Criminal

Published on: March 31, 2014

St. Lucie County Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer :: Fort Pierce High School Teacher Charged with Six Counts of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A St. Lucie County high school teacher has been arrested and charged with six counts of lewd and lascivious conduct involving six teen victims.

St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputies investigated the 68-year-old for several weeks and arrested the man on March 18. He was booked into the Indian River County jail with bail set at $600,000.

The alleged illegal activity took place during the current school year and apparently involved victims ranging in age from 14 to 15, according to investigators.

According to the arrest report, the man’s conduct “went well beyond a causal or friendly contact and was for a lewd and lascivious purpose.”

Police also claim that the man said to at least one victim that he “can’t wait until you’re 18. Actually, we’re doing it sooner.”

Investigators alleged they located a mirror “affixed to the underside of the suspect’s desk,” according to the arrest report.

If you are a teacher that has been accused of a sex crime involving a student or students, it is important to act quickly and retain a sex crimes defense lawyer as soon as possible. While the media and the general public tend to side with the alleged victims in sex crimes cases, what happens in the court room is an entirely different story. A St. Lucie County Sex Crimes Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help you fight back against false sex crimes charges so that you can get back to your life and your career as soon as possible.

Published on: March 28, 2014

Palm Beach County Criminal Defense Attorney :: Boca College Bar Site for Nearly 100 Arrests since its Opening in June

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A bar popular with college students in downtown Boca Raton was the scene of two fights earlier this month, and has been the place of nearly a hundred arrests since its opening last June, according to Boca Raton police records.

Police are now saying that the high number of disturbances at 101 Cantina in downtown Boca must be dealt with.

The bar’s Boca Raton location had its grand opening party on June 8, 2013. Since then, officers have responded to 92 calls for service for incidents including fights, vandalism, beverage violations and other disturbances, according to police records.

The total number of arrests at this point is 98. Of the total arrests, the majority are due to underage drinking.

In fact, according to police records, 78 of the 98 arrests were for possession of alcohol by a minor. While underage drinking charges do not generally result in the suspect being taken to jail, police still give suspects notices to appear in court at a later date, which counts as an arrest.

The suspects arrested at 101 Cantina range in age from 17 to 20. Police claim they are working with state regulators and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s office to address issues at the bar.

As for the two fights earlier this month, one involved an 18-year-old Boca Raton man who was allegedly jumped by a group of about six to eight males as he was leaving, according to the incident report. Police noted that “there were over 200 people in the area” when the fight happened, and no witnesses were able to describe the suspects. No arrests have been made.

The second fight, apparently happened at about 2:30 a.m. and resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old man who faces a charge of causing a disturbance.

In the state of Florida, it is considered illegal for any person under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcoholic beverages. A conviction for underage drinking can vary depending on the details of the case, but maximum penalties generally include up to 60 days in jail and a fine up to $500. In addition to time behind bars and fines, the defendant could also face driver’s license suspension or revocation. In order to protect yourself from the strict consequences that come along with an underage drinking conviction, you must act quickly and enlist the help of a criminal defense attorney.

Published on: March 27, 2014

Martin County Federal Crimes Defense Lawyer :: West Palm Woman Accused of Stealing 700 Identities

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A West Palm Beach woman faces federal charges of identity theft and tax fraud after she allegedly stole personal information from more than 700 people.

The 39-year-old woman is accused of stealing personal information and storing it in a notebook that included names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

Investigators allege the woman may have used some of the names to get prescription drugs, according to federal court records.

The accused and two others were arrested in October 2012 for credit card fraud greater than $100 in Martin County. Police were notified after a shoplifting incident was reported at the Treasure Coast Mall.

Once detained, officers claim they uncovered notebooks filled with 726 names and Social Security numbers, most of which belonged to people in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach, 20 debit cards and an iPad, according to federal records.

According to IRS investigators, most of the names and account numbers the woman had in her possession were used to file fraudulent tax returns that sought tax refund payments to credit and debit cards.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office referred the woman’s case to the IRS. Federal records indicate that the woman told federal investigators a man she knew had broken into a car on the day of her arrest, and stole credit cards and a gun.

The woman and the two men she was with are all convicted felons. According to Palm Beach County records, the woman pleaded guilty to felony battery in 2000 and 2004. She was also convicted of fraudulent use of a credit card in Palm Beach County in 2001.

She allegedly admitted to police that she and one of the men had broken into multiple cars and stolen credit cards. Police claim she told them she stole identification information to help others. She denied filing false tax returns.

However, investigators claim the woman filed false 2012 tax returns in early 2013 after her October 2012 arrest. Federal documents allege that the woman’s home contained additional names, information and letters from the IRS not addressed to her. Records indicate that the woman also had tax software on her computer with 2012 tax return information.

Investigators allege they found multiple returns that had been filed from the woman’s IP address.

The woman faces charges of unlawful possession of unauthorized access devices and five counts of aggravated identity theft. She faces 10 years in prison if convicted and is currently being held without bail.

If you have been charged with identity theft or any other related crimes, you must act fast and mount a hard-hitting, proactive defense. Make no mistake that the prosecution will be pushing hard for a conviction, and failing to address these charges early on could be the difference between a conviction and a successful outcome.

Due to the advances in technology and the Internet, identity theft has become a major criminal offense within the past few years. Often times these offenses cross state lines or are charged alongside with other serious criminal offenses, thus making them federal crimes. A Martin County Criminal Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton knows the unique differences between state and federal criminal charges and can provide you with the strongest legal representation so that you can achieve an outcome that you can live with.

Published on: March 26, 2014

Broward County Sex Crimes Defense Attorney :: Fort Lauderdale Coach Accused of Procuring a Minor for Prostitution

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A former Broward Christian School coach was arrested last month on charges of procuring a minor for prostitution after police claim he organized a meet up between two detectives posing as teenagers and another undercover detective posing as a client.

The 63-year-old West Park man was arrested on Feb. 5. According to Fort Lauderdale police, at the time of his arrest, detectives found more than 300 index cards in his possession with females’ first name, descriptions, telephone number and their hobbies.

Detectives are not sure how the man knew these women. Police are looking into whether he met some of them when he worked as a teacher and coach at Plantation’s Broward Christian School. He has not been employed at the school since 2001.

Police are going through the index cards and contacting everyone at the phone numbers listed.

Fort Lauderdale Police’s Human Trafficking Unit began investigating the man in January, after receiving a tip that the man was recruiting young and old females for sex trafficking.

In January, an undercover female detective posing as a 16-year-old apparently received multiple phone calls and text messages from the man. Police claim the conversations were sexually explicit.

Reports indicate that another undercover detective posing as a potential client called the man requesting to have sex with a 15- and 16-year-old. The man allegedly showed pictures to the undercover detective and told him he would arrange a meeting that would cost $200.

The man allegedly arranged for the group to meet at a Fort Lauderdale Dunkin Donuts on Feb. 5. According to the report, the man told the detective “to have fun and go handle your business.”

In addition to the charges of procuring a minor for prostitution, he was also charged with unlawful use of a telephone to set up the meeting.

The state of Florida has many regulations when it comes to prostitution, but those that carry the harshest penalties involve children and prostitution. If you or someone you care for has been arrested for or charged with procuring a minor for prostitution or similar charges, you must seek the help of a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Not only do these charges carry strict consequences if convicted, but the harsh social stigmas one can face from a guilty verdict can be overwhelming.

Published on: March 24, 2014

Seminole County Sex Crimes Defense Attorney :: “Operation SafeNet” Ends in 26 Arrests of Alleged Internet Child Sex Predators

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office announced today that they arrested 26 men in an undercover Internet child sex predator sting dubbed “Operation SafeNet.”

All of the men detained are accused of using the Internet to make arrangement for sex with what they believed were children.

The men accused, ranging in age from 19 to 51, allegedly showed up at a house in Seminole County within the past five days believing that they would meet children between the ages of 11 and 14.

Two of the men were vacationing in Central Florida, according to police. One was from Ohio, the other from Georgia.

Ten of the men arrested were from Seminole County. Others were from Orange, Volusia, Osceola, Polk, Lake and Putnam counties.

According to reports, a 26-year-old Winter Springs man told officers he set up the meeting with a child as a way to celebrate his wedding anniversary.

Those arrested include two pizza deliverymen, a postal worker, a security guard and a 20-year-old landscaper whose mother dropped him off at the decoy house.

Undercover deputies and police officers from other agencies posed as children or the parents of children willing to let their children have sex with the men. Officers used chat rooms, social media and other Internet sites to communicate with the men.

According to authorities, the suspects spent hours chatting online and at least one made a phone call to a woman officer, posing as a young girl.

Each suspect was arrested and accused of traveling to meet a minor for sex.

“Operation SafeNet” included several other law enforcement agencies, including the police departments in Apopka, Casselberry, Longwood, Oviedo and Sanford and the Sheriff’s Offices in Orange, Osceola, Volusia, Lake, Polk, Citrus, Manatee and Pinellas counties plus the FBI.

Internet sex stings are conducted to net as many arrests as possible. Typically, law enforcement will pose as minors online looking for sex with strangers. Other times, undercover detectives will pose as a parent or guardian of a minor looking to help their child have sex. Police will then engage in conversations back and forth with the suspect in the hopes of getting the individual to agree to travel to meet the child for illegal sexual activity.

Published on: March 19, 2014

Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Attorney :: Naples Man Arrested in Tampa after Allegedly Beating Pharmacist and Stealing Prescription Drugs

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Naples man was charged Monday with attempted murder and armed robbery after he allegedly stole prescription drugs over the weekend from a pharmacist he left in critical condition.

The 25-year-old man was arrested at 2 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in Tampa, according to police reports. He is facing additional charges, including occupied armed burglary and three other counts of burglary.

According to Temple Terrace police, the man entered a shopping center at 11410 N 56th St. on Saturday through the back of a nearby business. Shortly before 8 p.m., police claim he climbed through a crawl space in the ceiling to get to Omega Drugs Pharmacy.

The man allegedly attacked the pharmacist on duty from behind and struck him with a commercial hole-punch machine several times. The man exited the store with a small amount of prescription drugs. The pharmacist, a 59-year-old Wesley Chapel man, remains in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital.

The accused had apparently been working in Ybor City with a painting company based out of Naples. On Monday, police claim he was involved in a hit-and-run accident with his company vehicle. Following the accident, he allegedly boarded a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit bus where he apparently told another passenger about a mark on his face that was from being “bitten by a pharmacist.”

The man borrowed that same passenger’s cellphone to make a call. The passenger contacted authorities and a trail was led back to the man at the Clarion Hotel.

The man was booked in to the Orient Road jail.

The state of Florida classifies the crime of armed robbery as taking another person’s property without their permission, while possessing a weapon at the same time of the robbery. A weapon can be a knife, gun or other type of deadly weapon. Armed robbery is charged as a first-degree felony carrying very serious consequences if convicted.

Published on: March 17, 2014

Sarasota County Criminal Defense Attorney :: Sarasota Woman Found Guilty of Molesting 10-Year-Old Boy

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 29-year-old Sarasota woman was found guilty earlier this month of molesting a 10-year-old boy.

A jury convicted the woman of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child less than 12 years of age on March 5.

She will be sentenced at a later date. She faces anywhere between 25 years to life in prison for the sex offense.

The woman was apparently friends with the child’s mother and was staying in their home when the sexual abuse occurred last spring.

The boy testified at trial that the woman grabbed his genitals and he told her to stop. Three other alleged victims also testified.

According to reports, the woman apparently told the mother of a 12-year-old boy also staying at the home that she touched him. The mother ignored the comment at first, but then confronted her son who reportedly confirmed the sexual dealings. The mother did not report that alleged abuse to law enforcement because she thought she had a warrant for her arrest.

According to court documents, the youngest victim’s mother overheard her 15-year-old son say that the woman gave him oral sex. The woman asked her 12-year-old son about the alleged sexual contact and he confirmed the woman also touched his genitals.

Her 10-year-old son also said the woman touched him in a sexual manner, which led to the Sarasota woman’s recent conviction. She will go to trial this summer for those additional charges.

Child molestation is a very serious sex crime with severe legal and social ramifications. Even a simple accusation of this offense can ruin an individual’s career, personal connections and family relationships. There are very few crimes that are more repulsive to the public than sex offenses involving young children. A person accused of child molestation or any other type of sex crime cannot afford to ignore these charges. Cases of this nature should never be dealt with alone, so if you or someone you love has been accused of or charged with a sex offense in Sarasota, the best thing you can do is contact a Sarasota County Criminal Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible. Time is of the essence in these cases, as a thorough investigation into these allegations needs to be conducted right away.

Published on: March 10, 2014

Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney :: U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson will Not Face Charges in Domestic Incident

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A spokeswoman for the Florida Democrat announced that U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida will not be charged in a domestic incident involving his wife.

A judge granted a temporary protective injunction against U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson after his wife filed paperwork accusing the Orlando congressman of shoving and injuring her during an incident earlier this month.

Lolita Grayson’s petition for the injunction claimed her husband pushed her against a door, causing her to fall to the ground, during a confrontation on March 1 at their home on Oak Park Road near Windermere.

The incident came just less than two months after Lolita Grayson filed a divorce petition stating that their marriage of nearly 24 years was “irretrievably broken.”

Rep. Grayson was first elected to Congress in 2008 but lost his 2010 re-election bid.

He ran again in 2012 and won.

Domestic violence accusations are not taken lightly by police and prosecutors. These serious allegations can ruin a person’s reputation and take away their freedom. Being wrongly accused of committing acts of domestic violence can significantly impact an innocent person’s life forever. A conviction for domestic violence or a related crime carries devastating penalties, including jail or prison time, probation, fines, loss of contact with loved ones, impact on child custody and visitation rights and will leave a permanent stain on your criminal record. These cases are prosecuted quite aggressively and charges can still be pursued even if a victim declines to press charges.

Published on: March 4, 2014

Lake County Criminal Defense Attorney :: Clermont Child Sex Sting Nabs 3 Disney World Employees, 19 Others

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A weeklong online undercover operation to bust child predators looking to have sex with children in Florida ended in the arrests of 22 people, including three Disney World employees, according to authorities.

Last month, undercover deputies from the Lake County cyber-crimes unit in central Florida led the sting operation, dubbed “Operation Be Mine,” and lured suspects by masquerading as children in online chat forums, according to a police press release.

Once contact was made with the suspects, undercover agents made arrangements to meet with the men at a vacant house. The men allegedly arrived at the home anticipating having sex with minors, according to police. Once the men arrived at the meet-up spot, they were immediately arrested and taken to jail.

Of those arrested include a miniature golf course worker, a paramedic and a member of the National Guard.

According to a Disney spokeswoman, the three Disney employees arrested during the undercover operation have been placed on unpaid leave for the duration of the investigation.

One of the arrested Disney employees, a 32-year-old man, also faces several additional charges including failing to disclose HIV status to a sexual partner. Another of the Disney employees allegedly arrived at the meeting location carrying a knife and condoms, according to reports.

Police also claim that one of the suspects arrested brought a Happy Meal and condoms with him to the arranged meeting place.

All of the 22 suspects face up to five years in prison if convicted.

The road ahead can be very difficult for those accused in child predator stings. In these types of cases, police set up unsuspecting individuals to make them look bad by manipulating online chats, as well as e-mails and text messages. Most of these sting operations use specials task force units that specifically train officers to create these scenarios and turn what may be an innocent statement into one with sexual undertones. Undercover sting operations involving internet sex crimes are usually handled by overzealous detectives who are looking to make a large number of arrests. Unfortunately, many times these cases involve improper procedures and/or conduct by police officers. This is why you need the help of a criminal defense lawyer who can identify such evidence and have it thrown out as well as identify weaknesses in the prosecutions’ case that revolves around illegal police behavior.

Published on: March 3, 2014

Polk County Criminal Defense Attorney :: Two Busted for Operating Marijuana Grow House in Polk County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Polk County detectives allegedly discovered 15 pounds of bagged marijuana in a grow house operation inside a barn in Frostproof last month.

Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office claim they received a tip about starved animals on the property. They apparently went to check out the site and found 37 pot plants growing inside a barn. They also found high intensity grow lights and grow light hoods, electric ballasts, air conditioners, air filters, plastic pots used for cannabis cultivation and cannabis stalks and roots.

They also located five horses on the property and determined that the animals were not malnourished or abused, however, did need improved care. The animals were turned over to a family member.

Detectives decided to check out the mobile home on the property where they apparently uncovered a 30-30 rifle and two 357 magnum handguns.

Detectives arrested a 49-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman.

The pair has also been accused of stealing electricity to run the barn.

Both were arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail.

Charges in illegal marijuana cultivation cases are based on the number of plants captured by law enforcement officers. Most grow houses contain large quantities of marijuana plants and processed marijuana, so you could be facing serious felony charges that carry substantial prison time. Additionally, police tend to seek asset forfeitures when it comes to drug crime cases, so you could also be looking at frozen bank accounts, the loss of cash and even your home.