A two-day operation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), in partnership with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and Florida Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, resulted in nine arrests for violations of Florida’s sex offender registration laws. Dubbed “Operation Broken Crayon,” the initiative aimed to verifyContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced 28-year-old Jason Alan Wacker of Pasco County, Florida, to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Wacker to forfeit two cellphones, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Wacker entered a guilty plea on August 12, 2024.Continue Reading
Javier Alejandro Anaya-Leal, 31, of Ruskin, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to eight years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 500 grams of cocaine, as well as possession of controlled substances with intent toContinue Reading
A substitute teacher, Joseph Prevatte, 39, has been arrested on charges related to inappropriate conduct with students in both Manatee and Hillsborough Counties. On October 31, 2024, a tip was submitted through FortifyFL alleging that Prevatte had been sending inappropriate Instagram messages to a high school student in Manatee County.Continue Reading
U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Andre Adams, Jr., 43, of Bradenton, to 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Adams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime,Continue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the arrest of 34-year-old Brandon Ejae Elliot of Tampa, who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his cellmate at the United States Penitentiary-II in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. If convicted, Elliot faces aContinue Reading
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) is requesting assistance from the public to solve a homicide that occurred on November 2, 2022, in the Arlington area. Officers responded to a shooting call in the 2900 block of Justina Road during the evening hours. Upon arrival, they discovered 23-year-old Gabriel John DevoeContinue Reading
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) Director of Investigations and Homeland Security Mark Romano announced the arrest of Corrections Lieutenant Alphonso Waddell on the morning of November 25, 2024, on a charge of domestic battery. Waddell, who has been employed with Jacksonville Corrections for nearly 15 years, was arrested following a domesticContinue Reading
The City of Jacksonville’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (JaxParks) has unveiled a robust lineup of free events and programs designed to engage the community in fitness, arts, music, and entertainment across downtown Jacksonville. Friendship Fountain Programs Located at 1015 Museum Circle Dr., Friendship Fountain hosts a variety ofContinue Reading
Brandon Eugene Rivera, 43, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to a term of 240 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty for sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “There is no greater chargeContinue Reading