Florida Criminal Attorneys Blog

Police responded to the scene of a reported home invasion. Residents contacted the officers and claimed that three to five pounds of pot had been stolen from a home located at 11480 Manassas Avenue in Hernando County. Police uncovered an additional 59 pot plants, irrigation equipment, ventilation equipment and additional contraband used for cultivating marijuana.

Five people were arrested in connection with the marijuana grow house. Three out of the five suspects admitted to knowing about the marijuana. At least one individual claimed she did not know the origin of the plants. The defendants, 40-year old Wilson Rodriguez, 25-year old Edilberto Serrano, 35-year old Javier Verde, 34-year old Jarol Herrera and 25-year old Batista Yunet, have all been charged with felony marijuana cultivation. The defendants have not posted the $5,000 bail and are currently awaiting trial inside the Hernando County Jail.

Two Cape Coral suspects, 20-year old Nicholas Stone and 19-year old Jami Wheeler, have been taken into custody on felony drug charges. Stone faces four counts of selling cocaine, including selling cocaine within 1000 feet of a church and another for selling within 1000 feet of a school. Both suspects face felony charges of trafficking cocaine, possession of Roxicodone and possession of Xanax.

The arrests came after a month long undercover sting operation. Stone allegedly sold drugs to undercover officers on four occasions. The authorities later obtained a search warrant for the pair's residence and found thirty pills and 36 grams of cocaine. The Cape Coral Police also recovered a digital scale and baggies used to measure and separate the drugs for distribution. Both suspects were taken into custody at the Lee County Jail.

A second individual has been charged in a fraud crime against an elderly man. The defendant and Stuart resident, 27-year old Apryle Marie Shepard, allegedly worked as an accomplice with her boyfriend to steal money from an 89-year old gentleman. In July, Shepard claimed she needed money to bond her boyfriend out of jail and then to have her car towed. The 89-year old victim, who also suffers from memory loss, handed over to the suspect $560.

Officers also arrested Shepard's boyfriend on similar charges. He told the authorities of Shepard's involvement and now she faces criminal charges. She is charged with two counts of larceny over $300 and fraud crimes against a senior citizen.

In addition to these theft charges, Shepard faces unrelated drug crimes. She is accused of four counts of manufacturing opium, four counts of possession of narcotics equipment and felony grand theft. Shepard has not yet posted $62,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial inside the St. Lucie County Jail.

A Lake Correctional Institution employee has been arrested for allegedly sneaking contraband to imprisoned inmates. An inmate caught with an illegal cell phone tattled that the defendant, 39 year old Julia Bedenbaugh regularly supplied prisoners with drugs and cell phones. Bedenbaugh is accused of having the contraband delivered to her personal post office box.

Clermont officials worked with the U.S. Postal Service to obtain surveillance video of the defendant obtaining her mail. She retrieved two packages from the post office box. The authorities obtained a search warrant and found one box contained a cell phone and the other possessed two plastic cigars containing crack cocaine.

Officers arrested Bedenbaugh and charged her with possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. The defendant posted $20,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial out of jail. The Department of Corrections has terminated Bedenbaugh for her alleged actions.

Ft. Myers Police arrest three men in connection with drug and weapons charges. The police obtained warrants to search the apartment homes of the defendants, 23-year old Byron Harris, 19-year old Michael Donaldson and 18-year old Marquis Reid. The men attempted to flee the scene upon the arrival of the deputies and were apprehended.

The search recovered cocaine, marijuana and five guns. Three of the five guns were loaded. The men now face charges of felony drug possession, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, failing to have an active permit for carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Offenders lose many of their civil liberties after being convicted of a serious crime. Florida is one of the few remaining states that do not allow formerly convicted felons to vote or carry firearms. These rights originally granted to all Americans by the U.S. Constitution are revoked in Florida after a conviction. Governor Charlie Crist has made an effort to restore some of the civil rights back to the offenders who have served their sentence and paid their debt to society. He feels it is democratically appropriate to allow former criminals a second chance to move forward with their lives.

Kissimmee Police Department arrested a man allegedly in possession of crack cocaine. Officers initiated a traffic stop for an expired tag violation. The deputy witnessed the defendant, Donald May, chewing on an unknown white substance. May explained to the officer that he simply had mints in his mouth.

The Officer refused to believe the statements of the suspect and arrested him on possession of cocaine and tampering with evidence. The Court denied May bond for three months. He lost his apartment, his job and car.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney sent May a letter in jail excusing him from the charges. The substance in his mouth failed to show any signs of drugs in lab tests. The officer on the scene falsified reports and his statements to secure an arrest of the suspect. May is now suing the City of Kissimmee for false arrest and false imprisonment. An agreement has not yet been reached in this civil suit.

A seventh individual has been charged in connection to the Dr. Michael Reed criminal case. Dr. Reed, a prominent Panama City surgeon has been accused of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. Six other men have also been charged in connection to the crime. Most recently a seventh individual, 35-year old Amy Cooper has been charged with using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Cooper also happens to be Dr. Reed's girlfriend.

A criminal investigation took place between 2006 and May 27 of this year. The last day of the investigation is coincidentally the same day Cooper allegedly made the telephone call in question. Reports state that Reed and Cooper booked a cruise to Belize to meet co-conspirators and obtain large quantities of cocaine. Allegedly Reed had $30,000 worth of cocaine delivered to him in February. In May, Dr. Reed was awaiting a second delivery of cocaine at his home when authorities took him into custody.

Rumors have circulated that Cooper has become an informant for federal agents in an effort to convict Reed. This is a rumor that her attorney vigorously denies. Her attorney also states that Cooper has not yet accepted any sort of government plea deal. The trial has been set for October.