Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Note: See the factual proffer here.

MIAMI – On May 8, 2025, Henry Abdo, 48, of Lebanon, was sentenced to 168 months in prison and ordered to pay a $300,000 fine and $375,479 in restitution by United States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.

Abdo pled guilty in federal court to orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that solicited over $6 million from investors under false pretenses. According to court records, Abdo’s company, Titanium Capital LLC, purported to operate a foreign exchange platform that guaranteed fixed returns for investors. In reality, Titanium Capital had no such platform, and Abdo used investor funds to pay off earlier investors and finance his personal lifestyle.

Beginning in July 2014, Abdo falsely claimed that Titanium Capital was a “zero-risk” investment fund that generated profits from fees on foreign currency transactions. Abdo further deceived investors by claiming Titanium Capital was part of a multibillion-dollar holding company, had developed proprietary software, and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. None of these claims were true.

Court documents indicate that Abdo solicited investments through in-person meetings, emails, video conferences, and phone calls. Abdo directed potential investors to websites and promotional materials that falsely depicted Titanium Capital as a legitimate enterprise. In truth, Titanium operated as a classic Ponzi scheme, using funds from new investors to pay earlier investors while diverting large sums of money for Abdo’s personal use, including international travel and other expenses.

In addition to fraudulent investment claims, court records reveal that Abdo attempted to bolster his credibility by falsely associating himself with various charitable and educational organizations. Abdo also falsely claimed that Titanium Capital’s profits were donated to assist the blind and handicapped.

After soliciting millions from over 200 investors, Abdo’s scheme unraveled. Many victims were financially devastated. Several victims reported losing retirement accounts and personal savings that they had relied on for basic living expenses, such as food and medication.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. 

FBI Miami’s Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn and Justin Chapman in West Palm Beach, Florida, prosecuted it.  

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-80209.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CINCINNATI – Ronald Scott Daley, 53, of Miamisburg, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to wire fraud and tax evasion related to a scheme to defraud clients, including elderly victims. 

According to his plea agreement, which includes a recommended sentence of up to 60 months in prison, Daley was employed by a life insurance brokerage firm and advised several elderly clients with respect to life insurance and annuity products.

From at least 2012 until 2020, Daley fraudulently convinced client victims to withdraw certain assets from the insurance brokerage firm and to deposit the funds into their own personal accounts. Daley then influenced the victims to make payments to a bank account for an entity that Daley controlled.

For example, Daley defrauded three victims of more than $707,000 in total.

Furthermore, Daley failed to file and pay taxes on the fraudulent income.

As part of his conviction, he will repay the approximately $707,000 in restitution.

Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations; announced the guilty plea entered on May 5 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Albany man has been charged with federal crimes related to sending at least 65 threatening letters and electronic communications to approximately 34 victims, including public officials, a local TV station and law enforcement. Many of the letters included a white powder and one letter included a bullet etched with the victim’s last name.

“Perpetrators who violate federal law by sending such serious threats in the mail or online will not remain anonymous. Actual or threatened political violence in any form must be condemned,” said Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris. “We will work with our law enforcement partners to identify these bad actors and prosecute them.”

“Targeting public officials with threatening messages and substances is a serious federal crime that won’t go unpunished,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “FBI agents have worked closely with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate these incidents and arrest the suspected offender.”

Ronald Lidderdale, 39, appeared in federal court in Columbus this afternoon. He is charged with making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.

According to charging documents, Lidderdale allegedly sent the threatening communications to publicly elected officials holding statewide office in Ohio, elected officials holding office in the federal government, and individuals involved in Ohio politics.

It is alleged that Lidderdale sent at least 49 letters containing suspicious white powders, which at times the sender claimed to be Ricin. To date, 29 victims received the white powder letters.

One letter contained a 9mm bullet with the last name of the public official etched on it.

For example, between July and early August 2024, it is alleged that Lidderdale sent a dozen threatening letters via the mail in five different mailings. The return labels on the letters contained mailing information for individuals who were either currently or previously employed by the targeted public official.

In the letters, Lidderdale allegedly threatened violence against the letter recipients, including language like, “I will kill you for your ignorant loyalty to your pedophilic party” and “I will kill you for the good of The People. Your death will come when you least expect it.”

Last week, Lidderdale allegedly sent letters to eight victims containing a hitlist of eight individuals he said he would kill in the month of May.

Court documents allege that Lidderdale sent a letter to a local TV station and emails to federal and local law enforcement outlining his plans.

It is further alleged that Lidderdale sent threatening emails to public officials stating, “Each [victim] will receive the gift of their names etched onto a single bullet. Their skull is the target the bullet is the gift.”

On May 8, Lidderdale allegedly told FBI agents that he had sent the letters and emails with the intent to incite fear, including the fear of bodily injury, and to make threats with the goal of changing behavior.

Mailing threatening communications carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking are all federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.

Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); as well as the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several Ohio police departments; announced the charges filed today. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Jessica W. Knight, National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney James Donnelly and Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Stephen Christopher Young, 58, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment for receipt/attempted receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Crimes against children are unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that we aggressively prosecute these offenders.”

In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and discovered Young had been exchanging child pornography with others using various applications intended to avoid detection by using end-to-end encryption.

Young’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $20,500 in restitution. Young will also be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.

“It’s crucial to prioritize the protection of children from sexual abuse,” said Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott.

The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.

“This case is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to protecting children by removing predators from our community,” said Jason Carley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville. “Let this be a lesson to others who prey on vulnerable kids; the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify, pursue, and hold child predators accountable.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Stephen Christopher Young, 58, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment for receipt/attempted receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Crimes against children are unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that we aggressively prosecute these offenders.”

In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and discovered Young had been exchanging child pornography with others using various applications intended to avoid detection by using end-to-end encryption.

Young’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $20,500 in restitution. Young will also be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.

“It’s crucial to prioritize the protection of children from sexual abuse,” said Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott.

The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.

“This case is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to protecting children by removing predators from our community,” said Jason Carley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville. “Let this be a lesson to others who prey on vulnerable kids; the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify, pursue, and hold child predators accountable.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Dudding is a registered child sex offender who was twice previously convicted in North Carolina – once of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024). 

According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chatroom on an online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.”

Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he would book a hotel room in Jacksonville.

On May 8, 2025, Dudding was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina. He was detained and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to Jacksonville for prosecution in this case. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Dudding is a registered child sex offender who was twice previously convicted in North Carolina – once of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024). 

According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chatroom on an online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.”

Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he would book a hotel room in Jacksonville.

On May 8, 2025, Dudding was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina. He was detained and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to Jacksonville for prosecution in this case. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.