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
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
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
Kevin Karl Wills, Jr., 48, of Ft. Lauderdale, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to receive kickbacks in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 tests and for purchasing and selling Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. Wills faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has notContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced 40-year-old Imran Ahmed Siddiqi of North Port to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. Siddiqi entered a guilty plea on July 22, 2024.Continue Reading
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Duval County jury found 51-year-old Michael Wayne Holdiness guilty of Second-Degree Murder. Holdiness now faces up to life in Florida State Prison. Sentencing will be determined by the Honorable Mark Borello at a later date. The charges stemmedContinue Reading