South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Maikel Soto, 29, will be charged with credit card fraud by federal officials. Soto used gift cards from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club to purchase items, all in all totalling over $450,000. The gift cards were bought using stolen credit card numbers, and counterfeit ones as well. Topping over $550,000 in bills from two separate credit card companies, Soto took the money and deposited into into private bank accounts. The fraudulent activities primarily took place between October 2006 and April 2007, says the US Attorney of the Southern District of Florida.

A white collar offense can also lead to civil lawsuits filed by the government or the persons who were allegedly victimized by the crime. Unlike in a criminal case, the accused in a civil lawsuit does not have the right to remain silent, and they may be obligated to testify at their own trial. An attorney will not be appointed for them if they cannot afford one on their own.

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According to one of the eight suspect of the recent, heinous murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, the ringleader of the group named Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr., was the solo shooter in the crime. As well as this affidavit strengthened by Thornton’s testimony, a safe was also recovered in connection with the killing and robbery. The couple of 17 children, mostly with special needs and disabilities, was murdered in their own home in Pensacola. The safe stolen from their house was found buried in the backyard of a local antique mall owner in connection with the organized murder. The antique mall owner, Pamela Long Wiggins, 47, was arrested with being an accessory after the fact to the home invasion.

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Jose Luis Burgos, 39, and Chelsey Burgos, 25, were arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of marijuana, trafficking in opium products, and distribution of opium products. Chelsey Burgos is a pharmacy technician. She stole the drugs from her place of employment and wanted to make money with her husband, Jose Luis Burgos. The couple volunteered a search of the vehicle after being stopped by an Alachua County Sheriff in lieu of a seat belt violation. Jose Burgos was also charged with driving with a suspended license. Chelsey Burgos was devastated by the arrest and wrote included in her statement to police “an apology to her employer for taking the pills and for letting them down.”

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Jean Eliobert Jasme had his prison term reduced to 10 years in US District Court recently. Jasme used to big one the biggest smugglers in the cocaine market through Haiti. He had connections with the former president’s administration and was capable of moving thousands of kilos. Prosecutors received alot of information of Jasme in the court proceedings that would tie in many other key players to many of the drug rings that current law enforcement have to this day been facing. Cocaine trafficking is big money to criminals and according to federal authorities other serious figures have been nabbed. Oriel Jean, one of the closest officials to Aristide, was another conviction made by authorities. DEA are using leads from current investigations to arrest others like Guy Phillippe, a former police official prosecuted on trafficking charges three years ago.

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Aaron J. Franck, 19, was charged by Slidell Police in Louisiana with forty-one counts of simple burlgary. Franck crime spree occurred last year in August. He broke into numerous vehicles for two nights, taking anything in sight. Loose change, music equipment, and cigarettes were a few items noted to be stolen by Franck. Franck is being held in St. Tammany Parish Jail with a whopping $410,000 bond, for $10,000 each count.

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Marcello Church, a football player for FSU, was arrested and charged with sex with a minor. The alleged victim had wrote a succinct and heart-felt letter which lawyers say impacted the sentencing of Church in a lenient fashion. The two page letter claimed that she “wasn’t a victim by any definition and she in fact was the ‘aggressor.’ ” The victim in this case was seventeen at the date of the incident, qualifying for sex with a minor given Church’s age.

Florida Statute 794.05 defines “unlawful sexual activity with certain minors” as:

(1) A person 24 years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this section, “sexual activity” means oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another; however, sexual activity does not include an act done for a bona fide medical purpose.

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James Defalco, 48, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in connection with a hit-and-run incident that occurred in the area of Longwood near Orlando. Police say he rear-ended a vehicle with reckless abandon and fled the scene. 24 year old Megan Chywski was the victim of the incident. Her vehicle was impacted in the rear left corner, resulting in her car spinning around into the median and flipping. Chywski was treated for minor injuries, amazingly. Florida Highway Patrol state that following the collision, Defalco was found on I-4 and arrested immediately.

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A 12 year old child from Tampa is being held in jail for murder. Allegedly he killed his 5 week old cousin while remaining in a vehicle for a few minutes as the mother of the boy went into a store briefly. The 22 year old mother came back and saw that the baby was unresponsive. The baby was officially pronounced dead at the hospital soon after. Autopsy reports show the baby died of blunt force trauma, something that startled police and the boy’s mother. The unnamed minor is being held at Cobb county youth detention center. The charges the young individual will face are murder and cruelty to children.

Homicides can be classified as manslaughter or murder. It is very fact-specific. If you are convicted of a criminal homicide, the consequences of a conviction for this charge can include life in prison or even the death penalty. Homicide is often used synonymously with murder. However, there are many different types of homicide charges. Murder, which is the unlawful taking of another human life, can be committed under various circumstances, which affect the nature of the crime and the severity of its punishment.

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Reanna Lynn McElhinny, 29, and John Thomas McElhinny, 32, were arrested following a search of their home following lawful police protocol. The woman was about 8 months pregnant, police say. Her husband faces the same charges as her, being possession of oxycodone and drug paraphernalia. John McElhinny had additional charges of violation of probation (VOP) in connection with a grand theft charge. In addition to those aforementioned charges for Reanna McElhinny, she had another violation of probation charge in connection for a prior cocaine possession conviction. Police say they saw open track marks on the woman’s arms. Reanna McElhinny is being held without bail on the premise of her being a threat to her unborn child’s safety.

Florida statute makes it a crime for anyone to distribute or possess drugs/controlled substances. Punishment for drug possession can depend on the amount of drugs involved. A first degree misdemeanor: includes a fine of up to $1000 and up to one year in prison. A first degree felony: includes a fine of up to $10,000 and up to 30 years in prison. Drug trafficking: can include up to life in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

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