JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville police officer convicted last November in connection with a federal investigation into a criminal conspiracy that involved drug dealing and money laundering has been sentenced to four years' probation and 150 hours of community service.
According to court documents, between May 2012 and January 2013, Michael Rounsville, 48, Manuel Rodriguez, 33 of Middleburg, Mollie Bass, 33 of Jacksonville, Hedar Khlaf 34 of Jacksonville, Erik Estrada-Lopez, 42 of Orange Park, Christian Magliano, 27 of Miami, Diane Harrison, 59 of Jacksonville, and Bruce Childs, 38 of Miami, conspired to launder proceeds gained from the illegal distribution of ecstasy.
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Rounsville, who was an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at the time, illegally accessed law enforcement databases to conduct a criminal history and driver's license check on an undercover agent for financial gain and in furtherance of the money-laundering scheme.
Rounsville was on voluntary unpaid leave without pay from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office pending the outcome of his trial. JSO told News4Jax after Rounsville's conviction that his employment status had not changed. We have contacted JSO to find out of Rounsville is still employed there, but we have not heard back.
The scheme involved some of the individuals structuring cash deposits to avoid the filing of a Currency Transaction Report, as required for bank transactions involving more than $10,000 in cash.
Two members of the conspiracy sold a Cadillac Escalade that was traceable to drug proceeds to an undercover agent for $35,000 cash. They also failed to file the required IRS Form (8300) for cash transactions involving more than $10,000.
In addition, three of the individuals conspired to use some of the money from the scheme to purchase 109 pounds of marijuana in California and then transport it to Jacksonville for distribution.
Operation Thunderstruck began after an undercover officer investigating money laundering involving car sales from a Westside dealership was asked to turn over his Social Security number and ID. Investigators said that undercover officer's information was turned over to Rounsville, who ran checks through the NCIC and Florida's Driver and Vehicle Information databases -- something he did not have authority to do.
A co-conspirator testified at trial that, at the request of another co-defendant, he had delivered an envelope containing an unknown amount of cash to Rounsville while he was engaged in off-duty work at a road construction site in Jacksonville.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Aug. 2 and was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison. On Oct. 6, Bass pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. She was sentenced to time served (about 18 months), plus 3 years of supervised release.
Khlaf pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, to failing to file a Form 8300. He was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.
On Nov. 14, a federal jury found Estrada-Lopez guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to three years of supervised release, to include 120 days of home detention, 150 hours of community service, and a $10,000 fine.
Magliano was sentenced to two years of supervised release, to include six months of home detention. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana on Oct. 31.
Harrison, who is the mother of Mollie Bass, was sentenced to three years of probation. She pleaded guilty on Aug. 31 to structuring bank transactions to evade the cash transaction reporting requirements.
Childs pleaded guilty on Oct. 20 and was sentenced to one year of probation and 50 hours of community service for structuring bank transactions to evade the cash transaction reporting requirements.