Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

A trio of suspects have been charged by West Palm Beach federal prosecutors with conspiring to manufacture more than thirty pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Each of the defendants is a Mexican national. A pair of them made their first federal magistrate court appearances on Monday. Last Friday, the third suspect made his first appearance before a Wisconsin federal magistrate judge where he was convicted.

The criminal prosecution affidavits filed in federal court allege that the three suspects conspired to transport methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia for sale in West Palm Beach, Florida. On January 22, 2021, the operation was disrupted when two of them transferred more than thirty pounds of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover cop, the affidavits claim.

Each criminal faces a compulsory term of 10 years imprisonment upon arrest or even life imprisonment.

A 42-year-old man who was still on federal supervised release for counterfeiting in Jacksonville in 2015 reportedly entered a guilty plea to producing and passing additional false bills.

A native of Tampa, the man may be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal jail and restitution fees to the people who ended up becoming fraud victims. He also faces an extra two years for breaking the terms of his supervision.

The man received a 33-month federal custody sentence in 2015 as well as a supervised release for a trio of years.

According to charging papers, a man with links to the right-wing organization the Proud Boys was placed under arrest in Central Florida on federal charges as a result of his alleged ties to the assault on the Capitol building that happened in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

The man’s arrest happened on Wednesday morning in the Middle District of Florida and is being tried in Orlando on federal charges. He is charged with obstruction of an official procedure, violation of a restricted building or property, as well as disorderly and violent conduct.

Per a federal affidavit, the man belongs to the Proud Boys and identifies himself as an organizer of some of the group’s activities. The affidavit also shows some photographs that are suspected by federal agents to represent the man at the protest and inside the Capitol.

Last week in Miami, a nurse appeared in federal court to face allegations of fraud linked to more than $450,000 in coronavirus relief fraud, according to prosecutors. The nurse is accused of defrauding a pair of government relief programs: the Paycheck Security Program (PPP) aimed at avoiding layoffs as a result of the pandemic, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) aimed at enabling small companies to remain afloat during the crisis.

Per federal prosecutors, the nurse claimed he had workers via his business, when in fact he did not. Prosecutors said he received around $420,000 of PPP help and $55,000 of EIDL assistance by providing untrue information on the applications for these assistance programs.

FBI agents allege that the nurse used the money from taxpayers allocated to help salvage jobs and keep companies going for personal expenses during the pandemic. Prosecutors said there is proof that he then deposited just over $200,000 into a personal bank account.

As an investigation into a 2019 shooting involving a Baton Rouge, Louisiana rapper moves on, federal and state investigators from Louisiana paid a visit to Florida.

In May 2019, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up and opened fire while the rapper and his friends were leaving Trump International Beach Club.

The rapper did not suffer a gunshot. His girlfriend, though, did receive an injury and had to be taken to a hospital. A young boy also suffered grazed by a bullet during the incident. The boy was examined and released. Another victim lost his life in the crossfire when he was shot in the head while inside his vehicle.

A court battle over a Florida bill that increased the age of purchasing rifles and other long weapons from 18 to 21 saw increased activity recently, with lawyers representing the National Rifle Association and state officials seeking to undermine expert witnesses from each side.

Following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, the age limit was included as part of sweeping legislation. When the then-19-year-old gunman opened fire at the school with the use of a semi-automatic rifle, 14 students and a trio of staff members lost their lives.

Although the statute banned anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing long weapons, it did not prohibit them from owning the guns or getting the guns as gifts. The marketing of handguns to persons younger than 21 has long been banned under federal legislation.

According to court documents, a Cuban-born man alleged to be secretly helping an international militant organization by posting recruitment videos on social media is being held in a Miami federal lockup.

The 23-year-old man who resides close to Fort Myers was refused bail and convicted in Miami last week of supplying material assistance to ISIS, an al-Qaeda offshoot that has achieved prominence through Middle Eastern conflicts and the decapitation of Western hostages. In September, the man was arrested in Miami while meeting with an FBI operative acting undercover.

A naturalized U.S. citizen, the man faces a single terrorist charge of up to 20 years in jail and has an arraignment scheduled for January 7. In the U.S. counter-terrorism section, his defense counsel says he plans to carry out a plea bargain with U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutors to limit his future punishment.

A popular American rapper, singer, and songwriter is generating headlines after recently being charged with alleged possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charge is a federal offense and could land the rapper in prison for up to ten years.

Documents filed in Miami federal court claim the rapper, even with recognizing he had the previous conviction on his record, had a firearm and ammo in December of last year.

Authorities said that after his baggage was searched upon arrival in Miami on a private jet, the 38-year-old rapper admitted possessing the gold-plated handgun. First published by the Miami Herald, a search warrant said the rapper told police the gun was a Father’s Day present. Investigators also mentioned the rapper having alleged illicit drugs in the baggage, but no drug violation has been filed against the musician.