The Orlando Police Drug Enforcement Division has arrested 49-year-old Willie Barnes following an investigation into illegal narcotics sales in Pine Hills, FL. Officers executed a search warrant and took Barnes into custody after discovering 30 MDMA pills laced with fentanyl in his possession, weighing approximately 14 grams. A search ofContinue Reading
LAKELAND, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alexander Katchalov, 28, a former gymnastics coach, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, after he confessed to having sexual intercourse twice with a female student when she was under 16 years old. Katchalov was already a designated Florida Sexual Offender on felonyContinue Reading
POLK COUNTY, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested eight individuals in connection to a wide-reaching fraud operation that stole nearly $8.8 million from 235 victims nationwide, most of whom were elderly. The scheme, which spanned multiple states, involved stolen banking information, illegal money transfers, and the useContinue Reading
DAVENPORT, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 45-year-old Billado Mendez following a fatal two-vehicle crash early Tuesday morning, July 22, 2025, at the intersection of Power Line Road and Snell Creek Road in Davenport. According to the PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit, Mendez was driving a silver ToyotaContinue Reading
ORLANDO, FL – A naturalized U.S. citizen, Carlos Torres from the Dominican Republic, has been arrested in Orlando in July 2025, accused of attempting to illegally smuggle several aliens into the U.S. in 2024. The arrest was the result of a collaborative effort by FDLE Orlando and the HSI OrlandoContinue Reading
ORLANDO, FL – A collaborative effort by multiple law enforcement agencies, led by FDLE Orlando and the HSI Orlando Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), has resulted in the arrest of two Brazilian nationals: Lafaiett Pereira and his wife, Marcia De Oliveira. Pereira was wanted on an active INTERPOL Red NoticeContinue Reading
KISSIMMEE, FL — On July 19, 2025, deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at Westgate Vacation Villas, located at 7700 Westgate Boulevard, regarding a male who had been stabbed in the chest. Upon arrival, authorities identified the victim as 62-year-old Harold Mundy. He wasContinue Reading
RIVERVIEW, FL – A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) detective narrowly escaped injury after being robbed at gunpoint during an undercover operation to purchase narcotics. The incident, which occurred on July 18, 2025, led to the arrest of three individuals. Detectives with the Special Investigations Division Gang Unit arranged anContinue Reading
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested two individuals, Terrance Whitfield Jr., 22, and Brittany Armstrong, 36, for allegedly trafficking and financially exploiting a 15-year-old girl who had been missing for several months. The investigation began when the HCSO Human Trafficking Section, proactively monitoring suspicious adult escort advertisements, identifiedContinue Reading
RIVERVIEW, FL — A 24-year-old man is facing multiple charges after attempting to flee the scene of a crash witnessed by a Hillsborough County deputy on the afternoon of July 10, 2025. The incident occurred around 3:37 p.m. near Gibsonton Drive and Fern Hill Drive. A deputy observed a crashContinue Reading