Tampa Criminal Lawyer Blog

Authorities arrested a Tampa Fire and Rescue employee after he allegedly sold goods belonging to the department on the internet. Tampa Police have charged the defendant, 30-year old Wisman Figueroa II, with grand theft. Figueroa has confessed to selling over $11,000 worth of firefighter helmets, pants, jackets, decals, badges and other equipment on the popular bidding website, EBay.

Police arrested the defendant on the crime of grand theft. He posted $2,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial outside of jail. There is no information on what administrative penalties Figueroa will face from the Tampa Fire and Rescue Department.

Pursuant to Florida statute 812.014, State law defines the crime of grand theft as the unlawful taking of the property belonging to another valued at over $300. Florida Grand theft is considered a third degree felony. However, if the stolen property has a value of under $300 then it is considered a misdemeanor petit theft charge. Figueroa could be issued a maximum sentence of five years behind bars if he is convicted on all charges.

 

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A man allegedly involved with a Bradenton car theft has been sentenced by the Court. The defendant, 38-year old Robert Corona faced charges of car theft, resisting arrest and driving without a license. Police stopped Corona in November of last year while driving a vehicle that matched the description of a missing person.

Corona claimed to have found the car with the window down and keys in the ignition. He was under the influence of alcohol, drugs and decided to take the car for a joyride. The car also contained blood and clothing of the missing person, Sabine Musil-Buehler. The authorities concluded that Corona had no involvement with Musil-Buehler's disappearance and the circumstances were merely coincidental.

The State pushed for the defendant to receive the maximum penalties under Florida law due to his lengthy criminal history. The defense argued that the prosecution tried using this case to tie Corona to the missing person circumstance. The Court accepted a plea of no contest and sentenced him to four years in prison. Five years is the maximum penalty for the charges against Corona.

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Police arrested a Lakeland man at a local library today. The library employees contacted the police after they witnessed the defendant acting suspiciously. Police saw the 59-year old Johnney Keen, place a book over his private area and fondle himself at a public library table. Officers arrested Keen for breach of the peace and disorderly conduct. The police reported that there was insufficient evidence to file charges of lewd conduct.

Keen later gave the Police permission to search his home. During the search, officers allegedly found child pornography on the defendant's computer. There were 40 photographs of sexual performance by a child. The Court has denied Keen bail and he awaits trial in the Polk County Jail.

He admitted to police that he and his wife have recently had marital problems and he would go to local establishments to fondle himself while watching children. Keen admitted to police that he would go to public places like the library and the local mall. Keen also worked for 30 years as an air conditioning repair man for the Polk County School System.

 

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Local law enforcement officials have arrested 11 gang members out of a suspected 22 in total who have been involved in a string of smash and grab robberies (Florida Statute 812.13) in the Tampa area. Police had previously arrested nine of the suspected 22, leaving only two members at large. Nine of the total 22 gang members face potential life sentences for their involvement in the robberies.

The arrests come after a six month coordinated investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's department and the Tampa Police Department. The target of the investigation was the local Drak gang, which police officials suspect has been responsible for many robberies in the Tampa area. Police officials said that one of the objectives of the raid was to discourage young people from entering the gang and to dismantle the gang's leadership. Police officials suspect that 14 businesses and homes have been targets of the gang in the last few months. One victim was Larry Butler, who owns a local pawn shop. Butler stated that his business is still recovering from the aftermath of the break in. "Still going to take awhile. Still cleaning up the glass. Everyday I come in and I find new pieces of glass laying around," Butler said. Police stated that most of the robberies occurred early in the morning with a crew of around four to seven people. They described this pattern as typically of so called "smash and grab" robberies. Police said that in 10 of the 14 robberies the gang would use a stolen car or SUV, drive it through the front of the targeted store and then collect the desired merchandise. Under Florida law breaking into a house or commercial property with a motorized vehicle is a life felony. The gang members would often be finished within in minutes, sometimes leaving the stolen vehicle in a mess of glass in front of the store.

 

Local police officials have offered a $1,000 reward through Crime Stoppers for information leading to the capture of two men who allegedly robbed a local Circle K store on east Fowler Avenue. Both men were identified as black and between the ages of 18 and 20. Eyewitnesses reported that both men had similar builds, about six feet tall and one hundred and eighty pounds. One of the men was described as wearing a black shirt and denim shorts. The other was described as wearing a long sleeve green button-up shirt and black pants. Witnesses were unable to identify his facial characteristics because he was wearing a black mask at the time of the robbery, says Tampa criminal defense attorney John Musca. Witnesses also reported that the second man was carrying a small chrome handgun during the robbery. Law enforcement officers say that anyone with information about the crime or the whereabouts of the perpetrators is eligible for the reward, although those with information are permitted to report anonymously if necessary or if they so choose.

The robbery at the Circle K on Fowler Avenue is the second at a Circle K in the Tampa area in less than a month. On June 5, a shirtless man attempted to rob a Circle K on Morris Bridge Road. The suspect threatened the clerk with a crowbar and demanded money. He was then disarmed by the clerk and fled the area without getting any money from the store. He is still at large at this time. Law enforcement authorities report that the man was 40 to 45 years of age, 6'2", 250 lbs., with a pot belly, blonde hair and blue eyes and last seen wearing a white t-shirt around his head. The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the robberies.

Tampa bay area law enforcement officials arrested several suspects accused of property crimes and theft over the weekend. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from the Sears at the Lakeland Mall. A witness reported seeing a burglary happening: two suspects, a man and a woman driving an orange or rust-colored Mitsubishi Eclipse, were taking items from an unsecured car in the parking lot. The deputy located the pair, Dawn Nicole Campbell, 35 and Javis Brian Fuller, 24, along with another suspect, Michael Scott Hudy, 25, and placed them under arrest for burglary of the vehicle involved and petty theft. Authorities recovered a wallet and a pair of shoes, items allegedly stolen from the vehicle, as well as an opiate drug in the possession of Hudy.

In another burglary case over the weekend, Martin James Ibanez, 22, was arrested for the burglary of an occupied dwelling. He was not armed at the time of the offense, but forced entry into the home when a woman answered her front door. The victim left the home while Ibanez searched for items, but returned with her cousin. They found Ibanez hiding inside a closet in the home. He was arrested when a Sheriff's deputy responded to the scene. It was not clear if the victim was acquainted previously with Ibanez.

In light of the recent burglaries, police are warning the community about car fishing, a practice in which burglars prowl down a street under the cover of darkness, looking for unlocked cars and stealing belongings from the cars. Local citizens should not leave valuable items, including GPS navigation systems, in plain sight when the car is unoccupied and owners should take care to lock their vehicles before leaving the area.

If you have been arrested, call the Tampa criminal attorneys at Musca Law to discuss your case.

 

In January of this year, Pasco County law enforcement authorities began to notice a significant increase in the number of boat thefts reported. As many as 60 boats have been stolen just in Pasco County in 2009 already. Police believe they have identified several of the men responsible for a profitable boat theft ring, although they caution that there may still be another ring in operation at this time.

Luis Perez, 28, was arrested for stealing a boat with two engines worth a total of $18,000. The theft occurred on May 22. Perez posted bond and has been released from jail. Police have also identified Jonathon Stone, 22, and Kevin Allen Roach as possible accomplices in the same boat theft ring. Stone and Roach were arrested after they were located with a stolen boat. The pair were booked on charges of burglary, violation of probation, and criminal mischief.

Police say that a group of local thieves has been stealing docked boats. Once detached, they steer the boats to another location, where the thieves strip the boat of all valuables - motors, global positioning system units, fishing gear, and all electronic equipment. They resell the stolen property and sink the stripped-down boat. Police divers have been searching for evidence under the water and recently located a boat motor that they believe members of the ring stole. Additionally, they are continuing to search for more sunken boats.

"With the economy, thieves are looking to make a buck anyway they can," a Sheriff's Office spokesperson said. "It's hard to lock up a boat." Still, law enforcement officials advise boat owners to take extra precautions with their property whenever possible and make sure comprehensive boat insurance policies are up-to-date. Keeping a carefule record of all valuables in the boat is important. Boat owners can even write identifying information on these items in special ink that shows up only under a UV light, which is useful when locating stolen property.

 

Under Florida law, theft is defined as the taking of property from another with the intent to either temporarily, or permanently deprive an individual of their property. Florida theft charges are divided into petit theft or grand theft, and depending on the value of what was stolen, may be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor all the way up to a first-degree felony. Theft crimes reflect on an individual's honesty and a conviction can make it difficult later on to get a job, or earn a prospective employer's trust.

Shoplifting and theft are serious crimes under Florida Law, as well as they are enhanceable crimes. This means each subsequent offense results in more severe penalties. Because theft law is so broad, and covers a wide variety of situations, many theft charges occur after a misunderstanding among the parties involved. A skilled Florida criminal defense attorney can help sort through the facts of the situation and protect the rights of an individual charged with a theft. 

Grand Theft attorneys at Musca Law recently assisted a client accused of Grand Theft achieving the best results possible. Our client had moved from Virginia to join a local Christian church. The church pastor invited him to live in the church boarding house in exchange for manual labor. Prior to living in the boarding house, our client was homeless and living on the street. A few months into the arrangement, the pastor accused our client of removing items of furniture and appliances from the house. Police arrested him and charged him with Grand Theft. Our attorneys aggressively challenged the State on being able to meet its burden of proof; the State dismissed the charge of Grand Theft against our client.

The theft of cable television and satellite services has been in the Tampa Bay limelight recently after an area man was arrested and charged with such a theft. The State Attorney's Office alleges that Sergio Soto, 36, who resides in Avon Park, stole close to $8,000 worth of services from DirecTV, which provides satellite television around the country. At the time of the theft, which allegedly occurred between August 2006 and August 2007, Soto was employed as a subcontractor who performed assignments for DirecTV. He allegedly used a different user's personal account information in order to access the system for his own benefit. He has been charged under Florida law with the fraudulent interception of communications and fraudulently obtaining property valued at $300 or higher.

Comcast, the cable television service provider, estimates that cable theft costs the cable industry about six billion dollars every year - and the problem continues to grow. DirecTV, however, maintains that they have succeeded in eradicating theft of their satellite television products with new technology. Through the invention of a smart card device, which is associated directly with each individual user, the company believes it has stamped out theft. The card, which is also known as an access card, resembles a credit card in its dimensions. It allows the satellite subscriber to access the services he or she purchases and is able to read the encoded signals transmitted to that user. Whether the smart card technology will ever successfully be evaded by tech-savvy thieves, however, remains to be seen in the years to come.

O.J. Simpson was famously sued for satellite television theft. The former professional football star was ordered to pay DirecTV $25,000 in compensation for his theft, in addition to the company's legal fees and other associated costs. Although similar civil lawsuits for cable signal theft are on the rise, criminal prosecution for such activities remains minimal.