Investigators claim they discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in marijuana from seven grow houses in Pasco County after they stopped by to check out claims of electric theft. According to reports, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said they were alerted to the seven houses by officials with Withlacoochee River…
Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
ACLU Leader Asks for Federal Review of Polk County Sex Stings
The local chair of American Civil Liberties Union is calling for a federal review of Central Florida’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Ret. Army Col. Mike Pheneger, the chair of the Greater Tampa Chapter of the ACLU, said there are many problems with these “To Catch a Predator”-style undercover…
Fraud Case Leads to Detectives to Alleged Meth Lab in Alachua County
The High Springs Police Department and the Alachua-Gainesville Drug Task Force uncovered what they believe is a methamphetamine lab last week while investigating a case of fraud. HSPD was investigating a 34-year-old man for alleged fraudulent use of a credit card when they received a confidential tip that the man…
Florida Disney Janitor Accused of Sexual Assaulting Female Worker
A Walt Disney World janitor is facing kidnapping and sexual battery charges after a 21-year-old female worker claims he cornered her inside a custodial closet on Thursday and forced himself on her, an arrest affidavit states. According to the affidavit, the 21-year-old college student told authorities that the janitor cornered…
Law Enforcement Agencies Unite to Catch Suspected Sex Predators in Polk, Pinellas and Sarasota Counties
Several law enforcement agencies from the federal, state and county level have joined forces with the hopes of catching alleged sexual predators. While the operation spans across nine counties, including Polk, Pinellas and Sarasota counties, the message is the same: “We’re going to get you.” The message was made loud…
New York Prison Guard in Pinellas County Jail for Allegedly Attempting to Have Sex with 11-Year-Old Girl
A New York high-security prison guard is accused of purchasing a purple Rapunzel costume from a Disney store and sending it to Florida in February as part of a plan to have sex with an 11-year-old girl, according to a federal complaint. The 34-year-old man allegedly answered an online ad…
Convicted Okeechobee County Drug Dealer Arrested on New Drug Charges
A 33-year-old Okeechobee man who had served nearly four years in prison for trafficking in cocaine was arrested last week in his R-Bar Estates home on felony drug charges. More than 180 grams of suspected marijuana and more than 24 grams of suspected amphetamine were allegedly found in his home,…
Manhunt Results in Arrest of 3 Teens in Hendry County
Law enforcement agencies from Hendry and Lee counties were sent on a manhunt Thursday after it was reported three teenage boys had allegedly stolen a car from Lee County. Officials claim the trio took the vehicle on a joyride that eventually ended in Pioneer Plantation in Central Hendry County. The…
10 Arrested in Undercover Sting Targeting Unlicensed Contractors in Hernando County
A total of 10 people were arrested in an undercover operation cracking down on unlicensed contractors resulting in civil citations totaling $9,675. The sheriff’s office, working with the Hernando County Building Department, conducted a two-day sting from July 1-2 in order to combat what has been called a growing problem.…
Ex-Florida Deputy Arrested in Alaska after Living More Than 2 Decades as a Fugitive
A former sheriff’s deputy, wanted since 1991 for capital sexual battery in Bradenton, Florida, was arrested on identity theft charges early Friday at his home in Eagle River, Alaska. Police claim they found the man living life on the lam in Alaska after he used his late stepbrother’s name to…