A Manatee County jury on Wednesday found 28-year-old Nicholas Shermer guilty of second-degree murder in the 2023 death of his girlfriend, Amanda Shoaf. Shermer called 911 on August 27, 2023, to report that he had shot Shoaf following an argument at their apartment on Carlton Inlet Drive. He was takenContinue Reading
A Naples man who led Collier County deputies on a high-speed pursuit in 2022, carjacked a motorist, and was later found with a large quantity of fentanyl has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Fritz Gerald Senatus, 27, received the 13-year sentence on multiple felony charges, including carjacking, high-speedContinue Reading
Carlos Fernandez, 23, was found guilty today in Pinellas County Court for his role in a January 2023 incident where the motorcycle he was operating struck and killed 13-year-old Ethan Martin. The boy was crossing 28th Street North at the time. Fernandez was convicted of vehicular homicide, reckless driving causingContinue Reading
State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Duval County jury has found Kalvin Gilbert Sr. guilty of Second-Degree Murder. Gilbert now faces a minimum sentence of 25 years up to a lifetime in Florida State Prison. Sentencing by the Honorable Jeb Branham will occur at a later date. TheContinue Reading
After a two-day trial, a Putnam County jury convicted Edarian Price of Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm. Price, who was 17 years old at the time of the crime, was found guilty as charged. The incident occurred on the evening of April 7, 2023, when Price was invited to aContinue Reading
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
Heather Hogan has been sentenced to 10 years in Florida state prison after being convicted of Child Neglect and Aggravated Child Abuse. The sentencing follows an extensive investigation by the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit, which uncovered evidence of abuse dating back to January 2024. The child underContinue Reading
On Monday, March 17, 2025, 27-year-old Margaret Elizabeth Lehman and 30-year-old Mark Edward Brittian Jr. were sentenced in connection with the 2021 death of their 11-month-old daughter, Marcelyn Brittian. Judge Cary F. Rada sentenced Lehman to 13 years in prison and Brittian to 13.25 years. Both Lehman and Brittian hadContinue Reading
Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced the filing of a criminal complaint charging Phillip Johnson, 21, of Cocoa, with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted on all charges, Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 10 years,Continue Reading
United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Rudy Salazar, 37, of Dade City, to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Salazar pleaded guilty to the charges on December 3, 2024. According to the pleaContinue Reading