Immokalee harvesters sentenced in Oakes Farms fraud

Two Immokalee harvesting business owners will head to federal prison this month, becoming the first to be sentenced as part of a continuing fraud investigation involving Oakes Farms. 

Marcelino DeLeon Jr., 46, who owns LD Harvesting Inc., and Jacinto “Jay” Luna, 54, president of South Flo Harvesting Inc., which was dissolved last December, will surrender Nov. 19 to begin serving two-year federal sentences. They’re among seven defendants who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate and testify against co-conspirators. 

The men were sentenced Oct. 6 by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell, who also ordered two years of supervised release. They pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and committing illegal monetary transactions. 

DeLeon paid $2,103,420.22 in restitution and penalties to the federal government, while Luna paid $994,216.96 in restitution and a $200 assessment. 

Friends, relatives, employers and farming executives submitted dozens of letters on their behalf, seeking leniency and describing them as remorseful and uncharacteristically involved in the crime. 

“I know what Jay has done is reprehensible,” wrote Pierre Hugues Adrace, employee relations manager at Gargiulo Inc. “As a man of great character, he told me that he is willing to pay for the consequences of his past mistakes. However, he would like me to elucidate to the court that he is a different person. … Jay is very remorseful and ready to make all the efforts required to be a better person for his community.” 

Curtis Blocker Sr. and Curtis Blocker Jr., who own several Immokalee businesses, including B&L Ace Hardware and rental company C&C Properties of Immokalee, described DeLeon as a good friend and hardworking community member. 

“The incident does not reflect Mr. DeLeon’s character,” Blocker Sr. wrote. “He has always respected the law and others and is a reliable community supporter, mentoring youth and assisting nonprofits. We are confident he regrets it all and any wrongdoing and is committed to learning from his experience.” 

Court records show they were among at least four people who conspired with former Oakes Farms Vice President Steven Veneziano Jr., who pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy and money laundering involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP, which aided farmers during the pandemic. Veneziano, who also agreed to cooperate, will be sentenced March 23, 2026. 

Alfie Oakes has not been charged and has not responded to requests for comment. The investigation began after federal agents raided his North Naples home and an Immokalee packing plant last November. Plea agreements identify him as “Entity 1,” “Co-conspirator 1” and “Farm Enterprise 1,” which owns farming, packing, shipping, retail, food service and seafood distribution businesses. 

Plea documents say that before August 2020, DeLeon and Luna conspired with others to defraud CFAP and the Farm Service Agency by misrepresenting crop production figures, ownership interests and other eligibility criteria. 

DeLeon, Luna and Veneziano conspired to submit a fraudulent CFAP application to the USDA to receive more funds than they were entitled to. Luna’s plea says he falsely reported the volume and types of crops South Flo Harvesting sold between Jan. 15 and April 15, 2020, and falsely claimed additional owners to increase the payment amount. 

In September 2020, Luna conspired with Veneziano and DeLeon to submit a second CFAP application, falsely reporting $2.7 million in 2019 commodity sales, allowing him to receive $994,216.96. 

When the agency notified South Flo of a pending “spot check,” Veneziano created fake purchase orders, bills of sale and contracts to make it appear crops were being produced. Fake invoices were generated to match the falsified records and delivered by Luna to the FSA office. He later used $45,000 to buy a vehicle. 

DeLeon’s plea says he, assisted by Luna and Veneziano, submitted fraudulent CFAP-1 and CFAP-2 applications, including inflated crop figures and false claims that LD Harvesting had additional owners. He reported $3.35 million in 2019 commodity sales and received $1,051,710.11 in CFAP funds, $12,497.89 of which he used to purchase a vehicle at auction. 

Court records show other defendants are continuing to pay millions in restitution. Some didn’t receive CFAP funds because the government had already begun investigating. 

Other defendants are: Christopher Manzanares, general manager of Oakes Farms and Seed to Table; Felipe Muñoz, who worked at Oakes Farms Dairy; farm manager Christopher Lee; and Kirk Henderson, who worked for Oakes Farms Nursery.