Tampa Criminal Lawyer Blog

Tampa authorities arrested two women who allegedly used the popular website, Craigslist, to solicit customers for acts of prostitution. Undercover officers searched the online classified site for possible ads associated with prostitutes soliciting sex. The Tampa Police Department set up an undercover sting operation at hotel located at 4732 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Within two hours of each other, Tampa Police arrested two suspects in connection with soliciting sex acts online. The first of the suspects, 26-year old Jodi Boatright, arrived to the room and requested $200 to perform a sex act. Officers contacted the second suspect, 20 year old Genevieve Kloska, via phone. Kloska showed up and suggested she perform a specific sexual act for a fee of $200.

Both female suspects were arrested and charged with prostitution. Boatright remains inside the Orient Road Jail on $250 bond. Kloska is awaiting trial out on bond on $250 bond.

A Hillsborough County man has been charged with kidnapping his own infant son. The defendant, 22-year old Jason Foster, allegedly took his son from his Tampa home and then texted the child mother's threatening that she would never see her child again. Foster has no custody rights to the six month old infant and does not reside with the child's mother.

Officers got into touch with Foster via telephone and explained the harsh criminal implications developing from his actions. The suspect responded by laughing into the receiver and hanging up on law enforcement. The deputies later made physical contact with the suspect and arrested him on kidnapping and possession of marijuana charges. Foster acted as if the charges were humorous and admitted to police that he "will take the child again whenever he wanted to..." Foster is awaiting trial inside the Orient Road Jail without bond.

Another individual has been arrested in connection to brawl that occurred in at a Rocky Point wedding reception Sunday. The incident occurred after a wedding guest through dollar bills at dancing children. Another guest felt this individual acted inappropriately and words were exchanged. A full fight broke out involving 30-40 people.

The 74-year old grandmother of the groom, Mary Wright, tried to intervene and stop the brawl. The defendant, 26-year old Sandra Felita Dean, allegedly attempted to choke the elderly woman. Officers tried to stop Dean from leaving the scene with her infant child not strapped in a car seat. The police learned that the defendant possessed a suspended license from repeated Tampa traffic tickets.

Dean fled on foot into the crowd before officers could place her under arrest. A pick-up notice was issued and eventually took her into custody yesterday. Dean faces charges of felony battery on a person older than 65, driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license and obstructing an officer without violence. If she is convicted on all charges, she could face a consecutive sentence of up to 7 years behind bars.

Officers responded to the scene of a man threatening to kill his wife with a machete. The incident occurred this weekend at 2:30 a.m. at a residence located at 8100 North Marks Street, Tampa. Police arrested the defendant, 38-year old Virticee Lamar Thompson, after he allegedly acted out "in a fit of rage" towards his wife of five years by swinging a machete in her direction.

Thompson claimed that he planned on killing his wife and then himself. The victim's 16-year old daughter witnessed the event. Thompson now faces charges of aggravated assault and violation of sexual battery probation.