Felonies

Four Colombians Extradited to U.S., Plead Guilty, Now Will Serve Time in U.S. Federal Prison

A federal judge in Tampa sentenced Elias Estupinan Rengifo of Colombia to 135 months in federal prison for conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine on-board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of... [Read More]

Lakeland Man Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Polk County

Kristian C. Brooks-Marlar of Lakeland has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Matthew Ross McCraney, also of Lakeland. Polk County sheriff’s detectives allege that Brooks-Marlar and McCraney got into a fight early last Sunday morning. The two... [Read More]

DUI Manslaughter Charges Filed in 2009 Pinellas Crash

Two and a half years after the August 2009 car crash that killed Leigh Ann Hallett and Robert Hallett of New Port Richey, 27-year-old Michelle Marie Jensen was charged with DUI manslaughter and arrested. After being booked into the Pinellas... [Read More]

Tampa Man and Co-Defendant Found Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Case

Late last week, a federal jury in Tampa found William “Ondra” Joel of Oxford, Florida and Maurice Vernon of Tampa guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and making false statements on loan applications submitted to FDIC-insured... [Read More]

Jury Selection in Hernando County Death Penalty Case Begins

Attorneys involved in the capital murder case against John Kalisz in Hernando County spent all day Tuesday questioning prospective jury members. They begin another day of jury selection on Wednesday morning. Kalisz, already convicted of killing a sheriff’s deputy in... [Read More]

Bond Denied for Two Men Charged in Pinellas Murders

Brothers Isidro and Carlos Jones were denied bond in a newly filed murder charge against them in Pinellas County Circuit Court. The brothers are charged with killing Zorana Lebedic in Clearwater back in September as she rode her bicycle home... [Read More]

Hillsborough Prosecutors File First Degree Murder Charges in Shooting of Avila Couple

Julian Ospina-Florez, a naturalized citizen from Colombia, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder this week after a Tampa physician and his wife were shot and killed. The Hillsborough County Sheriff and prosecutors accus Ospina-Florez of shooting Hector... [Read More]

Kevin White Co-Defendant Incompetent to Stand Trial

George Hondrellis, co-defendant in former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White’s corruption case, has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. According to the federal magistrate on the case, Hondrellis will be treated for his mental condition for at least four... [Read More]

Drug Charges Dropped Against Tampa Doctor

Six months after Tampa physician, Dr. Christina Paylan and her boyfriend, Joseph Abdo, were charged in state court for drug possession, the charges have now been dismissed. Last summer, police found syringes and empty boxes of Demerol in the trash... [Read More]

Charges Not Filed in Tampa Road Rage Death

In late November, Alcisviades Polanco of Tampa cut off  Wathson Adelson, also of Tampa, in traffic on Manhattan Avenue. Adelson then sped around Polanco and stopped his car. Both men got out of their cars and began to argue. The... [Read More]

Tampa Woman Charged with DUI Manslaughter

Debra Jean Smith of Tampa was arrested and charged earlier this month with DUI manslaughter after a crash in Lutz. 71-year-old Helen Teresa Wallace of Clearwater was killed. According to authorities, Smith failed to stop at the intersection of Sunset... [Read More]

Trial in St. Petersburg Shooting Ends with Plea to Reduced Charge

As reported in the St. Petersburg Times last week, Phillip J. Peterson and his attorney Bjorn Brunvand of this office reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in the midst of his trial for second-degree murder. Peterson was accused of shooting... [Read More]

Tampa Father & Son Arrested for Trafficking Cocaine Near School

A 44-year-old father and his 24-year-old son were arrested last week by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies for trafficking in cocaine in Tampa. Joseph Quintana Sr. and Joseph Quintana Jr., 24, both Tampa residents, had reportedly been the subject of a... [Read More]

Tax and Mail Fraud Lands Tampa Woman in Federal Prison

A federal judge in Tampa sentenced Shawntrece Sims to nine years in federal prison for tax fraud and mail fraud earlier this month. Sims pleaded guilty last March, admitting to preparing and electronically filing false income tax returns to get... [Read More]

Four Charged with First-Degree Murder in Pasco Homicide

Four people were arrested in New Port Richey this week and charged with first-degree murder, two weeks after the November 10th beating death of Samuel Martinez Pratts in a vacant house. Adam Ekdahl, Courtney Ann Keeven, Zoraina Castillo and Staci... [Read More]

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