An algebra teacher at an Orlando metropolitan high school was arrested twice after two teens accused him of sex crimes. The sexual assault and battery charges followed complaints at Lyman High School in Longwood.
The 39-year-old instructor was on staff at the Seminole County school 13 years before criminal charges were filed. Longwood police said students and teachers witnessed inappropriate conduct between the math teacher and a 17-year-old student, who admitted having sex with him.
Fourteen former ex-members of the Florida A&M University marching band were accused of contributing to the 2011 hazing death of a drum major in Orlando. Three band members entered no contest pleas to felony charges, including a defendant who is scheduled to testify for prosecutors at another ex-student's trial this month.
The victim's roommate, a fellow drum major at the time of the incident, recently rejected the offer of an undisclosed plea deal. The 26-year-old defendant, like other ex-A&M band members facing conspiracy allegations, could be sentenced to a 15-year prison term if convicted.
South Florida has gained a poor reputation for being the home of “felony lane gangs,” a term coined to describe rings of thieves who travel sizeable distances to commit crimes. “Felony lane” refers to a practice some people employ to avoid detection. They use the outside drive-thru lanes at banks to distance themselves from tellers and camera surveillance while cashing stolen checks.
Authorities say defendants, like three Broward County men recently arrested on burglary charges in Central Florida, may not be members of a sophisticated crime ring. Felony lane gang allegations refer to a crime pattern rather than a defendant’s participation in an organized activity.
States investigate and prosecute gambling offenses more often than the federal government does. That's because each state decides a level of gambling comfort and regulates it, from a low tolerance policy to full-blown acceptability.
Federal agents often become active in gambling investigations when suspected violators operate across state lines. The FBI recently brought criminal charges against four Florida men. An additional 30 associates and 23 entities are also charged with crimes linked to an Internet business called Legendz Sports.
Severe penalties follow convictions for repeat acts of domestic violence. A Florida man is in jail less than two years ago after his release from a decade-long prison term. There have been two incidents of domestic violence charges since the 42-year-old man regained his freedom.
The Osceola County suspect was imprisoned for 10 years after a domestic violence conviction in Texas for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The man beat his ex-wife to death in 2001, the same year he resumed living with her after a brief, troubled marriage.
Accusations by one boy recently set off a chain reaction of sex-related charges against an Orlando sports coach. The targeted 54-year-old man coached basketball and football teams over three decades. The volunteer lent his skills to the city for at least eight years.
Criminal charges were filed against the Pine Hills resident after a team player told his parent the coach had engaged in inappropriate behavior. Investigators said the boy accused the coach of attempting to pay him for sexual favors, raising the price from $40 to $100 when the child turned him down. No sexual contact allegations were reported.
The parent also talked with other boys on city teams, a 12- and 13-year-old. The children said the coach asked the football players for inappropriate physical contact.
Officers of the law have a greater duty to abide by it than members of the civilian population, according to Florida's chief financial officer. The statement follows a first-degree felony charge against a Brevard County sheriff's deputy for workers' compensation fraud. A conviction on the felony and other charges could land the deputy in prison for the rest of her life.
The 40-year-old defendant was placed on full disability two years after she filed a 2007 claim for a persistent infection call Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The deputy claimed difficult-to-treat MRSA interfered with breathing and movement.
The protection of a family's honor is a priority in some cultures influenced by religious beliefs. U.S. reports of honor-related family violence -- parents or siblings who abuse or kill a "dishonorable" child -- have increased with the influx of immigrants from divergent cultures.
A mother in Hollywood was recently arrested on three domestic violence charges for burning her teenage daughter with a heated knife. The 35-year-old Yemeni immigrant may not have been able to communicate her side of the story. She speaks Arabic but no English.
A Little League coach whose work and hobbies revolved around children was charged with child endangerment. The West Coast case of the bike and skateboard park owner could have happened in Florida.
Prosecutors lodged a pair of felony charges with serious penalties against a 41-year-old father for a deadly accident on the way to a lakeside celebration. The defendant and his wife were driving two separate vehicles filled with middle school birthday partygoers when the dad's truck ran out of gas.
Incidents of child-on-child violence are not new in Florida. The intensity of fights among children can escalate from verbal assaults to physical contact and the use of weapons. Minors can be charged with a crime that can damage the long futures ahead of them.
An Orange County dispute among juveniles at a school bus stop drew the attention and the ire of the mother of two of the boys. A parent's instinct to protect children may have propelled the mother into the argument without regard to criminal charges.
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