Authorities say that Smith is responsible for 12 violent home invasions in Manatee and Sarasota counties over a number of months last spring and summer, which included the murder of Kathleen Briles.  Briles was the wife of a prominent Palmetto physician.

Smith came to Florida with a lengthy criminal record in Michigan.  He faced criminal charges for stealing a car in Detroit before being arrested three years later for a Detroit area bank robbery.  Smith was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the bank robbery.  Smith moved to Florida after his release on the bank robbery conviction to be with the woman who he wed in a jailhouse ceremony during his incarceration.

However, Smith was also having a series of extramarital affairs.  It was one of his mistresses, a 34 year old North Port woman, that was instrumental in his arrest for the spree of robberies.  Smith was arrested for his involvement in a violent fight in a Venice bar in August.  While in custody, Smith asked his mistress to remove all of his property, which included a .380-caliber pistol, from a storage facility according to federal arrest reports.  During one of the telephone conversations while Smith was in custody, he told his mistress, "You never got anything from my storage, he said in the recorded phone call.  "You don't know anything about my storage."

Investigators later discovered items that were taken from Briles home during the robbery amongst the items in Smith's storage including a rare Mickey Mouse keychain, diamond necklace, gold coins and an inscribed medical encyclopedia.  DNA also linked Smith to 4 of the Sarasota County home invasions.  According to authorities, Smith's cell phone signal was recorded on a tower about a mile from Briles home a short time before the robbery.  "The presumption of innocence applies despite the public's fear linked to the home invasions," said criminal attorney John Musca.

Smith is currently being held in Sarasota County Jail without bond.  Smith has also become a main suspect in several other cases including a murder on Jo-An Drive in April according to Sheriff Tom Knight.

Musca Law Firm has over 100 years of combined legal experience with convenient offices located across the State of Florida.  Our criminal defense team will aggressively defend your rights on the State and Federal level.  The prosecution is looking to punish you to the fullest extent of the law.  You need a knowledgeable attorney that will watch out for you.  Contact Musca Law for a free, comprehensive review of your case.

When chatting with the investigator, whom Gavin thought was a teen girl, the "suspect solicited the detective for various sexual acts."  The investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Office Sexual Offender Squad entered a chat room posing as a 14 year old girl on Thursday and was quickly contacted by Gavini.

According to a news release from the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Gavini disrobed and committed a lewd act while chatting with what he believed was a 14 year old girl.  The investigator's affidavit also indicated that during the chat, "The male stated his name was Bryan Gavini, and even showed his convention name tag with that name printed on it to the webcam."

It is also alleged that Gavin offered to pay for a cab to bring the person he thought was a 14-year-old girl to the hotel.  Once investigators arrived at the hotel, they texted Gavini to let him know that the "girl" had arrived.  Gavini responded and indicated he was in his hotel room.

When they got to the door of his room, an officer identified himself and asked for permission to enter the room.  "I asked Mr. Gavini if this was the computer he used to chat with (the girl) on and he stated yes," the report said.  "I then asked if he would show me his Yahoo Account and he stated yes."  Gavin booted up the computer but the chat session had not been saved.  The officer also asked to search the computer, but Gavin said he could not give permission because it was a company computer.  Gavini is charged with one count of solicitation of a minor via the internet and three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor.

Casey is also facing 13 charges for writing approximately $650 in bad checks from a friend's account over a seven-day period in July 2008, during the month period when her daughter was missing.  The disposition of her bad check case could seriously impact her murder trial.  If she is found guilty or pleads guilty in the bad check case, it might affect the defense's strategy in her murder trial.  If Casey is convicted in the bad check case and decides to testify in the murder case, she would be forced to answer "yes" if she is asked if she is a convicted felon.  This might mean that the defense might be more inclined to keep Casey from testifying in the murder case because that answer could make her seem less credible.

The outcome of Anthony's bad check case could also affect sentencing in her murder case.  If there is a death penalty hearing, the prosecution could not introduce the bad check convictions as an "aggravating circumstance" for prior criminal history.  The legislature does not consider theft offenses serious enough to be used by prosecutors arguing for the death penalty.

However, if the defense in a death penalty hearing tries to introduce the "mitigating circumstance" of "no significant history of criminal activity," Anthony's bad check convictions could likely be revealed.  The disposition of Casey's bad check case could have a serious impact on the defense strategy and disposition in her murder trial.

The prosecutors in the case had argued that bail be denied entirely.  However, Judge Hunter said to deny bail the evidence must show "proof of guilt is evident and presumption is great" - an even higher standard than "beyond a reasonable doubt."  Prosecutors also requested that if Holt intends to post bail that a hearing be conducted to determine the source of the funds.  The judge also set other conditions on Holt's release including an ankle monitoring device, forfeiture of his passport and firearms and remaining in his home except for employment, attending medical appointments and meeting with his attorneys.

In their attempt to have bail denied, Prosecutors previewed their evidence in support of a conviction.  Prosecutors initially set out to establish that Wiles, who has been missing since April 1, 2008, is dead.  The prosecutors offered evidence that Wiles has had no financial activity or contact with family and friend and that he left behind his personal items including his passport.  Holt was the last person known to have seen Wiles alive before he left work at 6 or 6:30 p.m.

Holt claimed that after leaving National Flight Services, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport on the day of Wiles disappearance, he went to Hooters on South Florida Avenue.  Wile's family owns National Flight Services where Holt and Wiles both worked.  However, surveillance video did not show Holt entering or leaving Hooters.  Holt indicated he then ate dinner at Outback Steakhouse and paid by credit card but no financial record has been found to support this claim.

Holt's cell records show he called Home Depot shortly before it closed at 9:00 p.m.  Prosecutors contend that Holt called to verify that the store was still open so he could purchase items he needed to dispose of the body including a box of plastic wrap and duct tape.  The store records show someone purchased these items for cash but again Holt did not appear on surveillance footage.

Someone sent an email to Wiles father demanding $750,000 on April 2, 2008 using Wile's cell phone.  The email instructed that the ransom be placed inside Wile's office which was adjacent to Holt's office.  Prosecutors suggested this was strange because the building had a security system.

Cell phone records indicated that someone was calling Wile's father that night from Wile's cell phone.  There is video footage from a toll station where it appears that Holt is talking on a cell phone but his cell records do not show his phone was being used at the time.  Cell records also showed that both Holt and Wile's cell phones were using cell towers on nearly the same path that night.

Holt also told police he did not have any weapons in his vehicle.  However, police later found a .40 caliber Sig Sauer handgun under the hood of the car.  Evidence was also introduced that Holt spent $200 at a gun store in an attempt to change the characteristics of the gun barrel.

A food service employee at Walt Disney World has been arrested and charged with 200 counts of possessing child pornography.   According to a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, during an investigation more than 5,000 images of young children without clothing on were found on the suspect's computer.

The 32 year old man is being held in the county jail with bond set at $10,000 for each felony count.

Possessing, producing or trafficking in images of actual children undressed or engaged in sexual activity is a crime under both state and federal law.  The First Amendment does not protect either child pornography or obscenity.  Virtually everything that you do on the internet is recorded somewhere, where law enforcement can and will become involved.  Federal and state law enforcement agencies are extremely aggressive in prosecuting those charged with child pornography.

A conviction of child pornography is punished severely where judges have little discretion when handing down sentences.  If you suspect that you are being investigated for any type of child pornography or child sex crime, you need to seek legal representation before you are arrested and charged.  Musca Law will use their experience and knowledge to defend you aggressively and effectively.

If you have been charged with a child pornography crime contact Musca Law to discuss your case, attorneys at Musca Law understand that the stakes are very high.  You can be assured that they will fight to keep you out of jail and diligently work to minimize as much as possible the consequences of a child pornography charge.

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 Lee County man is now in custody after allegedly prostituting his underage wife to area brothels. Detectives looked into the case after the underage victim gave birth to her second child at Health Park Hospital in Ft. Myers. The victim told deputies that she had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico to work in a Homestead nursery. The three managers at the nursery that helped bring her into the country forced her to engage in sex in return.

The victim's husband and defendant in the case, 23-year old Juan Gomez Domingo, also worked with the victim in the Homestead nursery, married her with permission from her mother. The couple moved to Bonita Springs. Their roommate befriended one of the victim's former managers from Homestead and began to orchestrate forced sex between the victim and manager in exchange for money. When the victim became pregnant, the roommate took off.

Domingo started forcing his underage wife to attend local brothels to help with paying the rent. Domingo also committed Ft. Myers domestic violence against the victim physically, emotionally and then threatened to kick her and their children out of his home if she did not comply. Officers charged Domingo with Ft. Myers human trafficking and he is awaiting trial inside the Lee County Jail on one million dollars bond.

Officers attempted to pull over a driver with an expired tag off of Cleveland Avenue in Ft. Myers. The driver pulled into the parking lot of a Steak and Shake restaurant and exited his vehicle. The suspect, 26-year old Ricardo Blanc, then made his way towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Officers ordered Blanc to stop, but he refused and entered the establishment. The deputies followed the suspect into the woman's restroom where they deployed their tasers against Blanc's back. Blanc fell to the ground and spit out a leafy green material from his mouth. The authorities later identified the green material as marijuana.

Oscar winning director Roman Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland after over 30 years on the run. In 1978, accusations arose of Polanski raping a child. He later entered a plea of guilty to sexual intercourse with a 13-year old girl. The State threatened the famous director to more prison time than originally agreed to in the plea bargain. Polanski fled the country prior to the sentencing hearing and has been on the run ever since.

The now 76-year old director relocated to France where there is no extradition treaty with the United States. Before the international terror crisis, European laws were very relaxed as far as detaining foreign fugitives. Polanski had no trouble publicly traveling around Europe up until this past weekend.

Information has not been released on what steps were taken to apprehend Polanski. However, Swiss authorities did arrest him inside the airport while he was on his way to accept an achievement award. Polanski directed the films Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby. He also was married to former actress Sharon Tate, who was infamously murdered by followers of Charles Manson.