U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney 99 N.E. 4 Street August 14, 2008 NEWS RELEASE:
FLORIDA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGE OF TRAVELING TO SEXUALLY EXPLOIT A MINOR
A Florida resident pleaded guilty today to one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida R. Alexander Acosta and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division Jonathan I. Solomon announced. Minnis’s sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 23, 2008. At sentencing, Minnis will face a maximum of 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison and a $250,000 fine. In a prior Florida state prosecution on related charges involving the same minor, Minnis was convicted on five counts of lewd or lascivious battery and one count of interference with custody of a minor, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Minnis was also convicted of attempted murder for hire because he attempted to have the minor killed prior to the state trial. Minnis was sentenced to five years in prison for the attempted murder for hire charge, which will run consecutive to the 15 years he received for lewd or lascivious battery and interference with custody of a minor. Minnis was already serving his prison sentence on the state conviction prior to today's federal conviction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida Robin Waugh-Farretta and Trial Attorney Alecia Riewerts of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The investigation was handled by the FBI, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the High Tech Investigative Unit of CEOS. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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