Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Trio Sentenced For Bank Fraud
Three Florida men are facing sentences of 36 months, 26 months, and 2 months for their role in a scheme to commit bank fraud. Among the allegations were bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft. The three gained access to debit card and checking account information and unlawfully used… Read More »
Pastor Arrested On Child Pornography Charges
A pastor has finally been brought to justice after six years of attempting to make a case against him. Law enforcement acted on a tip from 2016 which linked the IP address of his church to a user who had accessed child pornography. Years later, authorities received a tip concerning the pastor and child… Read More »
Catholic School Teacher Arrested On Child Pornography Charges
A Catholic school teacher is facing charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. Police say that the teacher uploaded three photos to a site that depicted child sexual abuse. The images were traced back to the teacher and a warrant was executed on his property. The teacher told police he possessed and distributed the… Read More »
Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of Police Officer, Granting New Trial
A SWAT officer who was convicted of shooting the caretaker of an autistic man has been granted a new trial after an appellate court ruled that the trial court erred in refusing to allow a defense witness. The defense witness was also a SWAT member who would have testified as to what training the… Read More »
New “Indecent Battery” Charges And How They Would Work
Florida legislators have issued a proposal that would change how the crime of battery is prosecuted. For those who are 16 years of age or over, the new charges would make it a separate crime to forcibly touch someone in a sexual manner without their consent. Typically, such charges are filed under simple battery…. Read More »
Three Plead Guilty In Patient-Kickback Scheme
Federal investigators say that three individuals involved in Florida sober homes are guilty of bilking public and private insurers of millions in false claims. While you’ve probably heard of kickback schemes involving doctors who are paid to refer patients to specific medical care, the use of certain medical devices, or the prescribing of certain… Read More »
Charges Flying In Fake Candidate Prosecution
A political strategist is being targeted by prosecutors after he helped campaign for numerous “non-candidates” who did not campaign themselves in close political districts. The Republican strategist hoped to encourage Democratic voters to “cut the party strings” and vote for independent candidates who had left-of-center stances. One of these candidates, who had the same… Read More »
Three Florida Men Arrested In Capitol Breach
Three more men are facing federal charges in the January 6 Capitol Riot that was spurred by fake news and political unrest. Fans of the Trump Administration were told by the former President that Joe Biden and/or his supporters had illegally stolen the election. Trump then attempted to leverage governors in swing states and… Read More »
Florida Leads Country In Children Charged As Adults
There are certain crimes for which children are almost always tried as adults. These include heinous murder charges that shock the conscience. Less likely, however, is facing routine charges as a child in adult court. However, Florida leads the country in juvenile prosecutions filtered through the adult court system and this has a lot… Read More »
Career Drug Dealer Sentenced To 20 Years In Tallahassee
Dealing drugs is by no stretch of the imagination a risk-free career choice. In fact, it is among the riskiest and least lucrative career paths you can follow. A Tallahassee man was recently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after an officer spotted marijuana in plain view in his car. The officer then… Read More »
