Florida Criminal Attorney Blog

Marvin Broadway, 23, Taylor Miller, 19, and Carlton Lowe, 22, were all arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Forida on robbery charges last Wednesday after a failed armed robbery attempt against a gold store clerk. Broadway also faced charges of wearing a mask while committing a felony, and is being held on $175,000 bond. Miller is being held on $40,000 bond, and Lowe on $60,000 bond. All three are being held at the Broward Main Jail. It is unclear whether any of the trio has a private criminal defense lawyer.

At a preliminary hearing, a magistrate judge ordered the three to stay away from each other and from their alleged victim, Oleg Flyaster, 64. According to the affidavit, the incident occurred Tuesday while Flyastar was in an alley behind the Gold Buyers business where he worked. The business is located at 5130 North Federal Highway. At about 6:20 p.m., Flyastar says he was closing the business for the evening when he was approached by Broadway and Lowe, both of whom had concealed their faces with ski masks.

"Broadway produced a handgun and stated 'give up the money'," said the affidavit. "The victim was in fear for his life and retrieved his handgun and started shooting."

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Burnie Reed of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was arrested for murder after more than a week of searching. The 19-year-old has been charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence. He was denied bail bond in an initial hearing with Judge Jay Hurley at the Broward County Jail, where he is currently awaiting trial. It is unknown whether Reed has a private criminal defense attorney or will be relying on the public defender.

Police had conducted an extensive searched for the alleged killer that involved the FBI Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force, the Secret Service, Lauderhill police and Fort Lauderdale police. The investigation also appealed to the public for clues. Reed was apprehended when the search led authorities to a Lauderhill home in the 3400 block of Northwest 4th Ct. It is not known who owns the home.

Reed was reportedly trying to hide under a pile of furniture and clothing in one of the bedrooms of the home. He refused to cooperate with authorities and ended up causing a scuffle. Police were able to arrest him, although he sustained a nasty black eye that he sports in his mug shot.

The arrest and charges come in connection to an incident in which Reed allegedly tried to kill his pregnant ex-girlfriend by shooting her in the head, and succeeded in killing her sister in the same fashion. Reed was reportedly arguing with Chutney McNair, 19, with whom he had a rocky romantic relationship for about a year and a half, on the January 21. The fight occurred outside of both parties homes in the 1100 block of NW 11th St. Chutney was three months pregnant with his child and had asked her mother, Karen McNair, 47, to come out of the home with her to try to control the situation.

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Michael Brennan was arrested in Fort Meyers, Florida for domestic violence battery charges on Friday night and taken to the Lee County Jail. Michael Brennan is U.S. Southwest Florida Regional Director for Senator Marco Rubio. He has since been released after posting $1000 bail bond.

According to the police report, Kelly Brennan stated that she and her husband had gone out and left their kids with a babysitter. On the way back to their Bonita Springs home they started to argue in the car. Mrs. Brennan stated that when they pulled into the garage and she got out of the car, her husband pushed her to the garage floor, where she landed on a rug. Kelly then pretended that the fall had rendered her unconscious.

Michael Brennan then allegedly rolled up the carpet "as if I was dead or something," said Kelly. He proceeded to hit and kick the rolled-up carpet containing his wife before retreating into the house. Kelly Brennan says she extracted herself from the rug when she heard Michael go into the house and went in after him. Inside, Michael Brennan denied his wife's accusations in front of their startled babysitter. The couple's children were asleep. Kelly says she asked Michael to leave and he conceded.

Continue reading "Marco Rubio's Staffer Arrested for Domestic Violence in Fort Meyers, Florida" »

Martin Durand, 30; Kevin Tiena, 29; Christopher Leyva 30; and Lazare Antoine, 27 were recently arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for armed robbery. All were denied bail bond and remain in Broward County jail. While Durand has representation, it is not known whether the other three defendants have criminal defense attorneys.

The incident in question occurred at Club 303, located at 303 Southwest 6th St in Pompano Beach. According to the affidavit, the victim of the crime, Ala Ghazi Alrashed, told investigators he had purchased the club from Durand over a month before for about $40,000.

On the night of the incident, Alrashed was not initially at the club. He received word that several customers and employees had complained that Durand and his friends were harassing them. He came to the club to intervene, only to find that the locks were being changed on the doors of the club.

Alrashed attempted to stop this, at which point he says that Durand, Tiena, Antione and Leyva allegedly attacked him, putting him in a headlock and hitting him on the head with a gun magazine. Durand is said to have pointed a gun at Alrashed's stomach and cursed at him, threatening to kill him, before throwing him to the ground and stealing $2,000 cash from his pocket.

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Clarence Hall was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for attempted felony murder, burglary with assault or battery, throwing a missile into a vehicle, and criminal mischief causing damage over $1,000 this past Tuesday. Hall is allegedly responsible for causing an escaping victim to lose control of his vehicle, causing it to crash into a pedestrian. The pedestrian was pinned against a wall and has lost a leg as a result.

Surveillance footage recently emerged of the gruesome scene. It is not yet known whether or not Hall has retained a criminal defense attorney.

According to police reports, at around 2pm on December 11, Hall was arguing with Timara Wimbar and her cousin David Thomas at Nada Market on the 1300 block of NW 6th Street, demanding to know why they were "in his neighborhood and [at] his store."

Wimar and Thomas reported that they had just stopped for a snack. Hall pursued them as they left, calling Wimbar a lesbian and trying to prevent the pair from entering their vehicle. Then, as the two got into their vehicle and prepared to drive off, Hall attacked the vehicle, kicking and hitting it, breaking off mirrors and damaging a door handle. He even reached inside the vehicle, attacking Thomas.

Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Travis Mandell said, "I can definitely tell you these were serious acts of aggression and Mr. Hall was extremely violent."

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Jerrad Noel Wilcox, 22, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida following a high-speed chase by police. It is unknown whether he is represented by a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney. According to news report, Wilcox was wanted for attempted murder and two armed robberies. Following the police chase, Wilcox is now facing charges for fleeing, resisting, possession of a firearm by convicted felon, hit and run, as well as driving without a valid driver's license.

He is presently being held on $174,000 bail bond.

According to Det. Travis Mandell, of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the chase took place after an emergency call reporting a robbery at 2500 block of Northwest 19th Street was received by operators. The chase began when Wilcox fled on foot after police arrived on scene at approximately 4 pm, Thursday.

Wilcox eventually made it to his car and the high-speed chase began. It culminated with Wilcox losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a utility pole on Northwest Sixth Street and 27th Avenue.

Wilcox was later taken to Broward General Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries before being detained at the Broward Country Jail. According to police, Wilcox did not appear to be Driving Under the Influence at the time of the chase.

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Koosh Jewelers in Hollywood, Florida were the victims of a very shocking armed robbery earlier today. According to news reports, 4 men were involved in the heist. If caught, these men will be in dire need of a very experienced criminal defense attorney.

Of the four men involved, three are said to have entered the store while the fourth waited outside in a black, late model SUV. Witnesses described the three men who entered Koosh Jewlers between 5'10" and 6'2" in height. They were also described as being in their 20's.

One robber wore a tan Dickies style uniform, while another wore a similar uniform in grey. A third suspect allegedly wore tan pants and a black, long sleeve undershirt.

These descriptions are important because they will help police identify the robbers. If any arrests are made, identification will become a focal issue in the ensuing prosecutions.

Another major issue in this case will be the principal theory, which is used to charged co-conspirators in a crime. In a nutshell, if you participated in a crime you can be charged as a principal, even if you had a very minor role in the overall offense. For example, the guy who waited in the getaway car can be charged with armed robbery as a principal, even though he did not even enter the jewelry store, not to mention hold a gun to someone's head or demand money.

Continue reading "Gunmen Steal $1 Million in Jewelry Heist in Hollywood, Florida" »

Surveillance cameras at a Mobil gas station in Dania Beach, Florida captured images of two men committing armed robbery with a firearm against three victims. So far no arrests have been made.

The surveillance video begins with the two men exiting a white, newer model dodge charger. The men are seen wearing hoodie style sweatshirts with the hoods over their heads. The men are also seen wearing handkerchiefs over their faces to further conceal their identities.

The surveillance video clearly shows the men ordering the victims around as the hold guns to their bodies. The men are fast moving, aggressive, and go right for the register.

As a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer, I have no doubt in my mind that these men will get at least 30 years each in prison if every convicted.

Crimes like these are prosecuted very aggressively and are subject to Florida's 10-20-LIFE law, since they involved the use of guns in the commission of a felony.

Frankly, I have no respect for criminals like these. Armed robberies with firearms involve absolutely zero use of the human brain and are usually perpetrated by scum bags who are too lazy to get real jobs.

Instead, the rob the rest of us at gun point for our hard earned things. In the process, people sometimes get killed.

I'm sorry, I may be a very aggressive criminal defense lawyer, but I have no pity for animals like these.

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Jane Gonzalez was arrested in Coral Springs, Florida for attempted murder of her own children. Gonzalez is going to need a criminal defense lawyer because these charges are very serious. According to news reports, Gonzalez allegedly rammed her Ford Mustang into the family's garage just after telling her children to take off their seat belts. She is being held without bond. When police arrived, Gonzalez allegedly fought with the police and supposedly tried to grab one of the officer's guns. As a result, Jane Gonzalez is not only facing criminal charges for attempted murder, but battery on a law enforcement officer, and for trying to grab the officer's gun. At her first court appearance, a judge denied her bond, noting that she allegedly told the children to take off their seat belts before crashing the car into the family garage. The news is reporting that part of the incident was recorded on a neighbor's surveillance camera.

This video footage will reveal a lot of important information about the case.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I can tell you that defending Jane Gonzalez in this case must take two approaches. First, Gonzalez's criminal lawyer must determine if the evidence supports the allegations being made by police. Second, if we were to assume the allegations are 100% true, it is clear that Gonzalez suffers from a serious mental health problem.

Unlike the nonsense you see on television when a mobster fakes being crazy, it sounds like Jane Gonzalez may have had a very real mental break down and may be incompetent to stand trial, or in the alternative, may actually have a real insanity defense.

Continue reading "Jane Gonzalez Arrested for Trying to Kill Kids in Coral Springs, Florida" »

Kendra E. Brown, 21, was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida for aggravated battery. According to news reports, Brown, who also goes by the alias "Reshanta Mannings", is accused of running her boyfriend's lover over with her car. For her actions, Brown is being held on $250,000 bail at the Palm Beach County Jail.

According to the arrest report, deputies responded to a call in suburban West Palm Beach where they found a woman trapped underneath Brown's vehicle.

During questioning, Brown allegedly stated that she had seen her boyfriend, Lorenzo Williams, driving someone else's car and decided to tail him.

Williams drove to the residence of his 36-year-old lover. Brown and the other woman got into an argument and the fight became physical.

According to the report, the unidentified woman hit Brown with a bottle of vodka. When the woman turned around to go inside her home, Brown got inside of her car and allegedly ran the woman over.

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Jeffrey Frederick, 24, was arrested after trying to rob Urgent Pain Management in Lake Worth, Florida. According to news reports, Frederick supposedly became very angry after being denied pain medication. After leaving the pain clinic, he returned with a gun and threatened the staff. This resulted in an altercation with one of the doctors during which, Frederick is said to have pointed the gun at the doctor and pulled the trigger. When the gun didn't fire, Frederick supposedly hit the doctor with the gun. At some point during the incident, Frederick demanded money. (Photo Credit: Palm Beach Sheriff's Office)

Frederick did not act alone. According to the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office, Friendley Sertile, 21, allegedly acted as a getaway driver. After robbing the Urgent Pain Management clinic, Jeffrey Frederick fled on foot to a nearby mobile home park where he met Sertile.

However, an eye witness was able to take down the license plate number from Sertile's car. This vehicle was ultimately tracked down to an apartment complex near the Palm Beach State College campus. A SWAT team was called and the two bandits were taken into custody after peacefully surrendering.

This case presents the ugly truth behind the pain clinic epidemic in our community. While it is easy to label Jeffrey Frederick as some maniac with a gun, and he sure seems to be, the truth is that he was likely acting out because he is probably addicted to the very pain pills that Urgent Pain Management refused to dispense.

As this case shows, drug offenses are not the only crimes associated with pain clinics.

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Raymond Edwin Adderly, Jr. was murdered at his home in Miramar, Florida on Tuesday night. Adderly, also known as "Nutzo" by his fans, was an aspiring rap star and childhood friend of Rick Ross. According to news reports, Adderly was shot to death in front of his wife and young children during a home invasion robbery.

So far, no suspects have been named nor have any arrests been made.

Upon arriving home from a Christmas play, Ramond Adderly allegedly walked into his home ahead of his family when armed men approached and yelled "Give us everything!" The family was then ushered into the home where they were robbed at gun point.

Once inside, Adderly is said to have emptied his pockets and pleaded with the men not to harm his family. He was then shot and the men fled the scene.

In my experience as a criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor, I can tell you that this is a very serious case that will not be ignored by police. First of all, this case involves a murder. Second, it involves a home invasion. Third, it is a gun crime. Short of adding drugs, this case has all the things that police love about being the police.

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Jamie Saffran, age 51, was arrested for murder and dismembering his friend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this Tuesday. According to police, Saffran's arrest was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation that spanned two counties. This investigation has been ongoing for well over a month and has included multiple crime scenes. (Photo Courtesy: Broward Sheriff's Office)

Specifically, Jamie Saffran is accused of murdering the man whose decapitated torso was discovered in a Fort Lauderdale canal early last month. Some weeks later, the missing head was found in a canal behind an auto parts store. Ironically, the name of the store is "Millions of Parts." However, these "parts" were found by a store employee named Willie Hernandez while he was doing clean up work along the canal's shoreline.

As an experienced criminal lawyer, the facts of this case made me wonder if a serial killer was on the loose. This theory was based on the fact that at least two bodies and multiple, mutilated body parts were washing up all over in a short period of time.

On October 26, 2010, the remains of Doris Lopez, age 48, were discovered in a container left in her car. On November 6, 2010, a decapitated torso, a pair of sneakers, and eye glasses were discovered in a concrete laden container found floating in a Fort Lauderdale canal. According to the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, the date of death for this torso was estimated to be as early as October 31, 2010.

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A plastic container stuffed with body parts was found in Miami, Florida late yesterday afternoon. The container was discovered by two fishermen fishing in a canal. This is the third such discovery in the South Florida metro area since late October.

Does South Florida have a new serial killer on its hands?

As a criminal defense lawyer, I think this is a very real question that police need to start considering. Not to make corny references to Showtime's hit series "Dexter," which I love by the way, but it seems like a new body is washing up every few weeks around here!

The first discovery was made in Deerfield Beach, Florida on October 26 when the decomposing remains of Doris Lopez, 48, were found stuffed in a container left in her car.

The second discovery was made in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 6 when a concrete laden container was found floating in a canal behind a residential area. When a homeowner secured the container for removal, a look inside revealed the existence of mutilated, decapitated white male.

The third discovery was made a few weeks later, on November 15, when a human skull was found in a container lodged on the banks of a Dania Beach, Florida canal. Subsequent DNA analysis has shown that this head belonged to the decapitated body found on November 6.

Now we have a third gruesome discovery.

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A human skull was found yesterday morning in Dania Beach, Florida. Incredibly, this is the third time body parts have been found in South Florida in the past three weeks. More and more, our community is starting to look like scenes from Showtime's crime series Dexter!

The first gruesome discovery was made in Delray Beach on October 26 when Doris Lopez's remains were found in a cardboard container left inside her vehicle.

The second discovery was made on November 6 when a container was found floating in a canal behind a waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale . A forensic inspection of the container by the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office revealed the presence of mutilated body parts, a show, a pair of eyeglasses and concrete. The Broward Medical Examiner's Office claims that the time of death may have been as early as Halloween (October 31).

Now a third discovery has been made. This time it is a human skull. So far, no arrests have been made.

This skull was found late Sunday morning in Dania Beach by Willie Hernandez who is an employee at an auto parts store called Millions of Parts. Hernandez made the discovery near an area of the company's junkyard where he and co-workers eat lunch.

"I had seen a bunch of plastic and a white bucket at the edge of the rocks, lying flat down," he said. "I saw blood coming out and I thought maybe it was bait, from people who fish there. The head was inside the bucket. The hair was surrounded by concrete."

The presence of concrete makes this discovery sound eerily similar to the container found on November 6.

Who does this skull belong to? Is it linked in any way to the prior cases?

Does Broward County have a new serial killer on its hands? Are these cases linked in some way to drug trafficking or domestic violence?

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