Attorney General Moody's Week In Review
This week, I presented Back the Blue Awards to Florida Highway Patrol Troop A for their courageous efforts to rescue a victim from human trafficking. While responding to a highway pursuit, Troopers rescued a young girl being transported across the state by a dangerous criminal.
The trafficker, a known felon and gang member, held the victim captive and forced the minor into sex work and child pornography.
Because of the courageous actions by members of FHP Troop A, this victim is now safe.
These Troopers are heroes and help us toward our goal of stopping human trafficking in Florida.
In addition to the Back the Blue Awards, I also presented Troop A with a Florida Cabinet Resolution, recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Florida.
This resolution commends Florida law enforcement, local governments and communities for working together to combat this atrocious crime.
You too can help us in our mission to end human trafficking in Florida. Visit YouCanStopHT.com to learn how to spot and report suspicious activity.
Working together, we can bring traffickers to justice, rescue victims and build a Stronger, Safer Florida.
Protecting Floridians
VIDEO: Attorney General Moody Warns Parents About Illicit Fentanyl as New Study Shows Children Under 14 Dying at Fastest Rate
Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning parents about the dangers of fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid. A new study, conducted by Families Against Fentanyl, found that children under the age of 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group. Fentanyl continues to be the number one killer of adults 18-45. With these alarming statistics, Attorney General Moody is urging Floridians to never use illicit drugs and is sharing the Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit to help parents talk to their children about fentanyl.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This is disturbing news, and as the mother of a school-aged child, I want to make sure every family is engaging in an open dialog about the dangers posed by massive amounts of illicit drugs flooding into our country. We have known for a while about the skyrocketing fentanyl deaths among young adults—and we suspected it was having a growing impact on small children, but this report confirms the urgent public-safety risks all parents are now facing when trying to protect their children from this deadly synthetic poison flooding into our country from Mexico.” More.
Attorney General Moody’s Statewide Prosecutors Secure 30-Year Prison Sentences for Members of Massive Identity Theft Scheme
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution secured 30-year prison sentences for members of a massive identity theft scheme. The lengthy sentences are a result of three individuals, Carnessa Rouse, Gregory Engram and Samishia Askew stealing the identities of more than 120 individuals—most victims being above the age of 65. Using the victims' identities, the defendants opened fraudulent credit card accounts to fund luxurious lifestyles.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We secured lengthy prison sentences for three defendants for their roles in a massive identity theft scheme spanning at least seven counties in Florida. These fraudsters victimized more than 120 Floridians—most of them seniors—by stealing and misusing ill-gotten personal information to open fraudulent credit card accounts. They then used the credit accounts to fund their extravagant lifestyles. Now their lifestyles will be much more modest in prison thanks to the great work of my Statewide Prosecutors and our hardworking law enforcement partners.” More.
Events
This week, Attorney General Ashley Moody presented Back the Blue Awards to Florida Highway Patrol Troop A for recovering a human trafficking victim. Attorney General Moody also presented Troop A with a Florida Cabinet Resolution recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month, during a meeting of the Governor and Florida Cabinet.