United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that four Orlando-area residents have pleaded guilty for their roles in a drug distribution conspiracy involving approximately 89 kilograms of cocaine. Israel Miranda (36, Kissimmee), Abiezer Laboy-Lozada (36, Orlando), Jorge Antonio Gonzalez de la Fuente (31, St. Cloud), and Carlos Antonio Garcia GarciaContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that 23-year-old San’Drevious Jerome Lane of Sanford has pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and distributing narcotics near a playground. Lane faces a minimum sentence of six years, up to life, in federal prison, with his sentencing scheduledContinue Reading
On December 6, three of five defendants appeared in federal court in connection with an indictment charging conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment alleges that on December 15, 2023, Ildemar Jose Chirinos-Torres, Briann RicardoContinue Reading
On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Daniel James Riggs, 31, had his initial appearance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a complaint charging him with enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. According to the complaint, Daniel Riggs, of Fort Lauderdale, while a tennis coach for the minor victim, engagedContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested 34-year-old Warner Reid Smith of Leesburg, on three felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse (CSAM). The arrest is the result of FDLE’s statewide initiative to locate and arrest criminals sharing files depicting the sexual abuse of children. The investigation began inContinue Reading
Thomas Griffin, a 51-year-old middle school teacher at McLaughlin Middle School in Lake Wales, was arrested on December 17, 2024, following a violent attack on an adult male. Griffin faces charges of burglary with assault, false imprisonment, and battery by strangulation. On December 14, 2024, Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO)Continue Reading
Sarasota Police arrested two 15-year-old suspects in connection with a series of bicycle thefts reported across the city, recovering a stolen electric bike and a firearm during an undercover operation on Tuesday afternoon. Detectives conducted the operation in the 2700 block of Cocoanut Avenue to recover a stolen electric bicycle.Continue Reading
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the death of 27-year-old Jareesha Wilkerson, whose body was recovered from the St. Johns River a week after she was reported missing following a traffic crash on the Mathews Bridge on December 8. On the evening of the crash, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue andContinue Reading
On Tuesday morning, December 18, 2024, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced the results of a multi-agency investigation, Operation Fish and Chips, targeting illegal gaming operations in Jacksonville. Spanning from March 2023 to December 2024, the long-term undercover investigation led to the arrests of 12 individuals on charges including violations ofContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced William Earl Union, Jr., 32, of Jacksonville, to seven years in federal prison for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Union to forfeit a Mossberg shotgun, a Smith and Wesson revolver, and all related ammunition. Union pleaded guiltyContinue Reading