GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A federal grand jury has indicted Xin Liu, 40, of Apopka, Florida, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. authorities announced. The indictment was revealed by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Liu appeared for arraignment before U.S. MagistrateContinue Reading
Putnam County detectives arrested a 24-year-old Interlachen man Monday in connection with an animal cruelty investigation involving sexual contact with an animal. According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Brendan Hanes of Hawthorne was taken into custody on December 29 following an investigation that began earlier this month. Deputies sayContinue Reading
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – A 44-year-old woman is in custody following a fatal stabbing at a Jacksonville park that left a 69-year-old man dead. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office District 6 officers responded on Friday, December 26, to a reported stabbing at Grand Park on West 30th Street. When officers arrived, they foundContinue Reading
LAKE CITY, Fla. – A month-long investigation into digital child exploitation has led to the arrest of a registered sexual offender in Columbia County. Craig Cleveland Taylor, 52, was taken into custody on December 19, 2025, following a multi-agency operation that uncovered both illegal imagery and significant quantities of narcotics.Continue Reading
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – 24-year-old Eric Joel Valdez of Clay County has pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL), officials announced. Valdez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and restitution to the victim, with sentencing scheduled for March 18, 2026. Valdez, who isContinue Reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – John Kuhlmann, 79, of Daytona Beach, has been sentenced to pay $1,005,313 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business tied to a nationwide computer tech support fraud scheme that targeted over 300 elderly victims. According to court records,Continue Reading
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes detectives arrested 39-year-old Andrew “Drew” McGaffigan of Auburndale on December 17, 2025, and charged him with 30 counts of child pornography. After further investigation of his electronic devices, 46 more counts were added on December 23rd. He has been incarcerated since his original arrestContinue Reading
Highland City, Fla. – Polk County deputies are investigating a tragic murder-suicide that occurred Monday night, December 22, 2025, leaving a mother dead, her daughter critically injured, and a father deceased. Just before 11:00 p.m., a 12-year-old boy ran to a neighbor’s house on Lemon Avenue, reporting that his motherContinue Reading
Bartow, Fla. – Polk County deputies arrested 64-year-old Stephen J. Phillips of Mulberry following a road rage incident on Sunday, December 14, 2025, that involved a firearm and left a family, including a 3-year-old child, in fear for their lives. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the victims wereContinue Reading
Davenport, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives have arrested 19-year-old Julian Andre Trevino in connection with the murder of 67-year-old John Joseph Torneo in the Polo Park neighborhood. Torneo was found dead in his bathroom on Sunday, December 14, by a friend who had not heard from himContinue Reading