The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), conducted a targeted and unannounced mass search at Suwannee Correctional Institution (C.I.). The operation aimed to identify and eliminate contraband within the facility,Continue Reading
The City of Jacksonville is set to host the annual Jacksonville Light Boat Parade on Saturday, November 30, 2024, with festivities kicking off at 6:30 p.m. A vibrant fleet of decorated boats, ranging from small vessels to luxury yachts, will sail along the St. Johns River, culminating in a spectacularContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced 35-year-old Josue Garriga of St. Augustine, a/k/a “Sway,” to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for enticing a child to engage in sexual activity. Following his release from prison, Garriga is also required to register as a sex offender and serve a term ofContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found 48-year-old Chad Allen Pease of Fort Pierce guilty of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. Pease faces a minimum penalty ofContinue Reading
Daniel Diaz Garcia, 35, of Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to charges of credit card fraud and theft of mail, announced United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg on November 21, 2024. Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the credit card fraud charge, up to 5 years forContinue Reading
Mauricio Chahine, 52, of Jacksonville, was indicted on five counts of money laundering and attempted money laundering, announced United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg on November 21, 2024. If convicted, Chahine faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. According to the indictment and court documents, ChahineContinue Reading
Perry Ivory Wims, 39, of Tampa, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on November 21, 2024, after pleading guilty in August to charges of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court records, the Tampa Police Department (TPD)Continue Reading
Celestine “Skip” Aniekwu, 65, of Sunrise, Florida, was sentenced on Thursday, November 21, 2024, to 16 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Aniekwu, who had been a fugitive for 15 years before surrendering earlier this year, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge RodneyContinue Reading
Efrain Betancourt, Jr., a 36-year-old Colombian citizen, was arrested on November 14, 2024, upon entering the United States and charged in South Florida federal court for his role in orchestrating a $66 million Ponzi scheme through his company, Sky Group USA, LLC (Sky Group). Betancourt was indicted on September 12,Continue Reading
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) has released preliminary details and video of an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Rayford Street in the Murray Hill neighborhood on Monday, November 11, 2024. Officer G. Robinson responded to an aggravated assault with a firearm call at a parking lot on South McDuff Avenue.Continue Reading