Dwight Billings, of Hendry County, has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of Battery, Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Kidnapping, and Robbery. Billings was sentenced as a Prison Releasee Reoffender and a Habitual Felony Offender due to his prior criminal history. The violent crimes occurred inContinue Reading
A Guatemalan man living in the U.S. under a false identity has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for gun trafficking and related crimes. Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron (34) was convicted of illegally dealing firearms, trafficking guns, and possessing firearms as an undocumented immigrant. He pleaded guilty in DecemberContinue Reading
A Florida businessman, Patrick Walsh, and ten of his companies have agreed to pay over $20 million to settle allegations that they fraudulently obtained pandemic relief loans. Walsh was accused of submitting false information on loan applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). TheContinue Reading
A 19-year-old Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun conversion device, which can turn a semi-automatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic weapon. Andres Felipe Mejia now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to court records,Continue Reading
A Jacksonville woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for her role in a fraudulent credit scheme and COVID relief fraud. Crystal Denean Harvell, 37, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and PPP loan fraud. She has been ordered to pay $131,782.63 in restitution andContinue Reading
A convicted sex offender from Connecticut has admitted to attempting to coerce an 11-year-old Florida child into creating explicit images of herself. Federal prosecutors announced that Andrew Thomas Bull, 37, of Tolland, Connecticut, also known as Andrew Thomas Picard, now faces a minimum of 25 years and up to 50Continue Reading
MIAMI – A federal jury in Fort Pierce has found Dustin Sean McCabe, 49, from Ocala, Florida, guilty of seaman’s manslaughter, lying to the Coast Guard, and committing fraud related to Covid-19 relief funds. In early March 2020, McCabe bought a 48-foot boat named Southern Comfort. He lied on CoastContinue Reading
Miami, FL – March 7, 2025 – Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, a 60-year-old resident of Abuja, Nigeria, appeared in a Miami federal court after being extradited to the United States for his alleged role in a mortgage fraud scheme. This scheme is said to have involved the fraudulent purchase of aboutContinue Reading
TAMPA, FL – A Tampa man with a history of violent offenses is facing up to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. Brandon Palmore, 30, entered his guilty plea on Thursday, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney. Palmore, aContinue Reading
Vernon White Jr., a teacher at Idea Hope Charter School, has been arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) for unlawful sexual activity with a minor. On June 17, 2024, HCSO deputies responded to the Marathon Gas Station at 1302 North Parsons Avenue, Tampa, where they learned that White,Continue Reading