Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

A Tampa pair were arrested following an incident where they rammed their car into a police cruiser trying to avoid an arrest, according to a story on TBO.com. John Carnegie, the 21-year-old driver of the car, was allegedly involved in a neighborhood dispute possibly involving a shotgun. When police tried stopping the man he drove straight at the officer’s police car.

After Carnegie hit the police car he and his passenger both abandoned the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. Carnegie was found by a canine unit and suffered minor dog bites. Martavia Haggins was arrested a few blocks away. Both were charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, obstructing or opposing an officer without violence and fleeing to elude.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourBattery.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy was waiting at a stop light when a car crashed into him from behind. Both the deputy and the driver were injured in the collision, although neither was seriously hurt. According to Bay News 9, police believe the man driving the car rammed the sheriff’s deputy on purpose.

The suspect, whose name was not released at the time, is believed to be a suspect in a domestic violence case. He has been taken into custody. The car crash took place at Anderson Road and Waters Avenue at approximately 3:30 a.m.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A six-month investigation into drug sales at six Pinellas County strip clubs culminated in 23 arrests Tuesday. “Operation Adult Use” was an undercover operation that involved narcotics detectives with the Pinellas County sheriff’s office. The operation netted dancers, employees and customers. According to the St. Pete Times they are accused of selling cocaine, anxiety drugs and painkillers.

According to the police most of the drugs being sold were prescription drugs, mainly oxycodone and roxycodone. The clubs that were the focus of the operation were Bliss Cabaret, Oz Ladies and Gentleman’s Club, Baby Dolls, Diamond Dolls, Gold Club and Badda Bling Gentleman’s Club. The investigation is still ongoing.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in St. Petersburg or Pinellas County and need agressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourPinellasArrest.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping our Clearwater office located at 4500 140th Ave. N Suite #203.

As we see on so many occasions here in Tampa Bay and throughout the state of Florida, what seems like an innocent traffic stop leads to more serious charges once the traffic stop is made. That exact situation took place in Sebring, Florida to Gerardo Matos. Matos was speeding, driving 51 M.P.H. in a 45, and that led to the stop.

Once Matos was pulled over sheriff’s deputies discovered he did not have a valid driver’s license. The background check also showed that the 26-year-old was a sex offender who was not registered as required. Matos, a former resident of Connecticut, was taken to Highlands County jail and released on $35,250 bond. Failing to register as a sex offender is a third-degree felony according to the story on TBO.com.

If you have been pulled over for a traffic violation and then charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need agressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in any of our four offices located in Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota or Orlando.

The traffic crash that critically injured four people in Pasco County may have been cause by drunk driving according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the FHP are waiting on tests that will determine if one or both of the drivers involved in the accident were driving under the influence.

Police reports state that New Port Richey’s Rose Mary Daniel was driving at about 4:00 p.m. when she rear-ended a car in front of her. She hit a 1993 Pontiac Firebird and the collision sent both vehicles spinning. There were three people in the Firebird and two were airlifted to a local hospital. A second passenger was taken to Tampa General Hospital. That is the same hospital Daniel was taken to.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourTampaDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Pernell Brown committed what seems to be a minor traffic infraction but it led to big-time charges according to a story published on TBO.com. Police officers attempted to pull Brown over for making a turn without a signal but the 24-year-old Tampa man decided to flee after being pulled over. It seems police officers found out why when they eventually stopped Brown.

Brown’s car was searched and officers found cocaine on the Tampa man and marijuana in the car. The incident began when Brown failed to signal his turn from Kay Street to Nebraska Avenue just before midnight. He stopped for the officer but then fled when the police exited the cruiser. When they finally stopped him the drugs were discovered. Brown was charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to commit racketeering, fleeing and eluding police, possession of cocaine and other charges.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need agressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourDrugCrime.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Three months worth of undercover work by Manatee County drug investigators netted 30 arrests of what police described as street-level dealers according to an article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Of the 53 arrest warrants issued, all but 20 were served over the weekend.

Officials seized cash and drugs during the operation. Police say they seized 140 grams of cocaine, 37 prescription pills and close to $2,000 in cash. The dealers allegedly sold drugs in mostly minority neighborhoods and were targeted originally for dealing crack cocaine and marijuana among other drugs.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee County and are in need of aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourDrugCrime.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Sarasota offices located at 200 N. Washington Blvd.

Six months ago Miguel Bartolo Jose of Ft. Meyers lost his life in a horrible traffic accident. Yesterday Walter Bates, Jr. was charged with nine counts of DUI with property damage, DUI with serious bodily injury and DUI manslaughter. According to News-Press.com, FDLE says Bates had a blood alcohol level of 0.184, twice the legal limit in Florida.

According to the FHP, Bates crossed the center line of State Road 31 and headed directly into oncoming traffic where he collided with Jose’s van killing the man instantly. There were seven passengers in Jose’s van and all of them sustained serious injuries.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in any of our four florida criminal defense offices located in Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota or Orlando.

The story of a Tampa teenager shot and killed Wednesday seems to have become even more tragic as police now believe the young man lost his life over a dispute about a bicycle. Greg Allen, a 17-year-old senior at Middleton High School, was shot in the chest in a DeSoto Park neighborhood and died from the wounds at Tampa General Hospital.

Bay News 9 is reporting that the shooting began with a conflict over the theft of a bicycle. A large crowd gathered as the argument grew. Allen left the scene and was shot about two blocks away from where the crowd had gathered. Allen was named the “turnaround student of the year” at Middleton and there have been no arrests made in his murder at this time.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need agressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourFelony.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A Sarasota County judge didn’t buy into the ruse used by a couple of sheriff’s deputies who gained entry into a Sarasota home by telling the homeowner they were with the Florida Department of Children and Families. The Sarasota County sheriff’s deputies suspected Matthew Kennedy was operating a marijuana grow house but they didn’t have enough proof to get a search warrant so they found another way to get into the home as reported by Todd Ruger of the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

The judge ruled that the deputies told Kennedy that they had legal authority to enter his home, which took away his right to consent to a search. Because of the illegal search and seizure the judge threw out all the illegally gained evidence which included drug paraphernalia and 36 marijuana plants. Kennedy is still charged with felony cultivation of marijuana but the charges will be hard to prove without the iullegaly obtained evidence.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee County and are in need of aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourDrugCrime.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Sarasota offices located at 200 N. Washington Blvd.

In today’s Sarasota Herald Tribune Nancy Goodman is described as having gone on a drunken rampage that resulted in her punching a police officer in the face. The 66-year-old woman was allegedly in her driveway screaming at people when North Port Police were called. When officer Scott Smith approached Goodman she apparently knocked a flashlight from his hand and punched him in the face.

Smith wrote in his arrest report he ‘escorted’ Goodman to the ground where she kicked at the officer. She then refused to walk to the police cruiser so he had to drag her to the car. She was charged with resisting arrest without violence and a felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer. She was taken to Sarasota County jail.

If you have been charged with a crime in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee County and are in need of aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourBattery.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Sarasota offices located at 200 N. Washington Blvd.

It is safe to say a Tampa bride never envisioned her wedding reception at the Rusty Pelican on Rocky Point ending in a brawl that involved a convicted felon showing up with a gun and a 74-year-old grandmother being chocked but according to TampaBay.com that is just what happened this past weekend. According to the story the trouble started at the end of the night when the groom started throwing dollar bills onto the dance floor as the kids at the wedding ran to pick up the money. That didn’t sit well with some of the guests as the wedding party became split into two sides.

As the two sides argued the confrontation turned physical and a fight started in the Rusty Pelican parking lot. Police were called at that point and one of the officers on the scene was assaulted as he tried to separate the wedding guests. Somehow the fight continued at a new location four miles away in the parking lot of a hotel. At this point police say convicted felon Malcolm Hepburn was called because his cousin was hit with a brick. Hepburn showed up at the parking lot with a stolen gun and approached the groom’s father and the grandmother. As the grandmother protested that the fighting stop she was grabbed from behind by a woman who reportedly said “I am going to choke you out” as she wrapped her hands around the women’s neck.

Officers arrived on the scene and placed Hepburn under arrest charging him with felony battery, grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The groom, who was out of prison for less than a month after serving time on cocaine charges, was not charged and he is now on a honeymoon cruise with his new bride.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

What seemed like an innocent traffic stop for illegal tinted windows not only resulted in arrests for drugs and battery but it nearly erupted into a riot with nearly 100 bystanders. According to TBO.com the traffic stop left two officers and one suspect injured and three other suspects are still on the loose. The Polk County Sheriff’s office and the Florida Highway Patrol were both called in to help disperse a crowd of 75-100 people who gathered around during the arrests.

According to police reports once the car was stopped they witnessed a man in the driver’s seat eating marijuana. The officer attempted to arrest the man as a crowd gathered and began to shout profanities. A safety cadet with the officer was then punched by one of those who gathered around the cars. As the assault took place two men fled from the car in possession of marijuana. Police then used a stun gun to stop one of the suspects who was fighting with police but once again an on-looker interfered pulling the darts out of the suspect. One man was charged with possession and another with battery of a law enforcement officer.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Two years ago Adam Sanford left Wesley Chapel High School with two friends in his Isuzu Trooper. The teenager passed a car by driving into the grass and then when he swerved back onto the road he flipped the SUV killing one of the passengers and leaving another severely injured. A week before he was set to go on trial for reckless driving with serious bodily injury, vehicular homicide and manslaughter by culpable negligence Sanford pleaded guilty according to TampaBay.com.

Sanford put his fate in the hands of a circuit judge in a case that could have sent him to jail for up to 35 years. After hearing emotional pleas from all the parties involved, Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa sentenced the young man to six months in jail and 10 years of probation. He also stipulated that Sanford will give speeches to high school students every month, he’ll carry a picture or memento of his victims and he will report to jail on the anniversary of the crash for the next 10 years.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Derrick Faircloth, a 39-year-old Bradenton man, was not supposed to leave the state as he waited to be tried on charges he drugged young girls at parties in order to have sex with them. Since being charged with lewd and lascivious molestation, sexual battery, delivering a controlled substance to a minor and introduction of obscene materials to a minor, police continued to investigate Faircloth and issued another warrant charging him with 49 counts of child pornography.

Yesterday authorities in Wayne County Indiana pulled over a car driven by Faircloth and found the outstanding warrant. He was placed under arrest and is still being held in Indiana as he awaits extradition according to a report on TBO.com that sites a Richmond, Ind. Station. The girls Faircloth is accused of drugging and having sex with were 14, 16 and 17 years old.

If you have been charged with a crime in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee County and are in need of aggressive legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourFelony.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Sarasota offices located at 200 N. Washington Blvd.

Meredith Witt has resigned her teaching job at Oviedo High after admitting that she gave alcohol to one or more students and also gave her car keys to one of those students as well, as reported in the Orlando Sentinel. The 32-year-old was a special education teacher at the Orlando area high school. Witt has not been charged with a crime as of yet.

Witt’s story came to light due to the fact one of her students that she gave alcohol to later ended up hitting two cars, leaving the scene of the accident and then was charged with DUI. According to the police the student smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests when they tracked him down hiding out at his house. His Honda SUV was damaged and parked in the driveway.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Orlando, Orange or Seminole County, please do not hesitate to contact Orlando DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourOrlandoDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Orlando office located at 189 S Orange Ave., Suite 1850S.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office stopped a Ford Explorer due to what they say was a loud exhaust but when they approached the vehicle they discovered there was more smoke than what was coming from the muffler. The website TBO.com is reporting that the driver admitted to driving under the influence of marijuana, which he smoked while driving with his two-week-old baby in the car.

The smell of marijuana led to a search of the car where deputies found a bag of marijuana in possession of the car’s passenger and six hyrocodone pills as well. The driver and passenger had two other people with them in the backseat on top of their baby daughter. The couple was charged with possession of marijuana and child abuse. The child’s mother was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourDrugCrime.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy Michael Broman is facing drug charges and being held in Pinellas County jail according to a story on TampaBay.com. The 42-year-old Broman’s arrest at the jail was the culmination of an investigation that began in August when detectives received a tip about suspicious activity involving prescription drugs and Broman.

Broman has been charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and doctor shopping. He was allegedly receiving oxycodone from more than one doctor and was using a fraudulent prescription. Broman has been placed on paid leave while an investigation is conducted.

If you have been charged with a drug crime in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Pinellas County please do not hesitate to contact Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourDrugCrime.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Clearwater office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

Larry Garland is currently on probation for DUI and possession of a controlled substance. According to a report on TBO.com things are about to get worse for the 35-year-old. The Tampa man is back in jail now after he allegedly tried to submit a false urine sample when called in for a random drug test.

Tampa Police report that Garland’s probation officer noticed some sort of bladder device with surgical tubes strapped around Garland’s waist. The homemade bladder contained an orange-yellow liquid. Garland was arrested following the stunt at the probation office on N. Tampa St. He is being held without bail.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at FightYourTampaDUI.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A Tampa man who served two years in a Polk County jail for attempted sexual battery on a child is back in jail. Virticee Thompson was arrested early Monday morning after threatening to kill his wife and himself as he swung a machete back and forth according to Tampa police.

The arrest report indicates that the couple had been married for five years and the victim’s teenage daughter was a witness to the assault as chronicled on TBO.com. Thompson was released from jail in July of 2003 but now he is back inside a cell being held without bail. The 38-year-old has been charged with violation of probation and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa or Hillsborough County and need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourCase.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.