Former Bradenton Football Coach Faces DUI Manslaughter Trial

Josh Hunter, former football coach at Bradenton’s Braden River High School, faces trial on DUI manslaughter charges next month in Manatee County. Hunter was driving his SUV home from a party in Venice on March 21, 2009, when it overturned... [Read More]

Tampa Judge Orders Man to Take Psychotropic Drugs to Face Sentencing

A Hillsborough County circuit judge ordered this week that convicted murderer Carlos Bello can be forced to take psychotropic medications in jail to make him competent for sentencing. Bello was convicted of murdering a police officer in 1987 but has... [Read More]

Sarasota County Woman Charged in Murder of Ex’s Girlfriend

Sarasota County authorities have charged Morgan Jane Smith of North Port with premeditated murder and attempted murder relating to a shooting over the weekend. Prosecutors allege that Smith pointed a 20-gauge shotgun at Andrea Stranko, the current girlfriend of Smith’s... [Read More]

Tampa Bay Doctor Pleads Guilty to Drug and Fraud Charges

Dr. Jeffrey Friedlander pleaded guilty in a Tampa federal court this week to conspiring to distribute and dispense numerous controlled substances - Oxycodone, Morphine, Hydrocodone, and Alprazolam – and to conspiring to defraud Medicare. Friedlander faces a maximum penalty of twenty... [Read More]

Four Tampa Men Indicted for Money Laundering in Alleged Illegal Alien Smuggling Scheme

The U.S. Attorney in Tampa announced the indictment of four Tampa men for alleged money laundering in relation to an illegal alien smuggling organization to conceal the origins of the money. The investigation, coined Operation “Brazilian Express,” reportedly took over... [Read More]

Palm Harbor Woman Charged with DUI Manslaughter

Clearwater police arrested Nicole Scholl of Palm Harbor early yesterday morning in relation to a single car accident which killed a Clearwater man. Scholl was charged with DUI manslaughter. Law enforcement alleges that Scholl was intoxicated when she lost control... [Read More]

Cape Coral Men Plead Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Four Cape Coral men pleaded guilty to federal charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. A fifth man, from Texas, also pleaded guilty in relation to the same mortgage fraud enterprise. Troy Bossert, Tyler Forrey... [Read More]

Sarasota Man Convicted on Federal Tax Charges

Carel A. “Chad” Prater of Sarasota was found guilty of a vareity of government fraud-related charges, including corrupt interference with the federal tax laws, aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, failure to file a tax return... [Read More]

Clearwater Woman Sentenced to Prison for Immigration Fraud

Barbara Branks, owner of La Gringa Professional Immigration Services in Clearwater, was sentenced this week to nearly five years in federal prison for filing false asylum applications with United States customs agencies. She was also ordered to forfeit about $816,000... [Read More]