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According to a story in the St. Pete Times “Bizarre Florida” online section, a Pasco woman arrived home at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday to find a strange man naked, bloody and passed out on her sofa.

Vickie Bankowski, 56, slipped outside with one of her dogs and called 911. A second dog is still missing.

Justin Barker, 21, of Hudson was arrested and charged with two (2) counts of Residential Burglary for entering two (2) different homes.Barker says he had consumed the caffeinated alcoholic drink “Four Loko.” Officers say he also smashed through the sliding glass door of a 70-year-old woman’s home.For another interesting story on the effects of “Four Loko,” please check out the Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog‘s August 3, 2010 posting entitled: “ST. PETE: Malt Beverage, Four Loko, Under Radar After Recent Traffic Fatalities“

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According to a recent story in the St. Petersburg Times, a Largo woman accused of fraudulently obtaining 5,670 oxycodone pills in about a year’s time has been arrested outside a Clearwater pharmacy, authorities said. Angela Louise Johnson, 40, of 728 Third Ave., was arrested Monday afternoon on 19 charges, including Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud and Trafficking in an Illegal Substance of more than 4 grams. Johnson was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $545,000 bail.About 1:30 p.m., Johnson left the Rx Shop on S Fort Harrison Avenue with a bag of 240 Oxycodone pills, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Forty (40) of the pills weighed 5 grams. Since Sept. 30, 2009, Johnson has had prescriptions for Oxycodone filled at least 25 times, and none of the pharmacists knew that she “doctor shopped,” according to the arrest report.This is becoming a way-too-common event throughout the Tampa Bay area.
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A breaking story on ESPN.com reported that New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested Tuesday on charges of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after officers pulled him over because his SUV had “excessive tinting” on its windows, police said.Officers on the lookout for minor Traffic Violations like excessive tinting or missing registration stickers pulled over Edwards’ Land Rover on Manhattan’s West Side at about 5:15 a.m. and noticed a “strong smell of alcohol,” chief NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Edwards was given a breath test at the scene and another at a police station. His blood alcohol level was .16, twice the .08 legal limit. There were four (4) other people in the SUV at the time.

The Jets expressed their disappointment in the receiver in a statement Tuesday from general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

“We are very disappointed in Braylon’s actions this morning. The Player Protect program is in place for our organization to prevent this situation. Braylon is aware of this program and showed poor judgment,” Tannenbaum said.

“We are reviewing the information with the league and will impose the appropriate disciplinary measures.”

The Player Protect program provides a 24-hour driving service exclusively for professional athletes. The company also provides security, if requested, from current or former law-enforcement agents.

If a player wants a lift home, he can call anytime and will be driven home in a luxury SUV or a Mercedes limo or an executive limo van.

The Jets, through their player development program, distributed leaflets on the Player Protect program to every player on the team. It informs them they aren’t charged for the service, and the club picks up the expense.

Edwards caught a touchdown pass as well as a two-point conversion on Sunday in the Jets’ 28-14 victory against the New England Patriots.Edwards’ attorney, Peter Frankel, acknowledged that the specifics of the case as laid out by authorities were accurate, saying: “That’s my understanding, yes.” But he quickly added: “I can’t really get into anything that happened.”

Frankel, who represented imprisoned former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress in his attempt to gain work release, said Edwards would not be available to the media. “We just want to get him out,” he said. “I’m sure he’s absolutely exhausted and he wants to go back to his home and his teammates.”During his weekly spot on WFAN-AM on Tuesday morning, Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said Edwards attended a Monday night event in support of Cotchery’s nonprofit foundation benefiting underprivileged youth in Manhattan.

Cotchery said several teammates were there, and the event ran from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Manhattan’s West Side.

It’s not clear where Edwards was coming from when he was pulled over.

Pending the outcome of his New York City DUI case, Edwards may have to return to Cleveland to face a possible Violation of Probation, which could carry jail time.

On a side note: Being a Jets fan is not easy…
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According to ESPN.com, Florida wide receiver Chris Rainey was arrested Tuesday for Aggravated Stalking, a Third-Degree Felony (punishable by up to five (5) years in prison), for allegedly sending a former girlfriend a threatening text message.The school did not announce any disciplinary action against the 5-foot-9 Junior, but offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said, “Chris Rainey is not a part of our team right now. That’s really all I have to say on that.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer met with reporters on Wednesday and said, “There will be further evaluation as we go. The immediacy of it is that he’s not with our team.”

Meyer would not speculate how long Rainey would be out. Rainey was released from the Alachua County Jail on his own recognizance (ROR) and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

The alleged victim also was in Court with her mother and sister. The woman told Judge Denise R. Ferrero she does not fear Rainey but was concerned about retribution from the public following all the media attention.

She also asked for the charges to be dropped. However, in the State of Florida, Domestic Violence charges can be filed by the State Attorney’s Office even if the victim is uncooperative or does not want to prosecute. Florida has what’s known as a “pro-prosecution” domestic violence policy.

“I did not want to have him arrested,” she said. “When the police came, I signed papers to not press any charges. I don’t fear for my safety. … People all over the country have been calling my cell phone. I’m not afraid of him. I’m more afraid of all the repercussions.”

According to the Gainesville Police Department, Rainey sent the woman he dated on-and-off the last three (3) years a text message that read: “Time to die, bitch” after leaving her home.Officer Jesse Bostick said the woman fell asleep and missed a call from Rainey. Rainey then went to her home, they talked and she told him to leave. According to Bostick, the woman got the text a short time later and called police.

Rainey’s attorney, Huntley Johnson, told The Associated Press that his client was “overcharged by the arresting agency.”

“My early sense is this will be something less than a Third Fegree Felony,” Johnson said. “I think this will turn out to be what I think this is, which is something minor. I don’t think that the [state] statute was intended for this kind of thing.”

I tend to agree with Rainey’s attorney about this charge. “Aggravated Stalking” would require conduct on Rainey’s part that was willful, malicious and repeated. In my opinion, one text message, even of this nature, falls short of this Felony offense.

Johnson called Rainey a “terrific kid who works his rear end off” in the classroom and on the football field and added that he hopes Rainey will be reinstated this season.

“I think this is something that will pass,” Johnson said. “He never intended for this to happen nor would he ever hurt this woman. He cares deeply about this woman. He didn’t handle it like he should have. He knows that. Hopefully this will end up being a bump in the road.”

Florida will likely be without Rainey at Tennessee on Saturday. State Attorney Bill Cervone told Florida Today that no decisions on the case will be made this week.

Rainey, from nearby Lakeland, Florida has six (6) receptions and a touchdown this season. He’s also the team’s primary punt returner. He missed the second half of Saturday’s game against South Florida (USF) with a concussion.

Rainey also missed practice Monday.

Meyer has suspended other players, including defensive end Carlos Dunlap last season and receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. this summer, immediately following arrests. Rainey is the 27th player arrested during Meyer’s six (6) seasons in Gainesville. And they call my school, The University of Miami, “Thug-U?”

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com SEC blogger Chris Low was used in this report.
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For some people, bailing out of the Pinellas County Jail is now as simple as whipping out a credit card. A recent story in the St. Pete Times describes a new county program which allows inmates to use a credit card to bond out of the Pinellas County Jail on minor offenses.

You can now use a debit card or credit card to post bail of $750 or less, instead of paying cash or using a bail bond company. It is the first program of its kind in the Tampa Bay area and one of only seven (7) in Florida.Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats says it’s a convenience with a purpose: to reduce the number of people in the Pinellas County Jail awaiting trial.

The program emerged from a meeting among the Sheriff, County Clerk, Chief Judge, Public Defender and State Attorney.

The $750 bail limit was a compromise between the parties. Sheriff Coats wanted $1,000 so more people could use the program. State Attorney Bernie McCabe wanted $500 (presumably, so less people would be able to bond out). The $750 limit is a start, Coats said, and might be adjusted.

The limit means only a small percentage of people in jail — those charged with minor crimes — can use the program.

Of the 3,252 people in the Pinellas County Jail Wednesday morning (September 8, 2010), 74 had bail of $750 or less. Another 1,075 people had bail between $750 and $1 million. The rest could not get out on bail. At least two dozen people have used the program since it began August 23rd.

Before now, someone had to appear in person with cash, a money order or a bail bond agent. That often meant calling mom or dad or your best friend to come bail you out.

Now anyone, even the inmate, can do it by phone with a credit or debit card.

The crimes covered by the $750 limit are mainly non-violent Misdemeanors and Traffic Offenses. For instance, No Valid Driver’s License (NVDL) or an Open Container violation carry a standard $250 bail. On the other hand, Armed Robbery with a Firearm typically carries a bail of $50,000.

A 7 percent fee will be added by Government Payment Service of Indianapolis, which runs the program. The Sheriff’s Office and Clerk’s Office each get a 10 percent cut of that fee.

Government Payment Services also accepts all liability for the transactions, said Marian Garret, the jail’s inmate records supervisor. That will help protect the government from people who use stolen credit cards or don’t pay their debts, she said.

The company has worked with the Florida Department of Corrections for more than a decade, processing Probation and Parole fees. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin use the company for a majority of their governmental services.

Bail bond companies, which have the most to lose from such a program, are skeptical.Michael Nefzger of BAIL Florida, an association for bail agents, thinks the added fees could become exorbitant. It could also lead to more people using stolen credit cards, he said.

Nefzger said the real problem with jail crowding is too many people facing charges in which state law forbids release on bail.
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According to a recent story on ABC ActionNews.com, Detectives in Largo arrested an x-ray assistant for Prescription Drug Fraud on Sunday. Jessica Rhodes was arrested in her apartment on charges of writing over 120 prescriptions from April of 2009.The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) reports the fraudulent prescriptions were used to obtain controlled substances and 21 were used for medical prescriptions. Of those used, 3,670 Hydrocodone tablets were obtained and another 45 tablets of Oxycodone. In total, Rhodes was arrested on twelve (12) Felony charges, including six (6) counts of Trafficking in Hydrocodone and six (6) counts of Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud.Rhodes worked for a podiatrist for three (3) years, but had not worked there since June of this year.

A pharmacist for Target contacted sheriff’s detectives after becoming suspicious that Rhodes was getting the prescriptions every week from the podiatrist.

According to ABC ActionNews.com, Rhodes holds an active Florida Medical License as a Certified Podiatric X-ray Assistant.
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LOS ANGELES – According to a breaking story published by the Associated Press, Grammy-winning rapper T.I., who has a history of Drug Offenses and is on Federal Probation after spending time behind bars on Gun Charges, was arrested along with his wife after police smelled marijuana coming from their car, authorities said.The rapper was arrested Wednesday night in West Hollywood during a traffic stop, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Mark Pope told The Associated Press. Authorities said they smelled a strong marijuana odor but would not say if any other drugs were found in the car.

The 29-year-old rapper and his wife, Tameka Cottle, were released from jail at about 4 a.m. Thursday after posting $10,000 bail each, sheriff’s Deputy Luis Castro said.

T.I.’s publicist declined to comment.

The arrests follow last week’s detention of socialite Paris Hilton, who is being investigated for Felony Cocaine Possession after a motorcycle officer smelled pot wafting from her car.

The Atlanta-based rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., is a multiplatinum hitmaker. Known as the “King of the South,” he has emerged one of music’s most profitable stars.He also has a key role in the current top box office movie “Takers.” The shoot-’em-up about an armored truck Robbery that goes bad was released last week and topped the box-office chart.

T.I. served seven (7) months in an Arkansas Federal prison and three (3) months in a Georgia halfway house on Federal Weapons Charges and was released in March. He was sentenced to serve three (3) years of supervised release after his prison sentence ended.

He was ordered not to commit another Federal, State or local crime while on supervised release, and also ordered not to illegally possess a controlled substance. He was also told to take at least three (3) drug tests after his release and to participate in a drug and alcohol treatment program.

Patrick Crosby, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta, had no immediate comment Thursday on whether Harris violated the terms of the judge’s order.

Since his release, the rapper, who previously spent time behind bars for Drug Offenses, has vowed to live a better life. He spoke to children about the dangers of drugs and guns, and former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young was one of his supporters. As he prepared for his most recent sentence, he starred in the MTV reality show “T.I.’s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, T.I. talked about living a more positive life.

“Right now, it’s all about moving forward and just acknowledging the blessing that are here today. … Just moving past the regrets of yesterday — the things that could’ve been done better,” T.I. said in a July interview.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, it looks like the only forward moving for T.I. is that he is one step closer to going back to Federal prison.
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LAS VEGAS – According to a breaking story released by the Associated Press, Paris Hilton was arrested on the Las Vegas Strip late Friday night after police saw a cloud of Marijuana smoke wafting from the windows of a black Cadillac Escalade driven by her boyfriend, then found a small amount of Cocaine in her possession.A crowd quickly gathered near the stop on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Wynn Las Vegas resort at about 11:30 p.m. PDT Friday, and Hilton was taken into the hotel “to keep her safe” during the initial investigation, police said.The 29-year-old socialite and her boyfriend Cy Waits were booked into the Clark County jail, police said. Watch commander Lt. Wayne Holman said Hilton was released early Saturday morning.

Officer Marcus Martin said police found that Hilton had a substance that tests later showed to be Cocaine, but did not say how much of the drug was found. She was arrested on a Possession of Cocaine charge.

Jail records showed that Waits, 34, remained held pending a court appearance on a charge of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. Hilton’s court date was not immediately available.

The arrest came during a week in which a Burglary attempt was made on Hilton’s Los Angeles home.

Officials said 31-year-old Nathan Lee Parada faces a Felony Burglary charge in the Tuesday incident.Authorities have said that someone carrying two big knives banged on Hilton’s window. She posted a photo of the arrest on Twitter and described it as “scary.”

Hilton was arrested this summer after the Brazil-Netherlands World Cup match in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on suspicion of Possession of Marijuana. The case was then dropped at a midnight court hearing.

Hilton pleaded “no contest” in 2007 to alcohol-related Reckless Driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. After spending about 23 days in jail, Hilton told CNN host Larry King that the experience caused her to re-evaluate the role partying played in her life. She said she wanted “to help raise money for kids and for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.”Which, I’m sure, is what she was doing last night on the Vegas strip….
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According to an online story in today’s St. Pete Times, a Spring Hill man was arrested Saturday after workers at a grocery store reported seeing him stuff steaks down his shorts and leave the store.Mark Belkola, 51, was at the Publix at 4158 Mariner Boulevard when he was seen in the meat department shoving six (6) packs of steaks down his pants, then walking to the front of the store, according to a Hernando County Sheriff’s Office report.A store employee confronted Belkola after he left the store, but he ran to the parking lot and tried to get into his vehicle, the report states. A customer helped detain Belkola until authorities responded.

Belkola admitted to deputies that he had also taken a bottle of Vaseline and a bottle of pomegranate juice, both of which were found in his shorts. The total value of the merchandise was $75.66.

Belkola told deputies, “I’m starving, I’m starving, that is why I took the steaks,” the report states.He was arrested on a charge of Retail Theft.
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According to a story just released by the Associated Press, tormer U.S. figure skating champion Nicole Bobek has been sentenced to five (5) years Felony Probation for her role in a Crystal Methamphetamine ring in New Jersey.The 32-year-old Bobek choked up in court in Jersey City on Monday as she said she was sorry. She pleaded guilty in June to Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine.

“Nothing but positive things can come out of this,” Bobek said outside the Jersey City courtroom where she was sentenced Monday. “It’s been a long 1½ years. I’m looking to get back onto that ice.”

She was among twenty eight (28) people accused last year of running a network that allegedly distributed $10,000 worth of methamphetamine per week.

The alleged leader of the group, Edward Cruz Jr., was sentenced last week to sixteen (16) years in prison.

Bobek won the U.S. figure skating title in 1995. But her disappointing 17th-place finish at the 1998 Winter Olympics took a psychological toll on her, according to her lawyer, Sam DeLuca. Bobek had been skating since age 3, forgoing high school and even home schooling for the rigorous, cloistered world of professional training, DeLuca said.”Here is a girl whose star was shining … and when the star went out, when the star started fading, she was not prepared,” DeLuca said. She then fell into “a sleazy world” of drug addiction and bad influences, he said.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Ledoux argued for a sentence of a year in the county jail, saying Bobek was no innocent victim and was not a minor player in the drug ring.

Superior Court Judge Kevin Callahan noted he had received letters on Bobek’s behalf from former Olympic athletes, including JoJo Starbuck, and even rock ‘n’ roll musicians he didn’t name.

Callahan warned Bobek that she was at a dangerous crossroads and that a single Violation of Probation or failed drug test could land her in prison for at least five (5) years.

Bobek, accompanied by her mother, applied to serve her probation near the family’s Jupiter, Florida home. She was also ordered to serve 250 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine, plus additional court expenses.
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