A federal judge sentenced a Tampa man to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Luis Berrios-Trinidad, 30, of Tampa, was also ordered to forfeit a Glock 19 9mm handgun and cellular phone,Continue Reading
Tampa Bay Technical High School coach Reginald Lawrence will now face more charges of Battery and Exposure of Sexual Organ as new victims have come forward after the man’s initial arrest, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated. Lawrence, 48, a girls’ varsity basketball coach at Tampa Bay Tech was arrested Tuesday andContinue Reading
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a man, Jose Manuel Zayas, accused of shooting a man in the leg and the story goes viral because of his Pikachu tattoo. Zayas, 30, faces charges of resisting an officer without violence, false name to law enforcement officer, attempted murder in theContinue Reading
According to St. Pete Police Department, a skull found by a jogger in St. Petersburg has been confirmed to be decomposed human remains, too advanced in decomposition to visually identify age, gender or ethnicity at this time. Investigators have been searching the immediate area for further remains; however no otherContinue Reading
The man who drowned at Clearwater Beach on Monday, trying to save his son and niece in the water, has been identified as Thanh Nguyen, from Atlanta, Georgia. Nguyen, 55, was declared dead at Morton Plant Hospital where he was taken after being pulled from the water. Clearwater Police DepartmentContinue Reading
A Spring Hill woman. Monica Gluck, was arrested for setting a house on fire with a blow torch, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Gluck, 35, of Spring Hill, was charged with one count each of arson to a dwelling and burglary to a dwelling. Police responded to aContinue Reading
United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Samuel Friedman (47, Pasco County) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Friedman owned andContinue Reading
United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Jonathan Michael Rouffe (47, Boca Raton) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, in 2018,Continue Reading
To protect the health and safety of community members and staff, University Area CDC facilities and properties will be closed through August 9. This includes the University Area Community Center Complex, Computer Lab, Mort Park and Harvest Hope Park. All programming, including Dreamcatchers summer camps, has been suspended through thisContinue Reading
Tampa police detailed the arrest of seven protesters who blocked Dale Mabry yesterday as two vehicles were damaged. Police also issued Notices to Appear to two other demonstrators. Police officials said the protest had grown from 40 to nearly 100 and had blocked traffic for nearly an hour. The protestersContinue Reading
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1061, expanding Florida’s new aquatic preserve about 800 square miles along the Gulf Coast, its first new aquatic preserve in over 30 years. This bill creates the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, which will protect approximately 400,000 acres of aquatic habitat stretching from Pinellas CountyContinue Reading
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400. Johnson 44, is the first NASCAR driver to test positive for coronavirus and will be quarantined until testing negative. He was tested earlier Friday after his wife, Chani,Continue Reading
Many in Tampa may be joining a new protest set for today: the #BoycottThe4th protest. Co-owner of Tampa restaurant Vegg’d Out Vegan Kitchen, Yourhighness Tafari spoke with WFLA spoke about Independence Day protests, attempting to explain the sentiment. “This is something that publicly stands as a holiday of freedom, independence.Continue Reading
St. Petersburg Police Department announced that a Clearwater man, Sean Peter Brewer, has been arrested for attempting to lure a 15-year-old girl into having sex with him. Brewer, 32, was charged with one count each of Luring or Enticing a Child, Traveling to Meet a Minor, and Unlawful Use of aContinue Reading
Americans for Prosperity-Florida (AFP-FL) today commended Governor Ron DeSantis for signing HB 7067, a bill that gives educational freedom to almost 30,000 new students a year through enrollment in Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. This represents a full 400% increase in parents and their children given the right to decideContinue Reading
A Tampa man, Muhammad Al-Azhari, is being indicted for assisting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and violating the U.S. firearm laws. Al-Azhari, 23, charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Islamic State, and violating the National Firearms Act, a ccordingContinue Reading
A Polk County middle school teacher, Leslie Bushart, was arrested Thursday for having sexual relations with a juvenile, after the boy’s parents notified the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on June 16. Bushart, 49, confessed to another person at a graduation party on June 6 that she performed oral sex onContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Antonie Latimore (36, Winter Haven) to 10 years and 10 months years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine base. Latimore had pleaded guilty on March 6, 2020. According to court documents, the FBI received information that Latimore, spelled in someContinue Reading
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation Wednesday to give teachers a salary hike to a cost of $500 million., elevating Florida’s teacher pay to No. 5 in the nation. This is a really big day for teacher’s compensation and we look forward to getting it to the teachers,” DeSantis saidContinue Reading
Major League Baseball announced a a 60-game schedule Tuesday night, set to start on July 23 or July 24 without fans in attendance following the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. The announcement by MLB came while more players continue to test positive for the virus. Negotiations between owners and the players’ associationContinue Reading
Universal Orlando laid off an undisclosed number of employees on Tuesday despite reopening its theme parks weeks ago. No details were given regarding departments or business units impacted by the move. “We have made the difficult decision to reduce our Parks & Resorts workforce across multiple locations and business units,”Continue Reading
