Florida Criminal Attorney Blog

The Pembroke Park, Florida set of The Glades, a popular television series, has been robbed twice in the past month, according to reports. Broward County officials have purportedly announced that the two incidents have left the set out $23,000 worth of copper wiring and are asking the public to come forward with relevant information. The perpetrators are still at large, and could reportedly face charges of larceny of more than $20,000, burglary, and criminal mischief if caught and convicted.

According to repots, the first theft occurred on April 9th, 2012. Security cameras on the set recorded footage of two men driving a white Ford F-150 pickup truck into the set's loading dock, loading $20,000 worth of copper cables from air conditioning generators into the back of the truck, and driving off. The second theft, which occurred on Monday of last week, was reportedly starkly similar. The security cameras again caught footage of two men, this time driving a red Ford F-150 pickup truck, stopping in the same spot as the pickup in the prior theft before two men got out and took $3,000 worth of copper cables, according to reports. It is not clear whether officials believe that the same two suspects were responsible for the thefts despite the change in truck color. In hopes that members of the public will come forward with information, Broward County officials have released the surveillance footage to media outlets.

South Florida metal theft is apparently a common problem, especially for restaurants and abandoned buildings. Copper, which yields about $3 a pound, is regularly stolen from air conditioners, reports indicate. Apparently local scrap yards are a big help in identifying metal thieves, as they often report suspicious metal sales to local authorities.

Ironically, the set that was allegedly a target of metal theft in this case is about a detective itself. The Glades, an A&E television series, follows a detective named Jim Longworth as he works for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on gruesome homicide cases. The show is slated to begin a third season this summer after enjoying two successful past seasons.

In another area theft case this week, a waitress at a Chili's restaurant was apprehended after she allegedly stole credit card numbers from customers. 23-year-old Germithe Geffard was reportedly arrested and charged with possession of a scanning device in Coral Springs, Florida. It is not clear whether she has qualified for bail bond or has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.

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Joseph Pointer of Lakeland, Florida was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly stole his ex-girlfriend's sister's ashes and threatened to snort them. Pointer was booked into Polk County Jail on charges of grand theft, where he remains incarcerated in lieu of paying $1,000 bail bond. It is not clear whether Mr. Pointer has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

According to the arrest report, the incident occurred on Wednesday, when Pointer allegedly stole Melissa Williamson's ashes from her sister, Angela Speakman. Williamson had died in a car accident in 2008. Details on the crash are not available, and it is not known how old Williamson was when she died.

The affidavit indicates that Pointer and Speakman had lived together at Pointer's residence for a short time in April, but they are not believed to still be in a relationship. It is not clear what incited the theft or what the circumstances surrounding the incident were. It is also not entirely clear where the alleged theft took place; Speakman told authorities that she and her parents took turns keeping Williamson's urn at their respective residences.

After the theft, Pointer allegedly drove past Speakman's mother's home, holding the urn and yelling, "I've got your dead daughter's ashes and I'm going to snort them." The family subsequently contacted authorities, and Pointer was apprehended without incident. It is not clear where the arrest took place, nor is it clear whether Williamson's remains have been safely recovered.

This is not the first time human ashes have been stolen. International reports of burglaries of urns or jewelry containing human ashes are fairly common. Some speculate that this is partially because some burglars mistake urns for jewelry boxes, and take jewelry containing ashes simply for their monetary value without knowing about the contents therein. In some cases, such as the one at hand, human ashes are targeted by acquaintances of the victim for revenge or other purposes, though such cases are not as common as the former.

Pointer was not the only South Florida resident to be arrested under unusual circumstances recently. Another South Florida resident, 28-year-old Jenson Bolla-Sosa of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was arrested on Sunday after he was allegedly caught having sex with his dog. Bolla-Sosa was booked at Broward County Jail on charges of resisting arrest without violence, animal cruelty, and knowingly engaging in sexual contact with an animal.

Bolla-Sosa, Guatemala national, is also on immigration hold. He remains incarcerated in lieu of paying $12,500 bond. It is not clear whether he has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

According to the arrest report, a witness told police that Bolla-Sosa penetrated the dog's 'backside' with his penis, and that the dog appeared to be in pain. The witness told officials that they took the dog away from Bolla-Sosa. Mimi, whose breed is not known, is believed to be in the care of Bolla-Sosa's family. It is not clear whether the witness is in Bolla-Sosa's family or was a random passerby. It is similarly unclear where the alleged attack took place.

Jeffrey Pinder of Boca Raton, Florida was arrested after he was allegedly found napping in Gilma Messier's living room. He reportedly broke into the residence after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run car accident. Pinder, 41, was arrested and booked on charges of armed burglary. He is being held on $50,000 bail bond. It is not clear whether Mr. Pinder has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

According to the police report, the incident began at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Sunday near Sherwood Forest Boulevard and Lake Worth Road. Pinder was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident at the location, after which he fled his vehicle and hid in a Walgreens store nearby. Details regarding the accident are not currently available, although it appears as though nobody was hurt. It is also not clear whether authorities plan on charging Pinder with leaving the scene of an accident in connection to the hit-and-run.

After going to Walgreens, Pinder, who witnesses said was wearing a black shirt and khaki shorts, allegedly went to the nearby Elsinore Circle home of Gilma Messier, 68, who he did not know. The 68-year-old woman called police soon after, saying that a strange man was asleep in a chair in her living room.

When police responded to the call, Messier reportedly told them that she had been taking out the trash when the thought she saw a shadow behind her. She explained that when she came back into her home, Pinder was standing in her living room. She told authorities that she asked Pinder to leave, but that he declined and told her he wanted to sit down. She said that she later asked him to leave again, but that he had continued to sit in her living room until he fell asleep. Authorities say that they found Pinder asleep in the home with a knife in his pocket. He reportedly cooperated with the arresting officers.

It is not clear whether Pinder has a prior police record. Sources indicate that he has lived in Palm Beach Gardens and North Palm Beach as well as Boca Raton, and that he currently owns a Boca Raton home. Pinder is reportedly in the masonry business.

In another area break-in arrest, 68-year-old Alberta Clem was apprehended after she allegedly snuck into her neighbor's bedroom while her neighbor slept. The victim told authorities that she woke up to find Clem petting her dog at the foot of her bed on Sunday morning. She further alleged that after Clem left, the victim's purse, which had been on a table, was lying at the foot of her bed. It is not clear whether anything was missing from the bag.

Clem, upon her arrest for burglary, told authorities that she had entered the home to return her neighbor's dog after the dog had approached her outside. Clem says that she knocked on the door of the residence, but that no one had answered, so she tried the door and found it unlocked. It is not entirely clear why Clem went to the victim's bedroom. She is currently incarcerated at Martin County Jail in lieu of paying $10,000 bond. It is not clear whether she has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

Meggan Zarrilli and Kimberly Ann Jones were arrested in Chapel Hill, Florida for identity theft late last week after both women allegedly tried to cash fraudulent checks. Zarrilli, 25, of Cooper City, and Jones, 36, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla were both charged with one count of felony obtaining property by false pretense, one count of felony attempt to obtain property by false pretense, one count of felony identity theft and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Zarrilli was also charged with two counts of felony forgery of instrument; Jones also faces two counts of felony uttering forged instrument, two counts of felony forgery of endorsement, an additional count of felony identity theft, two counts of misdemeanor possession of stolen goods and one count of misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Jones is believed to have headed the operation, while Zarrilli is thought to have been an accomplice. It is not clear how the two women know each other. Both suspects remain incarcerated in Orange County Jail in lieu of paying $100,000 bail bond apiece. It is unclear whether either Zarrilli or Jones has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

The police report indicates that a bank teller from State Employer's Credit Uniton, located in Chapel Hill Wells Fargo branch, called the Chapel Hill Police Department on March 14 to inform them that the two women had attempted to cash fraudulent checks and that one of the women had been wearing a wig during the attempt. Police rushed to the scene quickly enough to apprehend Kimberly Jones, who was driving away from the scene with Meggan Zarrilli in the passenger seat.

"Officers got there very quickly and were able to stop the vehicle that Ms. Jones was driving," commented a sergeant from the Chapel Hill Police Department. "With a short investigation they were able to determine that they were in fact trying to pass a check that was fraudulent." Police also found drug paraphernalia and marijuana in the women's possession upon making the arrest.

An investigtion into the incident revealed that two checks for $995 each were cashed at different State Employee Credit Unions on the same day. Officials suspect that Jones and Zarrilli may have been behind those checks, which were fraudulent as well. Someone from the bank called in the incident after the suspects had already fled the area, making it impossible for police to catch them.

An official from the Chapel Hill Police Department said that police often do not find out about identity theft and fraudulent check incidents at banks until the suspects have fled the scene. "We just happened to get there quickly enough to catch them as they were doing it. Typically, we don't get notice until days later," he said, adding that these cases are made even more complicated because the identity theft often took place in a separate location than the check cashing: Jones and Zarrilli have been accused of stealing a Mecklenburg driver's license, meaning that the identity theft charge is under the jurisdiction of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Evan Walker was arrested in Gainsville, Florida for allegedly stealing a taco from a street vendor on Friday, March 30. The Florida Gators basketball player, who just finished a fourth season on the team, was charged with petty theft and resisting an officer without violence. He is due in court on April 19. It is not clear whether Mr. Walker, 22, has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

According to the arrest report, the incident occurred on Friday at approximately 1:00 a.m. at 100 South Main Street, where the taco vendor was located, and ended three blocks away on 200 West University Avenue. Walker allegedly ordered a taco from a street vendor, and when the vendor handed him the taco, he ran off without paying. When police approached him and told him to stop, Walker allegedly ignored them and kept going. He was finally apprehended with the help of several deputies in patrol cars.

The arrest report indicates that when police officers caught up with Walker, he told them that he was "just playing around," and it further explains that Walker "stated when he ran off with the taco he knew that he had not paid for it and that he was stealing food." The possible involvement of drugs or alcohol in the incident are not mentioned in the report.

Walker had been arrested once before in Gainsville. In 2008, he was arrested for resisting an officer without violence. It is not clear what incident the charge was in connection to. Walker ended up pleading nolo contendre (similar to pleading no contest) to the charge.

Walker, who has played for the Gators for four years, has started at point guard for the past three years. The 5'8" basketball player is ranked 24th on Florida's all-time scoring list.

Walker was not the only Florida athlete to run into trouble with the law this weekend. Just a few days prior, Koa Misi, NFL linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, was arrested in connection to a 1-year-old incident in which he allegedly punched through a wooden front door, entered a residence and hit a sleeping man in the eye. The police report indicates that he did this in reciprocation after the man in question hurled insults at him and his friends from a balcony above the street.

Misi, 25, was arrested at 8:00 a.m. at his home in Weston, Florida on an out-of-state warrant issued by the Santa Barbara justice system. The incident in question allegedly occurred near the University of California Santa Barbara campus as Misi and three friends, one male and two female, were passing by an apartment complex. After getting into a verbal argument with the 19-year-old victim and his friends, who were allegedly shouting insults from the upstairs balcony, Misi allegedly got angry and entered the residence before attacking the man.

The police report goes on to say that when three women inside the apartment demanded that Misi pay for the damage to the front door and threatened to call police, Misi grabbed one of the women's cell phones and threw it to the ground. He will be tried in California.

Eric Welch was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida last Thursday on a total of 13 charges, including multiple counts or grand theft and burglary. Welch, 50, is believed to be in custody at the Broward County Jail. He was denied http://www.defense-florida.com/lawyer-attorney-1560650.html at his initial hearing on Tuesday. It is not yet known if Welch has a private criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale.

The charges come in connection to a string of robberies dating as far back at 2009. According to official, Welch is suspected of planting secret access codes in safes that he worked on at his job as a locksmith. He would allegedly later come back and rob the safes using the secret code, leaving no signs of breaking into the safes and confounding victims. Welch worked as a locksmith for LockAmerica, located in Pompano Beach, for nearly two decades.

The affidavit states that Welch is suspected of robbing three Fort Lauderdale Wendy's restaurants in 2009. He is also accused of robbing Jesse's Xtreme Sports Bar in Margate twice, once in November 12, 2011 and again a month later, according to the report. The report states that he got into the establishment on November using a crowbar, then walked over to the safe and punched in his secret code. The second time, on December 26, he smashed a glass door before using the secret code again. Police have reportedly received a confession regarding Welch's use of the secret code in those instances.

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