Articles Posted in Crime News

In the case of Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez Jr, both were found guilty of murder resulting from an armed carjacking, drug conspiracy and weapons charges; both are facing life in prison. The incident revolving around this case that we have been following for quite some time was the tragic Turnpike murder incident of an entire family, thought to be drug related. A federal jury deliberated for almost 24 hours before finally reaching a verdict. A few others have been convicted of the charges against them; Danny Varela, 28, and Liana Lopez, 20.

Recapping the events that happened with this crime, a family of four along a dark stretch of the Turnpike was gunned down in a drug debt related incident in 2006. The bodies of Jose Luis Escobedo, 28; his wife, Yessica Guerrero Escobedo, 25; and their sons, Luis Julian, 4, and Luis Damian, 3; were found alongside the road. The bodies laid in a twisted mound in the grass, shot at close range.

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Preston Parker, 21, formerly of the Florida State University football team has turned himself in to authories in Palm Beach Gardens on charges of violation of probation. Police arrested the young man in April 2008 for weapons and drug charges, which is where the probation violation stems from. He technically violated his probation when he was last arrested in Tallahassee on a charge of driving under the influence.

A person is guilty of Driving Under the Influence if all the following can be proven by the state:

1. The defendant was in actual physical control of a vehicle (car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, boat, motorbike).

2. The person was under the influence of alcohol, a chemical substance, a controlled substance; to the extent that one’s normal faculties are impaired.

3. If the person has a blood alcohol level over the legal maximum (.08% in most states, 0.1 in a minority of states), you can be found guilty of DUBAL (driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level) or the law creates a rebuttable presumption of impairment.

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Henry Farrell, 46, has been charged recently with carjacking. Farrell attempted to carjack a man in the parking lot of a coffee shop in Boca Raton last January. Police say the incident is the man’s 190th arrest, an arrest rap record loaded with many charges from numerous marijuana and cocaine possessions. Family of the man say he suffers from bipolar disorder.

It’s sad to see when recidivism is clearly evident from our court and rehabilitation systems even when millions of dollars are spent each year to have these types of incidents not occur. The man involved is clearly of unsound mind and needs to have some life changes in order to correct himself.

Florida Statute 812.133 defines “carjacking” as:

the taking of a motor vehicle which may be the subject of larceny from the person or custody of another, with intent to either permanently or temporarily deprive the person or the owner of the motor vehicle, when in the course of the taking there is the use of force, violence, assault, or putting in fear.

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Packed with cocaine and grimly christened “coffins,” sleek jungle-built submarines are steaming their way north from Colombia through Pacific waters to deliver tons of illegal drugs headed for the U.S. market. These vessels travel just below the water surface leaving a small glass cockpit or tubes visible to the world. They are the latest in shipment methods used by drug cartels in transporting large amounts of their products into the US with no detection by authorities. Sometimes three or four crewmen plus a pilot cram into the dingy, humid hulls, suffocated by the noise of a diesel engine rumbling right next to their heads. Key West has been a new target point for unloaders of these vessels and local authorities are worried.

“They call it either the coffin or the tomb,” said Rear Admiral Joseph Nimmich, the officer who commands the U.S. Coast Guard’s Joint Interagency Task Force South. “The intent is to be as low-profile, and to make it as difficult for us to find, as possible.”

Drug trafficking carries stiff charges if prosecuted in a court of law in the US. Drug trafficking can include a fine up to $500,000 and life in prison. This is incredible severe and life-altering in punishment level. You need a lawyer who can minimize the impact this charge could have on your life.

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WCTV-TALLAHASSEE

On Tuesday investigators with the Jackson County Drug Task Force arrested Marcus D. Bell. The arrest came as a result of a traffic stop on Salem Church Rd. Bell was found to be in possession of approximately six grams of the illegal substance, Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bell was also found to be on Pretrial Intervention on charges of Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon. Bell was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine, with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and also charged with Violation of Pretrial Intervention.

Also arrested was Julie Marie Dalton. Dalton was charged with Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement after failing to stop the vehicle she was driving.

On Wednesday February 18 after further investigation of the contents of the vehicle, more evidence was located and seized. In the passenger floorboard of the vehicle, where Bell was seated, a black bag was found that contained a bottle of a bi-layered liquid that is suspected to contain meth oil. Also found in the bag were coffee filters, a funnel, suspected red phosphorus, tin foil containing suspected lithium metal shavings, and several unknown substances. Another bag was located in the passenger floorboard containing measuring spoons, syringes, unknown liquids, suspected MSM, and more suspected Methamphetamine. The contents of these bags are consistent with the use and manufacture of Methamphetamine, Bell was additionally charged with Attempted Manufacture of a controlled substance, Methamphetamine.

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Mark Belanger, 34, was arrested last Sunday on charges of child abuse and permitting an unlicensed driver to drive. Allegations have it that the man allowed his 8 year old son to get behind the wheel after he supposedly ingested some Xanax. Belanger states that he felt “woozy” and did not want to man the vehicle, but allowed his son to drive instead. He figured it would be some good one-on-one father-son time. Police later talked to the boy who said his father actually took some “liquid medicine” while he pointed out an empty bottle of whiskey found in the vehicle. Bond was set an also odd amount of $10,120.

This is just one of those incidents where you can’t help but wonder what do people really think when they’re doing something they know that is wrong. Drinking and then letting your child operate your vehicle is a BAD idea always, no matter if you thought it was going to be a bonding experience or if you really needed to get home bad. An untrained and underage driver added to a drunk parent in the passenger seat can only lead to bad consequences. This odd story just proves that.

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James E. Laier, 57, is being charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI with serious bodily injury almost seven months after an incident in Largo that resulted in the death of John Prado, 21, and the serious injury of Heather Lynn Cook, 20. Prado was riding a motorcycle with Cook when at 2 a.m., a drunken Laier ran a stop sign and struck Prado. Prado was killed instantly while Cook was ejected from the crash, suffering a leg amputation. Laier’s BAC was found in excess of 0.195, extremely over the legal limit. As officers pulled him out of the car, Icehouse beer cans were tumbling out. He fled Florida after a 2 night stay in the hospital, and was found in Illinois where he has currently been extradited from back to Pinellas County Jail. Bond was at $55,000.

This incident is just one of the many tragic ones that occur involving alcohol and motor vehicles. Innocent lives were lost and the driver who committed the crime will be prosecuted because a fatality and injuries occurred. DUI of any level is eagerly prosecuted by court systems across the country, and Florida is no different.

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Very distressing and repugnant news out of Tamarac… a 50 year old South Florida woman, Shirley Ybarra, was arrested and charged with poisoning food or water and violation of probation. She was caught by supermarket employees after having nearly 15 minutes of uninterrupted mixing time in the baby food section of Publix. A customer finally notified an employee before that employee intervened and called the police. Her first comment was “she was mixing baby food for her son” but she doesn’t have a baby son, but instead a 21 year old son who lives outside the area. In response to this, all baby food was taken off the shelves and sent to the FDA for testing. Reports say no other stores were targeted by this sick and sadistic woman.

Two charges emerged from this one case. First a violation of probation and second, a first degree felony charge of poisoning food or water. Violation of probation is a common offense among people charged and convicted of certain crimes and can be dealt with accordingly and quickly by a lawyer who you entrust with your case.

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Scott Helfand, 42, was arrested by US Marshals in Arizona after a warrant was issued regarding his fraudulent activity as a sports agent for a former NFL athlete. Helfand operates Pro Athletes Only, a company that handles sports players and agent affiliations. In 2003, a Florida court found him guilty of stealing $150,000 from Oliver Gibson in 2001. In addition to this, an active lien is on Helfand in regards to a former filing by NFL defensive back Devin Bush in the amount of $115,000.

He remains book into Fourth Avenue Jail with a felony arrest for violation of probation in Florida and will extradited back to Florida pending the felony count.

A spokesman of the State Attorney’s Miami-Dade Office said that an individual notified the office of their concern regarding Helfand and his practicing as an agent in Arizona without acknowledging indiscretions with prior clients.

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Fort Lauderdale police detective Jeremy Aguayo, 32, is in deep water after a connection to a convicted Ecstasy dealer and pimp is discovered. He has been suspended without pay a month ago, and is scheduled to be fired today. According to an internal affairs report, Aguayo checked on Reyes’ driver’s license status in March after a prostitute driving his car illegally ran through a SunPass toll; checked on warrants for Reyes’ arrest days before he was arrested in August; and gave Reyes information on a bogus police sting mentioned by another detective. The two men exchanged hundreds of phone calls and spent nights out at strip clubs and nightclubs, according to Internal Affairs.

Drug charges and prostitution or sex crimes are prosecuted firmly in the state of Florida.

A person arrested for a drug crime can be charged with at least one of the following offenses:

* Possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia.
* Delivery of illegal drugs.
* Trafficking/Distribution of controlled substances.
* Manufacturing narcotics.
* Cultivation/growth of a narcotic.
* Fraudulent sale or possession of prescription drugs.
* Possession of drugs with intent to sell them.

* Illegal use of a drug.

Prostitution is defined by Florida Statute 796.07 as:

the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire but excludes sexual activity between spouses.

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