South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Ramiro Rodriguez, of Hialeah, was arrested after being caught with hundreds of pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. He was transporting all the pot in individually-wrapped packages. The GMC Yukon was towing a trailer full of the stuff when detectives discovered it. Broward Sheriff Office and DEA agents worked together and believe that the two men arrested in the aforementioned bust were actually members of a larger group in the area that are smuggling heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. The two men were formally charged with drug trafficking.

Continue reading " Fort Lauderdale Marijuana Bust Yields Impressive Arrest " »

Jason Rivera, Hiram Maldonado, 24, and Nathanael Desmornes, 24, were arrested by Orange County Sheriff's Office with charges related to possession of a stolen gun and marijuana. The three were pulled over in Rivera's vehicle after officers noticed that the front passengers were not wearing seat belts. According to Florida's Click-It-or-Ticket law, police were authorized to stop the vehicle and thus proceed with their investigation. The investigation turned out four Xanax pills with no medication prescription and a stolen 9mm pistol fully loaded. The firearm was stolen from an unlocked vehicle near the campus of the University of Central Florida according to records. Maldonado and Desmornes were identified as members of a street gang, as well.

Continue reading " Florida Traffic Stop Leads to Marijuana Arrest " »

John Couey, 51, died in prison according to a Florida Department of Corrections spokesman. He had been on death row for four years in the murder, abduction, and rape of Jessica Lunsford age 9. Couey had been ill for some time, according to prison officials. The murder of Jessica Lunsford was quite graphic and disturbing, even to some court officials and officers. She was lured to his trailor from her own, raped, and when he thought he was going to be caught, buried her alive in garbage bags which would suffocate her. Couey explicitly told all the events to police including every gory detail while saying in a nonchalant manner to the press "this kind of thing happens every day." "To me, death is sad," stated Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford. "But her death, Jessie's death, has been redeemed ... I'm relieved. I'm glad it's over with."

Continue reading " Infamous Florida Child Predator Dies in Prison " »

A 37-year-old man left the state of Florida last June with a $25,000 bail in lieu of a conspiracy for trafficking ecstasy charge. The man's name will remain anonymous due to death threats he has been receiving and pending legal proceedings. Due to a life-and-death incident he faced, he left Florida to Canada on illegal standing due to organized criminals in Florida. The unidentified man will be facing 15 years in US prison for the falsification of documents and skipping bail in Florida.

Continue reading " Florida Fugitive Caught In Tough Situation Faces Prison Time " »

Todd Jackson Sr., 42, was charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. The US Attorney's Office indicted Jackson after investigating his career as being part of a cocaine distribution network that reached from Broward County north to the Treasure and Space coasts. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison in lieu of possession of more than 5 kilos of cocaine. Haiti and the Bahamas were the primary sources of Jackson's smuggled cocaine. From the entry into the US, distribution would be made to other smaller dealing sources in Broward, St. Lucie, Brevard and Palm Beach counties. Many sites were raided by federal agents totaling in 243 kilos of cocaine, 80 grams of crack cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy, guns, over $100,000 in cash and nearly half a million dollars worth of jewelry.

Continue reading " Florida Cocaine Runner Sentenced to Federal Prison " »

The Dieu family is at the center of media attention revolving around their gruesome murder by the man of the house. He fled to Haiti after killing at children and his wife. Police in Haiti caught him once he was off the flight and he is now in custody. Mackindy Dieu, a relative to the family murdered, never noticed any abusive behavior involving the couple. "He never showed any aggression toward her, when I was around, because he knew I wouldn't put up with that crap," he says. Police say this incident was one of the most tragic they have seen in a long time.

Under Florida law, a person who is arrested for domestic violence (DV) can be charged with battery, assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or certain kinds of sexual abuse. The accused must also be held in jail without bond until he or she speaks with a judge.

Continue reading " Family Killed by Father in Florida Makes Headline News " »

Santiago Cabrera, 19, was arrested by Miami-Dade Police under the charges of armed burglary and animal cruelty. Police say an incident involving Cabrera and the horse's death was for the horse's meat while he held the horse down for another person to come and slit its throat. Miguel Cordero, 18, was arrested recently by police in the area on similar charges.

The burglary statute in Florida covers not only wrongful entries into real property, such as a building or home, but also a conveyance: a conveyance in Florida can be an automobile, truck, bus, or anything that moves on the highways. If you are accused of burglary of a conveyance the state must prove that you wrongfully entered the conveyance with the fully formed intent to commit a crime. It is a burglary of a conveyance if you reach through a window of an automobile and hit someone.

Continue reading " Florida Teenager Charged in Horse Killing Case " »

Investigators for the Blountstown Police Department have been underway in a large marijuana operation involving some large, key producers in the state. Charles and Salenna Stephens were the owners of one residence where police found tens of baby marijuana plants. Another home caught in the sting had 17 marijuana plants, owned by a Thomas MaClean, age 44. These arrests have shown officers that marijuana cultivation is booming as usual in the panhandle and further sting operations will be conducted in the future.

Because Florida is a major center for illegal international drug trafficking, drug offenses are aggressively prosecuted in the state. The amount of drugs involved in a person's arrest can determine whether the person will be charged with a felony or a misdemeanor.

Continue reading " Florida Marijuana Growers Busted in the Florida Panhandle " »

Prison Sgt. Obe D. L'Bert, 30, Officer Cordell J. White, 22, and Officer Christopher W. Bonnet, 21, were all charged in the mistreatment and coercive use of inmate Larry "Monster" Williams. Williams was "hired" by the men to beat up uncooperative inmates at the Dade Correctional Institution. All officers were charged with conspiracy and civil rights violations of an inmate. Williams was originally incarcerated for possession of cocaine in January 2007. The department head at the institution has called the alleged violations "unconscionable." In one incident, an inmate identified by the moniker D.T. was attacked by "Monster" while two of the officers charged with the crimes were waiting outside. Florida Corrections Secretary Walter A. McNeil has shown dismay over the conduct of his officers and made a release saying, ``Our mission is to ensure not only public safety, but the safety and well-being of inmates."

Continue reading " Florida Inmate Used as Corrections Officers' In-House Weapon " »

Fabio Ochoa Vasco, 48, was arrested and charged with drug trafficking by US authorities in South Florida. He will be looking at 10 years to life in prison for a drug operation involving the smuggling of tons of cocaine by speedboat, cargo ship and airplane from Columbia into the U.S. Federal prosecutors and authorities are looking to cut a deal with the man for forfeiture of assets including apartments around the world owned by Vasco, a $1 million island, as well as a bunch of other assets named by Vasco. Vasco is claimed to have been involved in the drug trafficking industry and the Medellin cartel for three decades.

Continue reading " Florida Drug Cartel Man Caught and Standing Trial " »

Polk County police have recently conducted a prostitution sting operation recently. The program resulted in the arrest of 28 women and 5 pimps, according to authorities. "Operation Hot Date" was thought to be a success in the movement to clean up the vice crimes occurring with no fear of police in the area for some time. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a release to the press that Craigslist in actually "facilitating" and "profiting" from the prostitute businesses that advertise for free via the internet website. Craigslist has promised to curb the number of ads that promote such sex crimes yet Grady wants charges to be pressed against the online listing site.

Continue reading " Prostitution Sting in Florida Effected Via Craigslist " »

Tyrone Ward, a man from Volusia County, has been arrested as the fourth man in connection with the murder and shooting of a 13 year old boy in Daytona Beach. Numerous agencies from the US Marshals to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have been involved in the case's investigation. Lloyd Robinson, Jr., 13, was shot in the head after opening the door to his home when someone knocked on it from the outside. A lot of information is still unknown about who the precise killer in this crime is yet many tips have been flooding the law enforcement agencies regarding who the killer might be. One more fifth suspect is still on the loose and being searched for by authorities. "Four out of five are in custody and if you're number five, it's probably in your best interest to come and surrender because it's only a matter of time before we get you too," said Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood in a press conference to the public.

Continue reading " 13 Year Old Boy Murder Results in Arrest of Florida Man " »

Christopher J. Cox, 22, and Amer E. Ejak, 16, were arrested in Tampa in connection with the murder of Thomas M. Johannesen, 34, a resident of Long Island, NY. It is still undetermined what the precise relationship between the two individuals and the deceased is, but authorities say that the two were arrested in Johannesen's apartment when the man was hit in the head with a bottle of alcohol. Johannesen was then suffocated and then shoved in a closet under some clothes. Police are investigating the circumstances of the homicide and are holding both of the arrestees without bail at a local sheriffs office.

Continue reading " Florida Man Murdered by Two Others in Tampa " »

Jorge Miyar, 49, was arrested for driving under the influence by Florida Highway Patrol. Miyar was driving an unmarked government vehicle when he hit a curb before a DUI checkpoint set up at Oakland Park. This act made officer suspicious of the driver and upon questioning he said that he was "unfamiliar" with the area and thus negotiated the road incorrectly. What an answer, nice try my man.. Officers arrested him after conducting some field sobriety tests to solidify the case against him in court. Miyar refused to take the breathalyzer and was arrested by police at the scene.

Continue reading " FBI Agent Gets a DUI in Florida " »

Straight out of Fort Walton Beach, a 22 year old man was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office after being stopped in a traffic violation and being cited for driving without a driver's license. The man showed the officer a pipe which the violator explained was to smoke marijuana with. The police report stated this explicitly and was released to the public after the arrest. The bong in the car had marijuana residue, according to the report.

Continue reading " Florida Man Shows Bong Instead of Drivers License to Cops " »

Arthur Nadel of Holland & Knight, an investment group in Sarasota, is being sued due to a fraudulent investment program him and the firm engaged in. Holland & Knight is being sued for the failure to discover the fraudulent program despite the fact that a basic examination probably would have revealed this glaring issue to investigators. Nadel vanished in January, worrying his family with a suicide note left to them. Nadal is currently being held on $5 million bail and formally charged with federal securities and wire fraud.

Continue reading " Florida Law Firm Sued in Fraud Case " »

Jim Leyritz, a former player for the New York Yankees, has had his trial postponed under further questioning of a video brought to the court's attention. The Honorable Judge Marc Gold delayed the trial until December or, at the latest, January. The video will allow Leyritz' criminal defense attorney to argue that Leyritz was less drunk than the prosecution has charged him with which was at a .14 BAC level. 10 minutes are in question as the video shows the crash victim's vehicle passing through an intersection before the actual crash. The legal limit for blood-alcohol content in Florida is .08.

Continue reading " Former Baseball Player On Trial in Florida for DUI " »

Richard P. Cramer, a high-ranking agent at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement federal agency, was arrested in his Arizona home for suspicion of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine. Cramer was formerly stationed in Mexico during his active duty and later retired in 2007 in the U.S. An investigation reaching back into 2006 was discovered to be the source of the warrant and arrest. Authorities claim that Cramer assisted a big time drug trafficking organization by alerting them to inside informants working for the government via illegal use of a confidential law enforcement database. One shipment the organization involved with Cramer was worth $400,000 and weighed about 660 pounds. That's a lot of cocaine. Officials seized the shipment once it landed on U.S. soil, stopping its journey which originally started in Panama and was going to conclude in Spain. Cramer will be extradited to a holding center in Florida because most of the criminal acts occurred here.

Continue reading " ICE Agent Arrested on Cocaine Charges Will Be Sent to Florida " »

Eric Rodriguez, 23, will be looking at the death penalty in his trial involving the murder of a 17 year old cheerleader in Bartow, FL. Rodriguez was one of three men who pleaded guilty to luring the girl, Angelia Headrick, into an apartment early in 2007. They men robbed her of money and drugs which she was possessing, and then killed her. Another man in the accused group accepted a deal giving him 15 years in prison due to testimony he gave in court. The third man was not been in trial for the murder yet.

First-degree murder must contain the following two elements:

1. The killing of another human being is premeditated and intentional.

2. A homicide is also a First-degree murder when one person kills another in the act of perpetrating, or in the attempt the perpetrate serious felonies that include the following Arson, Burglary, Robbery, Home-Invasion Robbery, Killing of Another Human Being, Carjacking, Drug Trafficking, Kidnapping, Escape, Aircraft Piracy, Aggravated Child Abuse, Aggravated Stalking, Unlawful Throwing, Placing or Discharging of a Destructive Device such as a Bomb, Resisting an Officer with Violence to His Person, Terrorism.

Continue reading " Florida Man Kills Cheerleader and Faces Death Penalty " »

Nathaniel Fine was stopped by police for a few items that made his car appear to impersonate that of a police officers. Marijuana was found in the vehicle, along with a police scanner and a Massachusetts State Police patch. Fine claimed that he was not impersonating a police officer, yet the evidence appears to say otherwise. Police scanners are prohibited from use in vehicles unless the user has a valid operator radio license or their job requires the use of a scanner in a vehicle. He was arrested formally on charges of marijuana possession and possession of radio scanner tuned to law enforcement frequencies.

Continue reading " 20 Year Old Floridian Arrested For Police Scanner and Marijuana " »

Mike Ohana, 39, Ryan Dosen, 30, and Paula Ramos, 52, were among nine people involved in a complex mortgage fraud scheme skyrocketing into the millions of dollars of theft. The group allegedly defrauded $3 million from two banks by use of fraudulent loans. Authorities stated that Ramos verified the loan applications on two properties in Miami in a fraudulent fashion. Washington Mutual was the bank defrauded by Go Expert Mortgage, the group owned by Ramos. Fraud occurred when Ramos vouched for the applications as true. Dosen was the attorney that worked as a title attorney for the deal.

Continue reading " Mortgage Broker and Others Prosecuted in South Florida Mortgage Fraud " »

A 14 year old boy was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, a felony charge of escape, and resisting an officer without violence. The teen struck a classmate at his school and ran from the police while being handcuffed. After being caught nearly a mile from the origin of incident, he was brought into custody. He struggled once returned to the school and ran again, where he was caught soon after. A bag was found dropped in the school by the boy and retrieved by authorities. The substance in the bag was tested and found to be marijuana.

Continue reading " Florida Teen Arrested for Marijuana Possession " »