their objective is here.”

General Jack Keane, in my view, is the most knowledgeable and experienced military analyst alive today. General Keane said that President Trump has exhibited a huge amount of patience since the ceasefire on April 8th.

General Keane predicts that there will be a combined operation with the United States and Israel going “full throttle,” all out, and no half measures. This attack will curtail Iran’s revenue sources, which will force an economic collapse of the regime.

“Without revenue, it’s hard to see how this regime can survive. So, we put it on a path. And I think at some point at the end of this thing, after we open the Straits of Hormuz and begin to get it secure, offer the IRGC leaders, you know, a free trip out to a place of their choice and see if we can work a deal, that kind of a deal with them, and make some positive changes in the regime,” General Keane said. “So yes, we are on the cusp of returning to full-throttle combat operations.” 

Like Monty Python’s Black Knight, the Iranians are refusing to accept defeat out of arrogance and fanatical devotion, but America’s next all out military assault should definitely end the war, and hopefully, send the Iranian leadership – what is left of them – scurrying off to exile in Russia.  

Paul Davis’s On Crime column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com. 

United States Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging Raul Castro And Five Castro Regime Co-Defendants For 1996 Shoot-Down Of Brothers To The Rescue Aircraft

The U.S. Just Department released the information below:

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, 94, of Holguin, Cuba; along with Lorenzo Alberto Perez‑Perez of Las Tunas, Cuba; Emilio José Palacio Blanco; José Fidel Gual Barzaga; Raul Simanca Cardenas; and Luis Raul Gonzalez‑Pardo Rodriguez, for their alleged roles in the Feb. 24, 1996 shoot‑down of two unarmed U.S. civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR), also known as Hermanos al Rescate, over international waters.

“Over three decades later, we are committed to holding those accountable for the murders of four brave Americans: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in the United States for alleged acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens. President Trump and this Justice Department are committed to restoring a simple principle: if you kill Americans, we will pursue you. No matter who you are. No matter what title you hold.”

“Today’s superseding indictment of Raul Castro and five Castro regime co-defendants is a major step toward accountability in the 1996 murders of four Brothers to the Rescue members - including three U.S citizens - Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandro Jr, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “For 30 years these families have waited for answers - and this FBI never forgot. We will continue working with our Justice Department partners to bring to justice those who attacked our civilians.”

“For 30 years, the families of these men have waited. The Miami community has waited. Our country has waited. Today is a step toward accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This passage of time does not erase murder. It does not diminish the value of these lives. And it does not weaken our commitment to the rule of law.”

BTTR was an organization based in Miami that conducted humanitarian flight operations across the Florida Straits to search for Cuban migrants in distress. As alleged, beginning in the early 1990s, Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated the organization and relayed detailed information about its flight operations back to the Cuban government. These reports were allegedly used by military leadership in planning the Feb. 24, 1996 operation.

The superseding indictment charges conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder.

According to the allegations, on Feb. 24, 1996, three BTTR aircraft flew from South Florida toward Cuba. Cuban military fighter jets under the chain of command overseen by Raul Castro fired air‑to‑air missiles at two unarmed civilian Cessna aircraft — destroying them without warning while they were flying outside Cuban territory, killing four U.S. nationals, including three U.S. citizens: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales.

Rodriguez in a MiG fighter jet

The indictment further alleges that, in the weeks prior to the attack, Cuban military pilots conducted training exercises designed to locate and intercept slow‑moving civilian aircraft. On the day of the incident, three BTTR planes departed from Opa‑locka Airport for a planned humanitarian flight south of the 24th parallel. Two of the aircraft — tail numbers N2456S and N5485S — were allegedly targeted and shot down in international airspace, resulting in the deaths of all four victims.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment on the murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals counts. Castro Ruz and Perez-Perez face up to five years in prison for each of the destruction of aircraft counts. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of any defendant will be determined by a judge.

Luis Raul Gonzalez‑Pardo Rodriguez, 65, of Havana, Cuba, is in U.S. custody pending sentencing later this month in the Middle District of Florida for making false statements in an immigration document.

Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez and Lorenzo Alberto Perez-Perez

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledged the assistance of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. “We are grateful for the support provided by Attorney General James Uthmeier and his team during this investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones.

Today’s announcement is in conjunction with a ceremony at the Freedom Tower in Miami to honor the victims. Participants at today’s press conference included Acting Attorney General Blanche, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia of the FBI, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael E. Gilfarb for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with the investigation led by the FBI Miami Field Office.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated May 20, 2026