By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
While this season has been an umitigated disaster for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at least the players are still getting in trouble like champions! This follows a long line of Tampa Bay arrests that we have blogged about here before (see here, here, here, here and here...Also here, here and here (Did I mention the Bucs are getting arrested a lot)?
Postscript: As of this writing, the charges against this player looks like they will be dropped...
TAMPA — The victim of a severe beating said Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount was "the leader" of the assault and directed the two men who attacked him, according to a Tampa police report.
The report said Blount refused to cooperate with the investigation of a possible felony battery, which took place in the parking garage of his apartment complex.
Blount, 25, was not charged in the Sept. 11 incident, nor was he accused of any direct violence.
Blount's attorney said his client "didn't do anything. There was an altercation, but it didn't involve LeGarrette. He wasn't ring-leading anything. But what LeGarrette does do is play in the NFL.
"When this guy found out who he was,'' the attorney continued, his (the victim's) attorney called the Bucs and asked for $95,000 in compensation and warned that if that was not forthcoming, the attorney would go public. The request was rejected.
According to the police report of the incident, the victim, 34, and his girlfriend, 29, both wearing Bucs shirts, drove a 2008 Toyota pickup into the Visconti at International Drive apartments not far from Raymond James Stadium about 6:30 p.m. They were returning from that days' Bucs game against the Detroit Lions.
Their pickup hit the mirror on a 2005 Ford Expedition, next to which Blount and two men were standing. The "victim" told police he did not want to stop next to the Expedition because his pickup would block traffic. He pulled around a corner, stopped and rolled down his window.
He said the Expedition came around the corner and cut him off. Three men got out and one of them "reached in and punched me several times on his eye, nose and jaw,'' according to the report. The man "realized a second male was on his hood and was jumping onto his windshield and ultimately shattering the glass."
The "victim" said the third man "was the leader and directed the actions of the other two.'' The girlfriend supported that version of events.
The man told police "the third male was very large." That man, who turned out to be the 6-foot, 247-pound Blount, never hit anyone or touched the victim's pickup, the report said.
The man told police he feared he had a broken nose. He "also stated that his jaw is misaligned and he believes his jaw bone is swollen or displaced because he cannot chew food.
When police contacted Blount, he made a statement about the crash but days later would "not discuss his involvement in the'' attack, according to the report.
The report said police did not pursue possible charges of "burglary for the purpose of committing battery, felony battery and felony criminal mischief'' at the man's request.
Blount perceived the man to be drunk that day. Police noted beer cans in the bed of his truck. In January 2008, the victim was arrested and accused of DUI. The charge was later reduced to reckless driving.
The man told police investigating the September incident that he went to the Bucs game with friends and was the designated driver, a detail that his girlfriend, supported.
The victim said in a statement released Tuesday night that he just wanted to recover his "medical expenses and damages." His attorney later denied that this was a "money grab," adding: "The facts … in the police report clearly reflect that our client was the victim of severe bodily injury and property damages."
Blount, who played college ball for the University of Oregon, gained unwanted national attention in 2009 after his team lost its season opening game to Boise State 19-8. TV cameras caught him sucker punching a Boise player. Oregon suspended Blount for most of that season.
Blount, despite the apparent battery, has no criminal record in either Oregon or Florida.
No NFL team picked Blount in the 2010 NFL draft. He signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans and got into a practice field fight with a teammate. Tampa Bay picked him up after he was released by the Titans. He was the Bucs' leading rusher last year.
Buccaneer communications director issued a statement that said: "LeGarrette Blount immediately informed the organization of this situation back in September. We have reviewed the incident report and spoken with the police. The Tampa Police Department confirmed that the case is closed."
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a battery or a DUI? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Welcome to the blog of a Clearwater-based Tampa bay area criminal defense attorney. Visit our website at www.BlakeDorstenLaw.com or call us at 727-286-6141 for all your legal needs. Our office is located across from the 49th street criminal courthouse, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater 33762.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Car Chase in St. Petersburg Equals Drugs
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Very similar to a past post we blogged about, a simple traffic stop in St. Petersburg became a violent chase with guns and drugs recovered...
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Police found 4 pounds of marijuana, prescription drugs, cash and a high-powered weapon after a traffic stop turned violent Monday night.
At about 9:45 p.m., St. Petersburg police covert street crimes officers began following a silver Kia. They saw the driver, suspect, 25, of St. Petersburg run a red light at 22nd Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, and proceeded to have a marked police unit pull the vehicle over a few blocks away.
The driver got out of the vehicle and began fighting with officers. The suspect turned out to have warrants in Hillsborough County on charges of home invasion robbery and other charges, he was armed with a handgun, police said.
An officer was treated for minor injuries because of the fight.
As the fugitive was struggling with officers, his passenger, a 22-year-old female, hopped from the passenger side to behind the wheel and sped away, striking a police cruiser.
Police were then given permission to pursue the Kia and followed the vehicle to 40th Avenue NE and Birch Street, where the pursuit ended without further incident.
Police found 4 pounds of marijuana, more than 100 Xanax pills, 66 oxycodone pills, nine hydrocodone pills, more than $5,000 in cash and a loaded, high-capacity weapon, police said.
The driver faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, resisting arrest with violence and felon in possession of a firearm. He was being held without bail at the Pinellas County Jail.
The passenger now faces three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed firearm, leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated fleeing and eluding. She was being held at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $90,250.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or fleeing and eluding? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Chase and Shooting in St. Petersburg
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Two men wanted in a robbery and shooting last week were arrested quickly right after they led police on a high-speed chase.
Police say that the two men, 28, and , 24, tried to rob the victim, who was shot twice, police said. The victim was later listed in critical condition at Bayfront Medical Center.
Witnesses told police the robbers fled in a dark Nissan Altima and a car of that description was seen at 4:17 a.m., getting onto Interstate 275 in south St. Petersburg.
When officers tried to stop it, police said, the vehicle sped off, heading north on I-275, at speeds of up to 100 mph. As the Altima got off at 22 Avenue N, it crashed into a concrete median hard enough to disable it.
The two men inside got out and ran, (a fleeing and eluding).
A five-block perimeter was later set up as officers searched for the men, eventually closing the westbound lanes of 22nd Avenue N for about an hour, as reported byBay News 9.
The driver was arrested after a brief foot chase, but not before trying to punch the arresting officer (battery of a law enforcement).
The passenger slipped out of the area but was later tracked by a police dog and found hiding behind a fence in a yard. The police dog had bit the passenger in his lower left leg, it was reported.
Both men were in custody just before 5 a.m.
A 9 mm handgun was found on the driver's side floor of the Altima, police said.
The car is registered to a St. Petersburg woman whom police did not identify.
The two men denied any involvement in the robbery and shooting, police said.
The driver was charged with fleeing and eluding, being a felon in possession of a firearm, resisting a police officer with violence and marijuana possession.
The passenger, who already was wanted for failure to appear in court on an obstruction of justice charge, was charged with marijuana possession and resisting arrest without violence.
Records do show both men have a history of arrests in Pinellas County.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or a child abuse? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Two men wanted in a robbery and shooting last week were arrested quickly right after they led police on a high-speed chase.
Police say that the two men, 28, and , 24, tried to rob the victim, who was shot twice, police said. The victim was later listed in critical condition at Bayfront Medical Center.
Witnesses told police the robbers fled in a dark Nissan Altima and a car of that description was seen at 4:17 a.m., getting onto Interstate 275 in south St. Petersburg.
When officers tried to stop it, police said, the vehicle sped off, heading north on I-275, at speeds of up to 100 mph. As the Altima got off at 22 Avenue N, it crashed into a concrete median hard enough to disable it.
The two men inside got out and ran, (a fleeing and eluding).
A five-block perimeter was later set up as officers searched for the men, eventually closing the westbound lanes of 22nd Avenue N for about an hour, as reported byBay News 9.
The driver was arrested after a brief foot chase, but not before trying to punch the arresting officer (battery of a law enforcement).
The passenger slipped out of the area but was later tracked by a police dog and found hiding behind a fence in a yard. The police dog had bit the passenger in his lower left leg, it was reported.
Both men were in custody just before 5 a.m.
A 9 mm handgun was found on the driver's side floor of the Altima, police said.
The car is registered to a St. Petersburg woman whom police did not identify.
The two men denied any involvement in the robbery and shooting, police said.
The driver was charged with fleeing and eluding, being a felon in possession of a firearm, resisting a police officer with violence and marijuana possession.
The passenger, who already was wanted for failure to appear in court on an obstruction of justice charge, was charged with marijuana possession and resisting arrest without violence.
Records do show both men have a history of arrests in Pinellas County.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or a child abuse? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Hit and Run and Hit
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
In Pinellas, what started as a simple "Hit and Run" led to a chase and another wreck...
PINELLAS — A 33-year-old man from Palm Harbor was arrested early last week after a hit-and-run crash led to a chase that ended in a wreck on the Dunedin Causeway with no injuries.
The incident began about 6:45 a.m. when the suspect, driving a Hummer, struck a parked pickup off the side of Causeway Boulevard near the drawbridge, deputies said.
The victim, a foreman for Roland Inc., was doing paperwork at the time his vehicle was rear-ended. After the crash, deputies said, the suspect backed up and fled the scene.
Deputies then spotted the suspect shortly afterward as he traveled south on Alt. U.S. 19 near San Jose Boulevard in Dunedin. They tried to conduct a traffic stop, but he refused to stop, deputies said, instead fleeing and eluding.
Deputies tried at several points to try and use stop sticks to disable the Hummer, but the suspect was able to see them and drive around them. In one case, the suspect even saw a deputy deploying the stop sticks and drove off the road at the deputy, committing an aggravated assault!
The suspect then also tried to ram and force pursuing deputies off the road several times throughout the chase.
The chase eventually came back onto Causeway Boulevard, reaching speeds of more than 55 mph.
The reckless driver then crashed through the gate to Honeymoon Island State Park, which was closed at the time. But the park only has one entrance and deputies then deployed stop sticks there. Unable to go anywhere else, the desperate fugitive tried to drive back through the entrance and ran over the stop sticks, flattening his tires, deputies said.
He tried to keep driving, but was then rammed by a deputy's cruiser, forcing his Hummer off the road into a power pole.
Deputies forcibly pulled the suspect from the vehicle. He was wearing only a T-shirt and boxers. According to reports, deputies found several types of prescription drugs, including oxycodone and morphine and eight syringes.
The suspect eventually told deputies he was planning on fishing from the causeway when, for some reason, he went off the road and crashed. Oddly enough, deputies didn't find any fishing tackle.
The expert fisherman now faces charges of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and possession of hydrocodone, diazepam, methadone and morphine.
As of this writing, he was being held at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $160,250 bail.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a fleeing and eluding or criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
In Pinellas, what started as a simple "Hit and Run" led to a chase and another wreck...
PINELLAS — A 33-year-old man from Palm Harbor was arrested early last week after a hit-and-run crash led to a chase that ended in a wreck on the Dunedin Causeway with no injuries.
The incident began about 6:45 a.m. when the suspect, driving a Hummer, struck a parked pickup off the side of Causeway Boulevard near the drawbridge, deputies said.
The victim, a foreman for Roland Inc., was doing paperwork at the time his vehicle was rear-ended. After the crash, deputies said, the suspect backed up and fled the scene.
Deputies then spotted the suspect shortly afterward as he traveled south on Alt. U.S. 19 near San Jose Boulevard in Dunedin. They tried to conduct a traffic stop, but he refused to stop, deputies said, instead fleeing and eluding.
Deputies tried at several points to try and use stop sticks to disable the Hummer, but the suspect was able to see them and drive around them. In one case, the suspect even saw a deputy deploying the stop sticks and drove off the road at the deputy, committing an aggravated assault!
The suspect then also tried to ram and force pursuing deputies off the road several times throughout the chase.
The chase eventually came back onto Causeway Boulevard, reaching speeds of more than 55 mph.
The reckless driver then crashed through the gate to Honeymoon Island State Park, which was closed at the time. But the park only has one entrance and deputies then deployed stop sticks there. Unable to go anywhere else, the desperate fugitive tried to drive back through the entrance and ran over the stop sticks, flattening his tires, deputies said.
He tried to keep driving, but was then rammed by a deputy's cruiser, forcing his Hummer off the road into a power pole.
Deputies forcibly pulled the suspect from the vehicle. He was wearing only a T-shirt and boxers. According to reports, deputies found several types of prescription drugs, including oxycodone and morphine and eight syringes.
The suspect eventually told deputies he was planning on fishing from the causeway when, for some reason, he went off the road and crashed. Oddly enough, deputies didn't find any fishing tackle.
The expert fisherman now faces charges of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and possession of hydrocodone, diazepam, methadone and morphine.
As of this writing, he was being held at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $160,250 bail.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a fleeing and eluding or criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Phone Call To Cops = Hit And Run Arrest!
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Petersburg Times website,an interesting story of how one woman's call to the police on a domestic violence complaint led to her arrest on a hit and run charge...
She called the Pinellas Sheriff's Office on Monday night and asked deputies to come kick her boyfriend out of their apartment on a domestic violence complaint.
But instead it was her who ended up leaving in handcuffs, authorities said, after her boyfriend revealed that the 33-year-old mother was the driver in a fatal hit and run crash 10 months ago in Pinellas Park.
The arrested's own call to authorities ended up implicating her in the Feb. 4 death of a victim of the hit and run, who died three days before her 51st birthday.
The victim was walking east across northbound 66th Street N when she was hit and fatally injured in the center lane near the 9700 block, according to police.
All Pinellas Park police knew then was that the victim was struck by a Ford truck, possibly an SUV, that lost its passenger side mirror and front turn signal.
But the case went cold for 10 months — until that evening.
The suspect called deputies to remove her boyfriend on a domestic violence complaint, according to the Sheriff's Office. He had just gotten out of the county jail after serving 40 days for an obtaining property with a worthless check charge. The suspect said she was scared of him. The boyfriend, 34, said he just wanted to see his 7-year-old daughter.
The boyfriend agreed to leave the Palm Harbor apartment. But as he walked out with the deputies, he pointed to a damaged black 1997 Ford Ranger in the apartment complex parking lot and said he had a story to tell them.
The shunned man then told deputies that the suspect borrowed a neighbor's pickup on Feb. 4 to drive to Pinellas Park to buy marijuana, authorities said. That night, the man told deputies, he said the suspect texted him that she had struck a deer.
Then, weeks later, the man told deputies that the suspect broke down and told him that she had actually hit someone on 66th Street N. She knew the person was dead, according to the man, but was too scared of going to jail to stop.
The pedestrian violated the driver's right of way that night, according to police. But under Florida law, police said, the driver had a legal obligation to stop and identify herself.
After the man told deputies what he knew Monday night, the Sheriff's Office called the Pinellas Park Police Department, which sent officers to Palm Harbor to question the suspect. She confessed, according to police, and was arrested.
When Pinellas Park police inspected the Ford Ranger they got their second break in the case that night: the neighbor's truck was still damaged and still missing parts. No repairs were made in the 10 months after the fatal crash.
"We found pieces of the turn signal and the passenger side mirror at the scene (of her death)," said a Pinellas Park police Sgt., "and they matched the parts that the vehicle was missing."
The suspect was also arrested on a warrant for driving with a suspended or revoked license. According to state records, her license was suspended in 2009 and 2010 for failing to pay traffic fines and last year she was cited for DUI.
She was booked into the Pinellas jail, where she was being held Tuesday in lieu of $52,250 bail.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a domestic violence or criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
From the St. Petersburg Times website,an interesting story of how one woman's call to the police on a domestic violence complaint led to her arrest on a hit and run charge...
She called the Pinellas Sheriff's Office on Monday night and asked deputies to come kick her boyfriend out of their apartment on a domestic violence complaint.
But instead it was her who ended up leaving in handcuffs, authorities said, after her boyfriend revealed that the 33-year-old mother was the driver in a fatal hit and run crash 10 months ago in Pinellas Park.
The arrested's own call to authorities ended up implicating her in the Feb. 4 death of a victim of the hit and run, who died three days before her 51st birthday.
The victim was walking east across northbound 66th Street N when she was hit and fatally injured in the center lane near the 9700 block, according to police.
All Pinellas Park police knew then was that the victim was struck by a Ford truck, possibly an SUV, that lost its passenger side mirror and front turn signal.
But the case went cold for 10 months — until that evening.
The suspect called deputies to remove her boyfriend on a domestic violence complaint, according to the Sheriff's Office. He had just gotten out of the county jail after serving 40 days for an obtaining property with a worthless check charge. The suspect said she was scared of him. The boyfriend, 34, said he just wanted to see his 7-year-old daughter.
The boyfriend agreed to leave the Palm Harbor apartment. But as he walked out with the deputies, he pointed to a damaged black 1997 Ford Ranger in the apartment complex parking lot and said he had a story to tell them.
The shunned man then told deputies that the suspect borrowed a neighbor's pickup on Feb. 4 to drive to Pinellas Park to buy marijuana, authorities said. That night, the man told deputies, he said the suspect texted him that she had struck a deer.
Then, weeks later, the man told deputies that the suspect broke down and told him that she had actually hit someone on 66th Street N. She knew the person was dead, according to the man, but was too scared of going to jail to stop.
The pedestrian violated the driver's right of way that night, according to police. But under Florida law, police said, the driver had a legal obligation to stop and identify herself.
After the man told deputies what he knew Monday night, the Sheriff's Office called the Pinellas Park Police Department, which sent officers to Palm Harbor to question the suspect. She confessed, according to police, and was arrested.
When Pinellas Park police inspected the Ford Ranger they got their second break in the case that night: the neighbor's truck was still damaged and still missing parts. No repairs were made in the 10 months after the fatal crash.
"We found pieces of the turn signal and the passenger side mirror at the scene (of her death)," said a Pinellas Park police Sgt., "and they matched the parts that the vehicle was missing."
The suspect was also arrested on a warrant for driving with a suspended or revoked license. According to state records, her license was suspended in 2009 and 2010 for failing to pay traffic fines and last year she was cited for DUI.
She was booked into the Pinellas jail, where she was being held Tuesday in lieu of $52,250 bail.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a domestic violence or criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Doctors Arrested in Tampa Pill Mill Crackdown!
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Just like the last blog entry that dealt with doctors, this entry details two more docs that have been arrested during these pillmill crackdowns...
TAMPA — They set up shop in Hillsborough County, prescribing pain pills until deputies shut them down in March.
Within weeks, JW Wellness, the pain clinic that had previously been shut down, sprouted just blocks away in a new jurisdiction. Tampa police noticed.
Undercover officers posed as patients who didn't need pills but wanted them. They brought MRIs the officers say were obviously fraudulent. And they got enough evidence to execute a search warrant back in August, confiscating 79 patient files.
The arrests came soon after.
The clinic's owner, a man, 37, was led from his Tampa house in handcuffs. In nearby Thonotosassa, a doctor practicing at another clinic was arrested in connection with his work at JW Wellness in Tampa.
That doctor, a man, 59, of Oldsmar is licensed and has not been previously arrested in Florida, records show.
In all, eight people connected to JW Wellness were charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. Seven of them were also charged with racketeering and conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance.
A Tampa Assistant Chief said the investigation took months because authorities have to prove a doctor prescribed the oxycodone and Xanax pills unnecessarily. It's not like arresting people selling cocaine or heroin, he said, which are illegal in all cases.
Meanwhile, authorities searched two other clinics in Hillsborough.
State officials took records from Main Street Medical in Thonotosassa, where the elder doctor was working.
At Busch Pain Clinic in Tampa, police also arrested a male doctor, 75, of Land O'Lakes. They charged him with writing a prescription for a controlled substance through deception, untruthfulness or fraud.
This most recent roundup comes a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the nation's doctors prescribed enough addictive painkillers last year to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.
The report said addictive narcotic medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin are responsible for nearly 15,000 deaths a year, more than cocaine and heroin combined.
In a news release, the Florida state Attorney General thanked Hillsborough and state authorities for their investigations.
"Today's arrests should send a clear message that prescription drug trafficking in Florida will not be tolerated," she said.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for possession of a controlled substance or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers,please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Just like the last blog entry that dealt with doctors, this entry details two more docs that have been arrested during these pillmill crackdowns...
TAMPA — They set up shop in Hillsborough County, prescribing pain pills until deputies shut them down in March.
Within weeks, JW Wellness, the pain clinic that had previously been shut down, sprouted just blocks away in a new jurisdiction. Tampa police noticed.
Undercover officers posed as patients who didn't need pills but wanted them. They brought MRIs the officers say were obviously fraudulent. And they got enough evidence to execute a search warrant back in August, confiscating 79 patient files.
The arrests came soon after.
The clinic's owner, a man, 37, was led from his Tampa house in handcuffs. In nearby Thonotosassa, a doctor practicing at another clinic was arrested in connection with his work at JW Wellness in Tampa.
That doctor, a man, 59, of Oldsmar is licensed and has not been previously arrested in Florida, records show.
In all, eight people connected to JW Wellness were charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. Seven of them were also charged with racketeering and conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance.
A Tampa Assistant Chief said the investigation took months because authorities have to prove a doctor prescribed the oxycodone and Xanax pills unnecessarily. It's not like arresting people selling cocaine or heroin, he said, which are illegal in all cases.
Meanwhile, authorities searched two other clinics in Hillsborough.
State officials took records from Main Street Medical in Thonotosassa, where the elder doctor was working.
At Busch Pain Clinic in Tampa, police also arrested a male doctor, 75, of Land O'Lakes. They charged him with writing a prescription for a controlled substance through deception, untruthfulness or fraud.
This most recent roundup comes a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the nation's doctors prescribed enough addictive painkillers last year to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.
The report said addictive narcotic medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin are responsible for nearly 15,000 deaths a year, more than cocaine and heroin combined.
In a news release, the Florida state Attorney General thanked Hillsborough and state authorities for their investigations.
"Today's arrests should send a clear message that prescription drug trafficking in Florida will not be tolerated," she said.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for possession of a controlled substance or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers,please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Doctors and Pills
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
While we have blogged often about the pain pill epidemic in Pinellas county, Florida (see here and here), this article from the Times on line tells of local doctors getting their medical license suspended for overprescribing prescription pills...
TAMPA — State health officials on Thursday announced the emergency suspension of a Tampa doctor's license, accusing the Tampa doctor of writing excessive prescriptions for powerful painkillers that may have contributed to a patient's death.
The Florida Board of Medicine has long been aware of concerns about the man's practices. In 2007, he was fined $12,500 for inappropriately prescribing narcotics and other drugs. His medical license was suspended after he failed to comply with the terms of his discipline.
The doctor, 53, did not comment on his suspension. A representative answering the phone at his Medical Group on Busch Boulevard said he was working there but unavailable. The complaints leading to his suspension were from his time practicing at Harbour Medical Group in Lutz, a pain clinic which has since been closed.
In ordering his license suspended, state health officials cited the case of a 37-year-old man who came to see the doc for arthritis pain and anxiety. Over several visits, the man was prescribed large quantities of oxycodone and Xanax without reviewing the patient's medical history, records show.
In March, the doctor discharged the patient after receiving a tip that he was abusing the medications. Several weeks later, the patient died from problems including a cardiac condition associated with long-term drug abuse.
Health officials also faulted the doctor for increasing another patient's regimen until he was being prescribed 795 pain pills, including 495 oxycodone tablets, in a single visit to the doctor!
Have you or a loved one been arrested for possession of a controlled substance or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers,please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
While we have blogged often about the pain pill epidemic in Pinellas county, Florida (see here and here), this article from the Times on line tells of local doctors getting their medical license suspended for overprescribing prescription pills...
TAMPA — State health officials on Thursday announced the emergency suspension of a Tampa doctor's license, accusing the Tampa doctor of writing excessive prescriptions for powerful painkillers that may have contributed to a patient's death.
The Florida Board of Medicine has long been aware of concerns about the man's practices. In 2007, he was fined $12,500 for inappropriately prescribing narcotics and other drugs. His medical license was suspended after he failed to comply with the terms of his discipline.
The doctor, 53, did not comment on his suspension. A representative answering the phone at his Medical Group on Busch Boulevard said he was working there but unavailable. The complaints leading to his suspension were from his time practicing at Harbour Medical Group in Lutz, a pain clinic which has since been closed.
In ordering his license suspended, state health officials cited the case of a 37-year-old man who came to see the doc for arthritis pain and anxiety. Over several visits, the man was prescribed large quantities of oxycodone and Xanax without reviewing the patient's medical history, records show.
In March, the doctor discharged the patient after receiving a tip that he was abusing the medications. Several weeks later, the patient died from problems including a cardiac condition associated with long-term drug abuse.
Health officials also faulted the doctor for increasing another patient's regimen until he was being prescribed 795 pain pills, including 495 oxycodone tablets, in a single visit to the doctor!
Have you or a loved one been arrested for possession of a controlled substance or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers,please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Parents of the Year?
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Petersburg Times online site, a short discussion on is it legal and if so, why the arrest?
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — A couple is accused of allowing two young boys to smoke synthetic marijuana , also known as K2, almost 20 times in the past month, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
The man, 37, and woman, 24, were arrested Monday on child abuse charges. The boys, who were in the couple's care, were 9 and 10, at the time of the offense(s).
Deputies went to the couple's home in St. Petersburg to investigate reports that the man was allowing the two boys to smoke the synthetic drug, which is known as "K2" and marketed as incense.
The boys told deputies the man and woman allowed them to smoke K2 in front of them, according to a sheriff's report. The woman admitted to her part and also implicated the man.
The lady then also told deputies she knew it was illegal for children to use K2, but could not explain why she allowed it.
The man denied the allegations, though he told deputies he smokes K2 himself. The couple were being held in the Pinellas County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail each.
This story brings up an interesting question. Clearly marijuana use is illegal. K2 use is legal (with restrictions) for adults. Is K2 to be treated like cigarettes or should no age restriction be applied?
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or a child abuse? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
From the St. Petersburg Times online site, a short discussion on is it legal and if so, why the arrest?
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — A couple is accused of allowing two young boys to smoke synthetic marijuana , also known as K2, almost 20 times in the past month, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
The man, 37, and woman, 24, were arrested Monday on child abuse charges. The boys, who were in the couple's care, were 9 and 10, at the time of the offense(s).
Deputies went to the couple's home in St. Petersburg to investigate reports that the man was allowing the two boys to smoke the synthetic drug, which is known as "K2" and marketed as incense.
The boys told deputies the man and woman allowed them to smoke K2 in front of them, according to a sheriff's report. The woman admitted to her part and also implicated the man.
The lady then also told deputies she knew it was illegal for children to use K2, but could not explain why she allowed it.
The man denied the allegations, though he told deputies he smokes K2 himself. The couple were being held in the Pinellas County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail each.
This story brings up an interesting question. Clearly marijuana use is illegal. K2 use is legal (with restrictions) for adults. Is K2 to be treated like cigarettes or should no age restriction be applied?
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or a child abuse? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - "Mean Dad" Part Two
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Just in case you have not had enough Michael Lohan news, according to a Yahoo news site, he has been arrested again for a very similar matter...
Michael Lohan’s in trouble with the law for the second time this week.
Tampa Florida police took the father of “Mean Girls” star Lindsay Lohan into custody early Thursday for violating the terms of his release. He was arrested Tuesday on a domestic violence complaint.
Michael Lohan’s girlfriend who filed the original complaint, notified Tampa police to say that he had contacted her by phone. This violated the terms of his release. When they showed up at her home, Lohan allegedly called his girlfriend again. Upon contacting the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s office, police were given the okay to arrest him.
Then things got hairy. Cops said Lohan tried to flee the scene by jumping off of a third floor balcony. He didn’t escape and was apprehended shortly thereafter. Paramedics initially determined that Lohan was not hurt from the jump, whereupon he was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail for booking. But once he arrived at the jail, deputies suspected Lohan might have broken his foot. Early this morning he headed to Tampa General Hospital for evaluation and is expected to go back to jail for processing after.
In a move that surprised nobody, a Tampa judge later denied Michael Lohan's request for a bond. The judge denied the bond motion after determining that Michael Lohan had violated the terms of his earlier release by contacting the victim of the domestic battery.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a criminal charge or a domestic battery? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Just in case you have not had enough Michael Lohan news, according to a Yahoo news site, he has been arrested again for a very similar matter...
Michael Lohan’s in trouble with the law for the second time this week.
Tampa Florida police took the father of “Mean Girls” star Lindsay Lohan into custody early Thursday for violating the terms of his release. He was arrested Tuesday on a domestic violence complaint.
Michael Lohan’s girlfriend who filed the original complaint, notified Tampa police to say that he had contacted her by phone. This violated the terms of his release. When they showed up at her home, Lohan allegedly called his girlfriend again. Upon contacting the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s office, police were given the okay to arrest him.
Then things got hairy. Cops said Lohan tried to flee the scene by jumping off of a third floor balcony. He didn’t escape and was apprehended shortly thereafter. Paramedics initially determined that Lohan was not hurt from the jump, whereupon he was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail for booking. But once he arrived at the jail, deputies suspected Lohan might have broken his foot. Early this morning he headed to Tampa General Hospital for evaluation and is expected to go back to jail for processing after.
In a move that surprised nobody, a Tampa judge later denied Michael Lohan's request for a bond. The judge denied the bond motion after determining that Michael Lohan had violated the terms of his earlier release by contacting the victim of the domestic battery.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a criminal charge or a domestic battery? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - "Mean Dad"
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
TAMPA — Yet another Lohan was put behind bars early Tuesday.
Lindsay Lohan's estranged father, Michael, was arrested around 1 a.m. after he was accused of beating his live-in girlfriend.
The father of the year candidate was booked into Hillsborough County Jail after a visit to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was checked out after complaining of chest pains.
Lohan has been charged with domestic battery. Bail has not yet been set.
Earlier, police responded to the apartment, at 2021 Lemans Blvd., after receiving a call from a private number alleging domestic violence, police said.
According to police, Lohan, 51, had been staying at the apartment, which belongs to his girlfriend, 28.
Lohan had been trying to persuade his lady friend, a former Star magazine reporter, to drop a previous restraining order from Sarasota County when the two began to argue, according to an arrest affidavit.
Lohan then allegedly punched her, smashed her cell phone, grabbed her by the arm and threatened to throw her from their fourth-floor balcony, police said.
Responding officers said the victim was crying and afraid when they arrived. The bathroom door was dented at a height consistent with the height of Lohan's head, police said.
After being placed in handcuffs, Lohan then began to complain of chest pains, police said. He was taken to St. Joseph's to undergo tests and treatment.
But shortly after officers left his bedside, Lohan checked himself out, said a police spokeswoman Andrea Davis.
Lohan told police he thought he was free to go, but he was taken back into custody on his way out of the hospital, officials said.
"I know he had concerns about his health," the spokeswoman sarcastically said, "but you would think he would have stayed in the hospital if he was really that worried."
Police had left the hospital room to confer about whether they would direct file the charges against Lohan through the state attorney's office or keep an officer with him. Direct filing would have left Lohan paying the hospital bills, rather than taxpayers, Davis said.
The victim retained "minor bruising" from the incident.
The woman and father Lohan have had an on-again, off-again relationship over the past two years, including an engagement in 2010, according to media reports.
The couple was most recently in the public eye over the summer, as Lohan was treated for alcoholism on the reality show Celebrity Rehab.
In March, Lohan was arrested on domestic violence charges in California. Police reported that Lohan had thrown the same victim around and attempted to choke her and injure himself to prevent her from calling police.
The woman had "visible injuries" after the March incident, police said.
Lohan was charged with inflicting corporal injury, false imprisonment and preventing the report of victimization.
Then, too, Lohan complained of chest pains after he was arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and was transported to a hospital.
According to jail records, Lohan has been working as the director of marketing for Larasan Pharmaceuticals, a company based in Fort Lauderdale.
Lohan also has volunteered to speak with teenagers participating in residential rehab program, Inspirations for Youth and Families, about the dangers of teenage substance abuse in February, according to the organization. Lohan has resided in Florida on and off since then.
It was not clear why the victim had filed a restraining order in Sarasota County, but according to media reports she has family in the area.
That injunction was removed Monday for unknown reasons, according to the Clerk of the Sarasota Circuit Court. After Lohan's arrest, the victim planned to speak to a Sarasota judge about reinstating the order of protection, police said. A hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Lohan told police he and the lady moved to Tampa to escape the publicity his daughter Lindsay attracts, according to a police report. He now claims he broke her phone because he was angry, but didn't lay hands on her.
Lohan told police that during an argument the previous night, the lady slammed the door in his face, leaving a cut on his forehead. He also told police he left the hospital because he feared the victim would steal some of his more valuable belongings.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a criminal charge or a domestic battery? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Pain Clinic Doctor Suspended
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
LARGO — For the second time in five years, health officials have taken emergency action to stop a Pinellas County doctor from writing excessive prescriptions for powerful painkillers.
Authorities say the doctor, an osteopathic family physician, prescribed "potentially lethal quantities" of widely abused narcotics such as Roxicodone and Percocet, often without even a physical exam.
He also permitted an assistant — a nurse who was then his girlfriend — to illegally sign prescriptions after he took a leave from practice, state health officials say.
Similar charges netted this doctor, 46, a previous suspension in 2006. In that violation, he was fined $12,500 but still allowed to return to practice.
In recent years, the man, who could not be reached for comment, has been treating patients at his Medical Clinic, a pain clinic at Seminole Blvd. in Largo.
An employee told investigators he was instructed to recruit new patients by promising they would leave the clinic with at least 240 oxycodone pills, as well as other prescription medications popular as street drugs.
When contacted, two patients said the clinic knew they were illegally going from doctor's office to doctor's office to shop for drugs (commonly charged as "doctor shopping", a third fegree felony!
Even with that knowledge, the doctor refilled their prescriptions.
One was a 41-year-old man. In an 8-month period, he left the pain clinic on 10 occasions with prescriptions from the doctor on each visit for 690 pills, mostly narcotics.
At one point, the patient told the doc that he was worried about being overmedicated and even asked to change his treatment.
But the man was informed that his prescriptions were pre-signed and couldn't be changed — at least not without a $25 charge.
The Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday the emergency suspension of his medical license.
As noted above, this was not the first time the "good" doctor has had run ins with the law...
In 2006, he was the medical director of a St. Petersburg walk-in clinic advertising easy access to Vicodin, Percocet and other drugs.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office eventually raided the clinic and arrested one of its doctors, as well as the clinic's owner and two physician's assistants.
But the doctor wasn't charged. Detectives said he was rarely there.
Instead, he signed stacks of blank prescriptions and sent them by courier from his main office in Seminole.
Outside of his medical work, he has also been arrested multiple times, most recently in 2009 on cocaine charges.
In a related story, state health officials suspended the license of another doctor, a Treasure Island osteopathic physician who pleaded guilty in August to a felony drug trafficking charge involving oxycodone.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a prescription drug or an oxycodone charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
LARGO — For the second time in five years, health officials have taken emergency action to stop a Pinellas County doctor from writing excessive prescriptions for powerful painkillers.
Authorities say the doctor, an osteopathic family physician, prescribed "potentially lethal quantities" of widely abused narcotics such as Roxicodone and Percocet, often without even a physical exam.
He also permitted an assistant — a nurse who was then his girlfriend — to illegally sign prescriptions after he took a leave from practice, state health officials say.
Similar charges netted this doctor, 46, a previous suspension in 2006. In that violation, he was fined $12,500 but still allowed to return to practice.
In recent years, the man, who could not be reached for comment, has been treating patients at his Medical Clinic, a pain clinic at Seminole Blvd. in Largo.
An employee told investigators he was instructed to recruit new patients by promising they would leave the clinic with at least 240 oxycodone pills, as well as other prescription medications popular as street drugs.
When contacted, two patients said the clinic knew they were illegally going from doctor's office to doctor's office to shop for drugs (commonly charged as "doctor shopping", a third fegree felony!
Even with that knowledge, the doctor refilled their prescriptions.
One was a 41-year-old man. In an 8-month period, he left the pain clinic on 10 occasions with prescriptions from the doctor on each visit for 690 pills, mostly narcotics.
At one point, the patient told the doc that he was worried about being overmedicated and even asked to change his treatment.
But the man was informed that his prescriptions were pre-signed and couldn't be changed — at least not without a $25 charge.
The Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday the emergency suspension of his medical license.
As noted above, this was not the first time the "good" doctor has had run ins with the law...
In 2006, he was the medical director of a St. Petersburg walk-in clinic advertising easy access to Vicodin, Percocet and other drugs.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office eventually raided the clinic and arrested one of its doctors, as well as the clinic's owner and two physician's assistants.
But the doctor wasn't charged. Detectives said he was rarely there.
Instead, he signed stacks of blank prescriptions and sent them by courier from his main office in Seminole.
Outside of his medical work, he has also been arrested multiple times, most recently in 2009 on cocaine charges.
In a related story, state health officials suspended the license of another doctor, a Treasure Island osteopathic physician who pleaded guilty in August to a felony drug trafficking charge involving oxycodone.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a prescription drug or an oxycodone charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - St. Petersburg Neighborhood: No More!
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
ST. PETERSBURG — The neighborhood calls them "boomers" or "thumpers."
As nightclubs close at 3 a.m., people flock in cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles around the Choice Food Store, 3401 Fifth Ave. S, thumping and booming loud music.
Neighbors estimate hundreds of people gather there on weekends and some weeknights. They hang out, flirt, shout and scream. The crowds spill out into surrounding streets and properties, leave trash and break out into fights, according to people in the neighborhood.
Police are called often — at least 150 times about crowds in the past year alone, according to police records.
A while back, the scene took a violent turn.
At 3:16 a.m., police said, shots rang out and a 31-year-old man was wounded in the shoulder. A police officer chased a fleeing Buick from the scene and shot two men after one of them pulled a gun, police said.
Neighbors say the late-night gatherings are a nuisance, and are getting out of control.
"I wish the police could do something," said a neighbor, who lives nearby. "It's getting really stupid."
Neighbors say vehicles fill the convenience store's parking lots and a vacant lot nearby. People spill into adjacent streets and onto the lots around a bail bond business and a pawnshop. They park behind vacant homes, of which there are many.
"It's like a big-a-- block party," said a local business owner, who owns Sunshine State Bail Bonds two doors down. "It's getting worse and worse — somebody got shot."
He's worried an errant bullet will fly into his business.
"Now that this has happened and it's pretty much in my front door, something needs to be done," the man said.
He added that police need to do a better job of crowd control.
Police have been called to the 24-hour Choice Food Store almost 250 times in the past year, according to police records, mostly for large crowds. They also have responded to reports of brawling and gunshots. The owner of Choice Food could not be reached for comment.
The early-morning shooting is not the first — or the worst.
In 2005, a 29-year-old was fatally shot in front of a glass shop at 3451 Fifth Ave. S., a few doors down from Choice Food. Police said several hundred people were hanging out about 2:30 a.m.
Neighbors said police frequently break up the crowds but it often takes complaints about noise before they do anything.
"They sit out there and watch them," said a neighbor. "It looks like there should be a carnival. It's outrageous. I don't understand why they can't stop it."
Another neighbor doesn't think the crowds are a problem. "To me, it's a lot of social gathering, but it isn't more. It's just something they do to hang out."
There's not much police can do to keep crowds from forming if no one is breaking the law, said a police spokesman.
"It's a hard thing to prevent from a law enforcement standpoint," he said. "There's not a lot of tools there for us to prevent issues."
Police typically ask the crowd to disperse only if there's a safety issue, he said.
Frequently police plan ahead if they know crowds will form, making their presence known and discouraging crowds from forming.
Several neighbors said police are usually parked when the group forms after the clubs close.
Yet they say that's not enough...
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a battery or a violent crime? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG — The neighborhood calls them "boomers" or "thumpers."
As nightclubs close at 3 a.m., people flock in cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles around the Choice Food Store, 3401 Fifth Ave. S, thumping and booming loud music.
Neighbors estimate hundreds of people gather there on weekends and some weeknights. They hang out, flirt, shout and scream. The crowds spill out into surrounding streets and properties, leave trash and break out into fights, according to people in the neighborhood.
Police are called often — at least 150 times about crowds in the past year alone, according to police records.
A while back, the scene took a violent turn.
At 3:16 a.m., police said, shots rang out and a 31-year-old man was wounded in the shoulder. A police officer chased a fleeing Buick from the scene and shot two men after one of them pulled a gun, police said.
Neighbors say the late-night gatherings are a nuisance, and are getting out of control.
"I wish the police could do something," said a neighbor, who lives nearby. "It's getting really stupid."
Neighbors say vehicles fill the convenience store's parking lots and a vacant lot nearby. People spill into adjacent streets and onto the lots around a bail bond business and a pawnshop. They park behind vacant homes, of which there are many.
"It's like a big-a-- block party," said a local business owner, who owns Sunshine State Bail Bonds two doors down. "It's getting worse and worse — somebody got shot."
He's worried an errant bullet will fly into his business.
"Now that this has happened and it's pretty much in my front door, something needs to be done," the man said.
He added that police need to do a better job of crowd control.
Police have been called to the 24-hour Choice Food Store almost 250 times in the past year, according to police records, mostly for large crowds. They also have responded to reports of brawling and gunshots. The owner of Choice Food could not be reached for comment.
The early-morning shooting is not the first — or the worst.
In 2005, a 29-year-old was fatally shot in front of a glass shop at 3451 Fifth Ave. S., a few doors down from Choice Food. Police said several hundred people were hanging out about 2:30 a.m.
Neighbors said police frequently break up the crowds but it often takes complaints about noise before they do anything.
"They sit out there and watch them," said a neighbor. "It looks like there should be a carnival. It's outrageous. I don't understand why they can't stop it."
Another neighbor doesn't think the crowds are a problem. "To me, it's a lot of social gathering, but it isn't more. It's just something they do to hang out."
There's not much police can do to keep crowds from forming if no one is breaking the law, said a police spokesman.
"It's a hard thing to prevent from a law enforcement standpoint," he said. "There's not a lot of tools there for us to prevent issues."
Police typically ask the crowd to disperse only if there's a safety issue, he said.
Frequently police plan ahead if they know crowds will form, making their presence known and discouraging crowds from forming.
Several neighbors said police are usually parked when the group forms after the clubs close.
Yet they say that's not enough...
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a battery or a violent crime? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - What NOT To Do
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A quick blurb about a man who celebrated his release from jail by picking up ANOTHER criminal charge in the parking lot...
A local man was taken to jail Sunday evening after a drunken disturbance at a neighbor's house. He was then released on his own recognizance just a few hours later.
Yet for the man, the night was still young.
He was arrested again after deputies say he tried to break into two cars — that happened to be in the visitor parking lot at the Land O'Lakes jail. He wasn't released this time.
Sheriff's deputies initially found the suspect, 48, crawling out from under the bushes at his neighbor's house in Jasmine Lakes about 6:30 p.m. His shorts were on backwards and low on his hips. A witness had complained he was urinating on the bushes.
According to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrest report, he was "extremely intoxicated" and admitted to drinking six beers and taking six Oxycodone pills. He was arrested for criminal mischief after a witness saw him bang on the neighbor's doors and shake a porch light until the glass panels fell out and broke. The witness also saw the suspect pull the light's electrical wires out of the wall.
Deputies said the man told them he was looking for cans of paint in the bushes, then changed his story and said he was trying to replace the porch light.
Fast forward to 10 p.m. when he was released from the Land O'Lakes jail and went to the visitor parking lot to wait for a ride.
A woman drove up and left her 2003 Acura in the lot. The suspect, she said, went up to the car and tried to open the door. She yelled at him to get away. He said he thought it was his car.
He tried again, this time with a 2002 Mitsubishi. A sheriff's lieutenant watched the second attempt and called detention deputies. This time he was arrested at 11:45 p.m. — less than two hours after he was released. He remained in jail Monday afternoon on two counts of attempted car theft, with bail set at $10,000.
After his second arrest, the suspect said he hoped a deputy was "not mad at him for attempting to get into the cars."
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a theft or a criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
A quick blurb about a man who celebrated his release from jail by picking up ANOTHER criminal charge in the parking lot...
A local man was taken to jail Sunday evening after a drunken disturbance at a neighbor's house. He was then released on his own recognizance just a few hours later.
Yet for the man, the night was still young.
He was arrested again after deputies say he tried to break into two cars — that happened to be in the visitor parking lot at the Land O'Lakes jail. He wasn't released this time.
Sheriff's deputies initially found the suspect, 48, crawling out from under the bushes at his neighbor's house in Jasmine Lakes about 6:30 p.m. His shorts were on backwards and low on his hips. A witness had complained he was urinating on the bushes.
According to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrest report, he was "extremely intoxicated" and admitted to drinking six beers and taking six Oxycodone pills. He was arrested for criminal mischief after a witness saw him bang on the neighbor's doors and shake a porch light until the glass panels fell out and broke. The witness also saw the suspect pull the light's electrical wires out of the wall.
Deputies said the man told them he was looking for cans of paint in the bushes, then changed his story and said he was trying to replace the porch light.
Fast forward to 10 p.m. when he was released from the Land O'Lakes jail and went to the visitor parking lot to wait for a ride.
A woman drove up and left her 2003 Acura in the lot. The suspect, she said, went up to the car and tried to open the door. She yelled at him to get away. He said he thought it was his car.
He tried again, this time with a 2002 Mitsubishi. A sheriff's lieutenant watched the second attempt and called detention deputies. This time he was arrested at 11:45 p.m. — less than two hours after he was released. He remained in jail Monday afternoon on two counts of attempted car theft, with bail set at $10,000.
After his second arrest, the suspect said he hoped a deputy was "not mad at him for attempting to get into the cars."
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a theft or a criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Drug Sting Round Up
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
While we have blogged about drug stings often before, here is another one that nabbed 41 arrests (from the St. Pete Times website)...
Pinellas — The phony prescriptions were printed out on a home computer and passed out to "runners" who got them filled at local pharmacies.
Then the pain pills were divvied up: half for the runner to keep, half for the drug dealer to sell at street prices that, in some parts of Florida, are up to 30 times what they cost at a pharmacy.
Authorities said that's how more than 400,000 30-milligram oxycodone tablets got into the wrong hands during a nine-month span beginning in October 2009.
On Monday, several local law enforcement agencies launched a multi-jurisdictional effort to arrest some of the members of a sophisticated Tampa Bay area drug trafficking ring.
By day's end, officials had located 41 of the 72 people sought in the second phase of Operation No Appointment Necessary. Some were already in local jails; others were arrested in Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. The first phase, which began in March, has so far netted 66 of 94 suspects. And investigators had previously made about 140 other arrests in connection with the case.
Monday's sweep was a joint effort between the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Countywide Diversion Task Force, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and the New Port Richey Police Department.
Officials say those being arrested as part of both phases of the operation were mostly low-level offenders, accused of passing the fake prescriptions or doctor shopping. The top tier of the organization has already been "dismantled," said a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Captain.
Those people are facing federal charges, but the captain declined to identify them, citing the ongoing nature of the large-scale investigation.
During the investigation, detectives identified 27 doctors whose names were being fraudulently used by the drug ring. The doctors, whose prescription pads had been stolen or duplicated, cooperated with investigators.
Monday's sweep came just a few weeks after a state report revealed that the number of people fatally overdosing on prescription drugs in Florida went up nearly 9 percent from 2009 to 2010.
According to the report, the Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner's district led the state in 2010 in deaths from all six of the most lethal prescription drugs — oxycodone, alprazolam (Xanax), methadone(Vicodin), morphine and diazepam (Valium).
And addiction is at the heart of the matter, officials said.
"A lot of people get involved because of addiction situations," the captain said. "They are addicted to these painkillers and they have to feed their addiction by going out and getting these pills and then they sell them as well as using them."
Oxycodone pills that cost about $1 apiece at a pharmacy are going for $8 to $15 on the street in the Tampa Bay area. In more rural areas of North Florida, they can bring as much as $30 a pill.
Detectives estimate the value of the pills received through the fraudulent prescriptions in this investigation at more than $4 million.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a drug or a drug trafficking charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
While we have blogged about drug stings often before, here is another one that nabbed 41 arrests (from the St. Pete Times website)...
Pinellas — The phony prescriptions were printed out on a home computer and passed out to "runners" who got them filled at local pharmacies.
Then the pain pills were divvied up: half for the runner to keep, half for the drug dealer to sell at street prices that, in some parts of Florida, are up to 30 times what they cost at a pharmacy.
Authorities said that's how more than 400,000 30-milligram oxycodone tablets got into the wrong hands during a nine-month span beginning in October 2009.
On Monday, several local law enforcement agencies launched a multi-jurisdictional effort to arrest some of the members of a sophisticated Tampa Bay area drug trafficking ring.
By day's end, officials had located 41 of the 72 people sought in the second phase of Operation No Appointment Necessary. Some were already in local jails; others were arrested in Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. The first phase, which began in March, has so far netted 66 of 94 suspects. And investigators had previously made about 140 other arrests in connection with the case.
Monday's sweep was a joint effort between the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Countywide Diversion Task Force, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and the New Port Richey Police Department.
Officials say those being arrested as part of both phases of the operation were mostly low-level offenders, accused of passing the fake prescriptions or doctor shopping. The top tier of the organization has already been "dismantled," said a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Captain.
Those people are facing federal charges, but the captain declined to identify them, citing the ongoing nature of the large-scale investigation.
During the investigation, detectives identified 27 doctors whose names were being fraudulently used by the drug ring. The doctors, whose prescription pads had been stolen or duplicated, cooperated with investigators.
Monday's sweep came just a few weeks after a state report revealed that the number of people fatally overdosing on prescription drugs in Florida went up nearly 9 percent from 2009 to 2010.
According to the report, the Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner's district led the state in 2010 in deaths from all six of the most lethal prescription drugs — oxycodone, alprazolam (Xanax), methadone(Vicodin), morphine and diazepam (Valium).
And addiction is at the heart of the matter, officials said.
"A lot of people get involved because of addiction situations," the captain said. "They are addicted to these painkillers and they have to feed their addiction by going out and getting these pills and then they sell them as well as using them."
Oxycodone pills that cost about $1 apiece at a pharmacy are going for $8 to $15 on the street in the Tampa Bay area. In more rural areas of North Florida, they can bring as much as $30 a pill.
Detectives estimate the value of the pills received through the fraudulent prescriptions in this investigation at more than $4 million.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a drug or a drug trafficking charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Oxycodone as a Motive for Murder?
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
A jury in Hernando County Florida finds son Guilty of First Degree Murder for killing his father, in cold blood, over the popular (and often deadly) drug Oxycodone.
In a Brooksville courtroom, the Assistant State Attorney gripped the Revelation 12-gauge, sawed-off shotgun and pointed it at the courtroom wall, just feet from the jury.
He pumped the slide on the shotgun, then pulled the trigger. Pump. Click. Pump. Click. Pump. Click.
"(The victim) was shot four (4) times. I don't know how fast or slow the defendant cycled this shotgun when he murdered his father," the State told jurors Thursday, pointing at the 20-year-old man sitting at the defense table. "We're not talking one shot."
After a dramatic closing argument by the Assistant State Attorney, the jury took just one (1) hour to find Stephen Horne guilty of First-Degree Murder in the May 2010 shooting of his father, 47. Authorities say the son was motivated by drugs and money.
Later, just after the Chief Circuit Judge sentenced Horne, of Ridge Manor, to LIFE in prison (without the possibility of parole), the convicted killer turned to sobbing family members sitting two rows behind him, and he smiled.
Some told Horne they loved him. Others couldn't say anything. As deputies escorted him out, he glared at news reporters.
Horne was also convicted of Robbery with a Firearm and Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun.
His accomplice, Angel Gonzalez, 28, of Holiday, was convicted last month of First Degree Murder and was also sentenced to LIFE in prison.
In court Thursday, the State Attorney read portions of a damning confession Horne had given to a Hernando sheriff's Detective.
" 'I killed my father. I shot my father. I planned it all,' " he read. " 'I hated my father. I seen dollar signs. I planned it out. Everything was all my idea. I was going to get away with it.' "
The two (2) men stole his prescribed Oxycodone pills and between $200 and $600, the State said. Then they stripped him of his boots, trousers and cell phone.
"The state has proven that defendant right there," pointing at Horne, "is a cold-blooded killer."
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a drug or murder charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
A jury in Hernando County Florida finds son Guilty of First Degree Murder for killing his father, in cold blood, over the popular (and often deadly) drug Oxycodone.
In a Brooksville courtroom, the Assistant State Attorney gripped the Revelation 12-gauge, sawed-off shotgun and pointed it at the courtroom wall, just feet from the jury.
He pumped the slide on the shotgun, then pulled the trigger. Pump. Click. Pump. Click. Pump. Click.
"(The victim) was shot four (4) times. I don't know how fast or slow the defendant cycled this shotgun when he murdered his father," the State told jurors Thursday, pointing at the 20-year-old man sitting at the defense table. "We're not talking one shot."
After a dramatic closing argument by the Assistant State Attorney, the jury took just one (1) hour to find Stephen Horne guilty of First-Degree Murder in the May 2010 shooting of his father, 47. Authorities say the son was motivated by drugs and money.
Later, just after the Chief Circuit Judge sentenced Horne, of Ridge Manor, to LIFE in prison (without the possibility of parole), the convicted killer turned to sobbing family members sitting two rows behind him, and he smiled.
Some told Horne they loved him. Others couldn't say anything. As deputies escorted him out, he glared at news reporters.
Horne was also convicted of Robbery with a Firearm and Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun.
His accomplice, Angel Gonzalez, 28, of Holiday, was convicted last month of First Degree Murder and was also sentenced to LIFE in prison.
In court Thursday, the State Attorney read portions of a damning confession Horne had given to a Hernando sheriff's Detective.
" 'I killed my father. I shot my father. I planned it all,' " he read. " 'I hated my father. I seen dollar signs. I planned it out. Everything was all my idea. I was going to get away with it.' "
The two (2) men stole his prescribed Oxycodone pills and between $200 and $600, the State said. Then they stripped him of his boots, trousers and cell phone.
"The state has proven that defendant right there," pointing at Horne, "is a cold-blooded killer."
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a drug or murder charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Calling 911 Backfires
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
From the Bay News 9 website, a short but funny story regarding a man who won't take "no" for an answer...
A Largo man's late night craving and demand for tacos landed him in the Pinellas County jail for misuse of a 911 system.
Terry Kimbell, 50, called 911 from his cell phone to inform the dispatcher Taco Bell would not sell him tacos while he stood in the drive-thru lane Tuesday night, according to a Largo police report.
The website obtained the 911 call through a public records request:
911: "Largo emergency."
Kimbell: "It's not an emergency. However, can you -- can you put me through to dispatch? I'm at the Taco Bell, and I walked in, and I left my car on purpose, so I wouldn't drink and drive. I walked up, they wouldn't serve me. So, I'm at the Taco Bell at 137th and Walsingham and I just want some tacos. That's it."
Kimbell tells the dispatcher he has the munchies. He'd been drinking alcohol, according to the police report.
911: "What are the employees saying?"
Kimbell: "You can't walk up, you've got to drive up. You got a get a DUI to get a taco. I got the munchies and I walked a quarter mile from here. Are you going to help me out or do I have to get arrested to get home? You know what I'm saying?"
911: "Well, we're not going to take you home."
Kimbell: "I want you to call the manager at the Taco Bell."
Kimbell stayed on the phone the for about 11 minutes with dispatch until a police officer arrived and arrested him for misuse of a 911 system.
Kimbell was released from jail on Wednesday.
The website tried contacting Kimbell at his apartment, but the door was not answered. He did tell the dispatcher the reason he called 911 though:
Kimbell: "When I get refused service for no reason, it T's me off. So, I call you guys. Does that make sense?"
A Largo police Lt. said when someone calls 911 for a reason that's not an emergency, they're tying up resources for those who truly are having an emergency.
"Certainly calling 911 because you didn't get your tacos is not something that would constitute an emergency," the Lt. said.
A Taco Bell manager said they don't allow customers to walk in their drive-thru for safety reasons.
The fast food company does not want customers to get run over. The manager also said people on foot pose an increased robbery risk to employees.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a DUI or a criminal charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Clearwater Marijuana Humor
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A humorous mistake from a lady in Clearwater, article by the St. Pete Times website...
CLEARWATER — When asked for her identification, a 27-year-old woman also pulled out a bag of marijuana, according to police, leading to her arrest for possession of that drug and an assortment of pills.
The woman was sitting in a car in the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn Clearwater Central at 21338 U.S. 19 N just before 3 a.m. Saturday when a Clearwater police officer approached the car and asked her what she was doing.
The lady, of Clearwater, said she was talking to her boyfriend and considering renting a hotel room, an arrest report shows.
The officer asked her for her ID. She reached into her purse and removed her ID along with a bag of marijuana, police said. The woman then tried to conceal the bag, according to the report, but was unsuccessful.
Police then searched her purse and found pain relievers oxycodone (57 pills) and methadone (seven pills), sedatives diazepam (brand name: Valium, three pills) and clonazepam (one pill), according to the report.
The woman said she smokes marijuana for medicinal reasons, police said, and that the pills weren't hers. She was arrested on one count of marijuana possession, a misdemeanor, and multiple counts of felony possession of a controlled substance.
Have you been arrested on controlled substance or marijuana charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
A humorous mistake from a lady in Clearwater, article by the St. Pete Times website...
CLEARWATER — When asked for her identification, a 27-year-old woman also pulled out a bag of marijuana, according to police, leading to her arrest for possession of that drug and an assortment of pills.
The woman was sitting in a car in the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn Clearwater Central at 21338 U.S. 19 N just before 3 a.m. Saturday when a Clearwater police officer approached the car and asked her what she was doing.
The lady, of Clearwater, said she was talking to her boyfriend and considering renting a hotel room, an arrest report shows.
The officer asked her for her ID. She reached into her purse and removed her ID along with a bag of marijuana, police said. The woman then tried to conceal the bag, according to the report, but was unsuccessful.
Police then searched her purse and found pain relievers oxycodone (57 pills) and methadone (seven pills), sedatives diazepam (brand name: Valium, three pills) and clonazepam (one pill), according to the report.
The woman said she smokes marijuana for medicinal reasons, police said, and that the pills weren't hers. She was arrested on one count of marijuana possession, a misdemeanor, and multiple counts of felony possession of a controlled substance.
Have you been arrested on controlled substance or marijuana charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Why So Much Prescription Pill Trouble?
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Like many other previous posts, this one deals with the prescription pill epidemic in Pinellas and Pasco counties...
A new report released last week found Pinellas and Pasco counties leading the state in an alarming count — the number of people fatally overdosing on the most lethal prescription drugs.
That leads to two possible conclusions, both dismaying. Either the Pinellas and Pasco communities are at the epicenter of Florida's prescription drug epidemic, or drug abuse deaths only seem highest in these counties because other regions are not reporting theirs so completely.
And if the second is true, then the statewide problem is even worse than experts think.
"Either it's real, we really are higher, or they're under-reporting elsewhere," said a Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner.
The report from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that 2,710 deaths in Florida last year were caused by prescription drug overdoses, up 8.9 percent from 2009. That's almost eight people a day.
But if other regions of the state are under-reporting, that number could be much higher.
"I've always felt that the numbers that are reported in the annual report actually underestimate the problem because some cases simply don't get reported for one reason or another," said a, professor and director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
The calculus of drug deaths in Florida reveals a lot about the science, the detective work and the human tragedy of trying to quantify an epidemic in which legal drugs are killing far more Floridians than illegal ones such as heroin or cocaine.
In the latest report, the Pinellas-Pasco district led the state in 2010 in deaths from all six of the most lethal prescription drugs — oxycodone, alprazolam (Xanax), methadone, hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine and diazepam (Valium).
Unfortunately, this isn't the first year Pinellas and Pasco have reported some of the highest death tolls.
A supervisor of the Pinellas Strategic Diversion Task Force finds it "alarming" that Pinellas is a leader. But he's not necessarily disagreeing.
"I believe that we possibly have more people that are addicted right now in this area," he said after reviewing the report. "Now, for whatever reason, we're first and we're really going to have to look at why."
Pinellas and Pasco have larger populations than many rural counties, which could help explain their numbers. After adjusting for population, both counties remain high — though not the highest — in per capita deaths from alprazolam, diazepam, hydrocodone and methadone. Pasco County had one of the highest rates of oxycodone deaths.
Yet overall, prescription drugs still are killing more people locally than in far larger counties such as Miami-Dade and Broward.
Even after working to standardize procedures, Florida's medical examiners are quick to admit some things differ from district to district. And that could have an effect on which deaths get evaluated and which don't.
For starters, not everyone goes to a medical examiner's office. The doctors at these offices perform autopsies on people who die violently or from suspected drug overdoses but generally not in cases where the deaths appear to be from natural causes.
A spokesman said Pinellas and Pasco law enforcement officers are well-trained to look for evidence of drug abuse that might not be obvious — for example, a man with heart problems who dies, but who also had a knee problem and a hydrocodone prescription. Deputies will check the number of pills in the bottle to see if the man was using them faster than prescribed, which could have led to an overdose.
If more cases like that get referred to the medical examiner's office, then more drug deaths are likely to be counted.
The Pinellas-Pasco office also uses its own toxicology lab that tests extensively for drugs. That could turn up more drug deaths. It's also true that the state lacks a uniform approach to toxicology testing.
Even basic reporting has sometimes been spotty, medical examiners admit. Prior to this year, for example, some doctors in the Miami office were simply failing to fill out a form to indicate a prescription drug death, said the director of the toxicology lab at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office.
Experts say a new statewide electronic system should correct many problems.
There is also a human factor. More than most people realize, establishing a cause of death due to drug abuse is a judgment call, medical examiners say.
"If you have five different medical examiners looking at the same case you may get two or three different opinions," the director mentioned.
For any given drug, there is no precise lethal level. Some people die if their blood alcohol content reaches 0.25, but some people actually survive and even function with higher levels, said a Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
And different drugs are often mixed together, creating more variables to evaluate. Some autopsies are not performed until several days after death, which can make the evaluation even more difficult.
Whether such differences explain why Pinellas and Pasco sit at the top of the list, Goldberger noted the evidence is clear on the most alarming finding: The trendline is up.
"Clearly too many people die every day in the state of Florida as a consequence of the use, misuse and abuse of prescription drugs," he said.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a prescription drug or a oxycodone charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Like many other previous posts, this one deals with the prescription pill epidemic in Pinellas and Pasco counties...
A new report released last week found Pinellas and Pasco counties leading the state in an alarming count — the number of people fatally overdosing on the most lethal prescription drugs.
That leads to two possible conclusions, both dismaying. Either the Pinellas and Pasco communities are at the epicenter of Florida's prescription drug epidemic, or drug abuse deaths only seem highest in these counties because other regions are not reporting theirs so completely.
And if the second is true, then the statewide problem is even worse than experts think.
"Either it's real, we really are higher, or they're under-reporting elsewhere," said a Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner.
The report from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that 2,710 deaths in Florida last year were caused by prescription drug overdoses, up 8.9 percent from 2009. That's almost eight people a day.
But if other regions of the state are under-reporting, that number could be much higher.
"I've always felt that the numbers that are reported in the annual report actually underestimate the problem because some cases simply don't get reported for one reason or another," said a, professor and director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
The calculus of drug deaths in Florida reveals a lot about the science, the detective work and the human tragedy of trying to quantify an epidemic in which legal drugs are killing far more Floridians than illegal ones such as heroin or cocaine.
In the latest report, the Pinellas-Pasco district led the state in 2010 in deaths from all six of the most lethal prescription drugs — oxycodone, alprazolam (Xanax), methadone, hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine and diazepam (Valium).
Unfortunately, this isn't the first year Pinellas and Pasco have reported some of the highest death tolls.
A supervisor of the Pinellas Strategic Diversion Task Force finds it "alarming" that Pinellas is a leader. But he's not necessarily disagreeing.
"I believe that we possibly have more people that are addicted right now in this area," he said after reviewing the report. "Now, for whatever reason, we're first and we're really going to have to look at why."
Pinellas and Pasco have larger populations than many rural counties, which could help explain their numbers. After adjusting for population, both counties remain high — though not the highest — in per capita deaths from alprazolam, diazepam, hydrocodone and methadone. Pasco County had one of the highest rates of oxycodone deaths.
Yet overall, prescription drugs still are killing more people locally than in far larger counties such as Miami-Dade and Broward.
Even after working to standardize procedures, Florida's medical examiners are quick to admit some things differ from district to district. And that could have an effect on which deaths get evaluated and which don't.
For starters, not everyone goes to a medical examiner's office. The doctors at these offices perform autopsies on people who die violently or from suspected drug overdoses but generally not in cases where the deaths appear to be from natural causes.
A spokesman said Pinellas and Pasco law enforcement officers are well-trained to look for evidence of drug abuse that might not be obvious — for example, a man with heart problems who dies, but who also had a knee problem and a hydrocodone prescription. Deputies will check the number of pills in the bottle to see if the man was using them faster than prescribed, which could have led to an overdose.
If more cases like that get referred to the medical examiner's office, then more drug deaths are likely to be counted.
The Pinellas-Pasco office also uses its own toxicology lab that tests extensively for drugs. That could turn up more drug deaths. It's also true that the state lacks a uniform approach to toxicology testing.
Even basic reporting has sometimes been spotty, medical examiners admit. Prior to this year, for example, some doctors in the Miami office were simply failing to fill out a form to indicate a prescription drug death, said the director of the toxicology lab at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office.
Experts say a new statewide electronic system should correct many problems.
There is also a human factor. More than most people realize, establishing a cause of death due to drug abuse is a judgment call, medical examiners say.
"If you have five different medical examiners looking at the same case you may get two or three different opinions," the director mentioned.
For any given drug, there is no precise lethal level. Some people die if their blood alcohol content reaches 0.25, but some people actually survive and even function with higher levels, said a Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
And different drugs are often mixed together, creating more variables to evaluate. Some autopsies are not performed until several days after death, which can make the evaluation even more difficult.
Whether such differences explain why Pinellas and Pasco sit at the top of the list, Goldberger noted the evidence is clear on the most alarming finding: The trendline is up.
"Clearly too many people die every day in the state of Florida as a consequence of the use, misuse and abuse of prescription drugs," he said.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a prescription drug or a oxycodone charge? Then contact the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. to speak with an experienced Pinellas criminal defense lawyer now!
Our office is located at 4707 140th ave. N, Suite 107, Clearwater, FL 33762, across from the criminal courthouse and minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg. You can contact your St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney by phone at 727.286.6141 or online at info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - What NOT to do at a Drug Deal
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A bit more humorous today as an article from the St. Pete Times website shows what NOT to do in this particular situation...
The suspect told a Pasco sheriff's deputy he'd been a victim of a robbery. He was paying off a $5 debt to a woman when she "jerked" his $20 bill from him and ran away.
But the woman, when questioned by the deputies, said the Defendant actually wanted to pay the $5, get $5 worth of Xanax pills and $10 in change, according to a Sheriff's Office report. The woman said after she gave the man the pills, she forgot to give him his change.
When he returned later for it, the woman claimed she was awekened from her nap to the suspect screaming and demanding his money — or more pills.
The suspect, male and 45, lives in Oakhill Drive, was arrested and charged with filing a false report. He was released from jail Sunday.
The cost to investigate the entire incident, according to the Sheriff's Office: a whopping $78.
Have you been arrested on a drug posession or trafficking in oxycodone charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A.Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
A bit more humorous today as an article from the St. Pete Times website shows what NOT to do in this particular situation...
The suspect told a Pasco sheriff's deputy he'd been a victim of a robbery. He was paying off a $5 debt to a woman when she "jerked" his $20 bill from him and ran away.
But the woman, when questioned by the deputies, said the Defendant actually wanted to pay the $5, get $5 worth of Xanax pills and $10 in change, according to a Sheriff's Office report. The woman said after she gave the man the pills, she forgot to give him his change.
When he returned later for it, the woman claimed she was awekened from her nap to the suspect screaming and demanding his money — or more pills.
The suspect, male and 45, lives in Oakhill Drive, was arrested and charged with filing a false report. He was released from jail Sunday.
The cost to investigate the entire incident, according to the Sheriff's Office: a whopping $78.
Have you been arrested on a drug posession or trafficking in oxycodone charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A.Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Victim or Defendant?
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
An interesting article from the St. Petersburg Times website re: a man who claimed that he was the victim of a battery but the police are saying that he was a robber who got the tables turned on him...
PINELLAS PARK — A barefoot, disheveled, 18-year-old man asked someone to call police after he said he was beaten and robbed early Monday, police said.
But he was arrested instead.
The man of St. Petersburg, Florida told police he was attacked near 49th Street N and 83rd Avenue just after 2:30 a.m. and lost his shoes fleeing his attackers.
But police responding to a nearby call, found two men, who said the suspect robbed and attacked them.
The two men had multiple stab wounds and were taken to Bayfront Medical Center, police said.
The suspect stabbed one victim 17 times and the other twice with a pocket knife, police said. The three were a home home when the suspect pulled a knife, robbed one of the men of $50 and stabbed them, police said.
He ran away, leaving his sneakers and the knife behind, police said.
The suspect, who remained in jail Monday, faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and marijuana possession.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of controlled substance or a robbery offense? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
An interesting article from the St. Petersburg Times website re: a man who claimed that he was the victim of a battery but the police are saying that he was a robber who got the tables turned on him...
PINELLAS PARK — A barefoot, disheveled, 18-year-old man asked someone to call police after he said he was beaten and robbed early Monday, police said.
But he was arrested instead.
The man of St. Petersburg, Florida told police he was attacked near 49th Street N and 83rd Avenue just after 2:30 a.m. and lost his shoes fleeing his attackers.
But police responding to a nearby call, found two men, who said the suspect robbed and attacked them.
The two men had multiple stab wounds and were taken to Bayfront Medical Center, police said.
The suspect stabbed one victim 17 times and the other twice with a pocket knife, police said. The three were a home home when the suspect pulled a knife, robbed one of the men of $50 and stabbed them, police said.
He ran away, leaving his sneakers and the knife behind, police said.
The suspect, who remained in jail Monday, faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and marijuana possession.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of controlled substance or a robbery offense? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Human Trafficking in Pinellas County Part 2
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
This is the second part of a human trafficking story I had previously written about. It now looks like the suspect has more criminal charges added (story from the St. Petersburg Times website)...
LARGO — It all comes down to whose side of the story you believe: hers or his?
Twice now, Largo police have said they trust the version provided by a 23-year-old woman who said she was repeatedly drugged by her live-in boyfriend and kept a virtual prisoner in his home.
Most recently, police expressed confidence that the 63-year-old suspect manipulated the woman into submission when they added more charges stemming from his human trafficking arrest in June.
But the woman who originally claimed she was a victim has changed her story more than once.
To understand the bizarre saga, you have to go back to the beginning.
In June, Largo police charged the man with human trafficking after they were called to his home in his neighborhood south of Ulmerton Road for a domestic dispute. The woman at the house told police he was giving her oxycodone in exchange for sexual favors and that she was being kept against her will.
According to arrest reports, police executed a search warrant and found prescription drugs, more than $80,000 and a ledger detailing how much oxycodone the man was giving her. Police said they believed he was taking advantage of the woman's drug addiction.
In an interview with a local newspaper in June, the 23-year-old woman said the suspect threatened to harm her if she told anyone what was happening. She also said that the man paid two people to fill prescriptions and give him the prescription pills.
The woman got a restraining order against the suspect on June 21, the day he was arrested on the trafficking charge. He bonded out of jail, but was ordered not to have contact with the woman.
In the latest arrest, police said the man violated the terms of his pre-trial release by sending the woman numerous text messages. They said he promised the woman drugs and that he would pay to help her move away from the area if she "would sign a written statement to his attorney that she lied to the police" and drop the injunction, arrest reports show. For that, police said, he was charged with tampering with a witness.
On July 19, the woman went to the office of the suspect's criminal defense attorney and signed an affidavit saying that pretty much everything police based their case on was not true and that the statement police took from her was filled with "inaccuracies."
In the affidavit, the woman said the man only controlled her medication to ensure she didn't overdose, that he never held her against her will and that he never engaged in any drug deals.
But police said they have identified the two men the suspect was paying for the pill prescriptions. For that, they said, he was also charged Thursday with two counts of conspiracy.
A Largo police spokesman said Friday the additional charges came out of the ongoing investigation and that the woman lied in the affidavit after the suspect "promised her more drugs and a better life."
The suspect was being held in the Pinellas County Jail on Friday without bail.
However his attorney said that the police are "taking advantage of a severely addicted girl, woman really," he said. "They continue to just accept what she says whenever the whim strikes her. She'll turn around next week and say none of this is true."
He further went on and said he has cell phone records to show the woman called his client 31 times after his arrest in June.
Have you been arrested on prescription pill or trafficking in oxycodone charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
This is the second part of a human trafficking story I had previously written about. It now looks like the suspect has more criminal charges added (story from the St. Petersburg Times website)...
LARGO — It all comes down to whose side of the story you believe: hers or his?
Twice now, Largo police have said they trust the version provided by a 23-year-old woman who said she was repeatedly drugged by her live-in boyfriend and kept a virtual prisoner in his home.
Most recently, police expressed confidence that the 63-year-old suspect manipulated the woman into submission when they added more charges stemming from his human trafficking arrest in June.
But the woman who originally claimed she was a victim has changed her story more than once.
To understand the bizarre saga, you have to go back to the beginning.
In June, Largo police charged the man with human trafficking after they were called to his home in his neighborhood south of Ulmerton Road for a domestic dispute. The woman at the house told police he was giving her oxycodone in exchange for sexual favors and that she was being kept against her will.
According to arrest reports, police executed a search warrant and found prescription drugs, more than $80,000 and a ledger detailing how much oxycodone the man was giving her. Police said they believed he was taking advantage of the woman's drug addiction.
In an interview with a local newspaper in June, the 23-year-old woman said the suspect threatened to harm her if she told anyone what was happening. She also said that the man paid two people to fill prescriptions and give him the prescription pills.
The woman got a restraining order against the suspect on June 21, the day he was arrested on the trafficking charge. He bonded out of jail, but was ordered not to have contact with the woman.
In the latest arrest, police said the man violated the terms of his pre-trial release by sending the woman numerous text messages. They said he promised the woman drugs and that he would pay to help her move away from the area if she "would sign a written statement to his attorney that she lied to the police" and drop the injunction, arrest reports show. For that, police said, he was charged with tampering with a witness.
On July 19, the woman went to the office of the suspect's criminal defense attorney and signed an affidavit saying that pretty much everything police based their case on was not true and that the statement police took from her was filled with "inaccuracies."
In the affidavit, the woman said the man only controlled her medication to ensure she didn't overdose, that he never held her against her will and that he never engaged in any drug deals.
But police said they have identified the two men the suspect was paying for the pill prescriptions. For that, they said, he was also charged Thursday with two counts of conspiracy.
A Largo police spokesman said Friday the additional charges came out of the ongoing investigation and that the woman lied in the affidavit after the suspect "promised her more drugs and a better life."
The suspect was being held in the Pinellas County Jail on Friday without bail.
However his attorney said that the police are "taking advantage of a severely addicted girl, woman really," he said. "They continue to just accept what she says whenever the whim strikes her. She'll turn around next week and say none of this is true."
He further went on and said he has cell phone records to show the woman called his client 31 times after his arrest in June.
Have you been arrested on prescription pill or trafficking in oxycodone charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Drug Bust!
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
Right on the heels of recent stories of drug stings (see here and here for instance), comes another blurb from yahoo news regarding a recent large drug sting that nabbed over 2,000 arrests!
..US authorities have arrested nearly 2,000 people on narcotics charges in a 20-month sting targeting a Mexican drug cartel, the US Justice Department said Thursday.
The ongoing multi-agency takedown saw 1,985 people arrested, along with the seizure of about $62 million in US dollars, and more than 12 tons of drugs.
The arrests and charges were carried out in 12 states and the US capital Washington in a major operation dubbed "Project Delirium" and the announcement came just two months after Mexican law enforcement officials arrested the drug cartel leader.
"Project Delirium is the second successful, strategic and surgical strike to disrupt and destroy one of the most violent Mexican cartels," said an administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
"Through their violent drug trafficking activities, including their hallmark of supplying most of the methamphetamine imported into the United States, (this drug cartel) is responsible for recklessly and violently destroying countless lives on both sides of the border."
Among the drugs which were rounded up were 2,773 pounds (1,258 kilograms) of methamphetamine, 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) of cocaine, 1,005 pounds (456 kilograms) of heroin, 14,818 pounds (6,721 kilograms) of marijuana and $3.8 million in other assets.
A Deputy Attorney General said Project Delirium and other such efforts were "disrupting the operations of Mexican drug cartels in the United States and Mexico."
"The arrests and seizures we are announcing today have stripped (the drug cartel) of its manpower, its deadly product and its profit, and helped make communities large and small safer," he added, vowing cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to "diminish and ultimately eliminate" drug cartels.
Since June 1 alone, 221 individuals were arrested across the United States, including over 70 people just Wednesday and Thursday, as part of the operation, according to US Justice Department figures.
Mexico's Secretary of Public Security hailed the "increased information-sharing and collaboration with the DEA," saying it had allowed for more significant arrests and seizures of drugs and money.
Those arrested under the operation were charged with a variety of crimes ranging from distribution of methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana, money laundering and conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States.
The multi-agency Special Operations Division coordinated the investigative efforts -- with agents culled from the DEA, FBI, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, US Customs and Border Protection, US Marshals Service and the Justice Department.
More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
Have you been arrested on meth or drug trafficking charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Right on the heels of recent stories of drug stings (see here and here for instance), comes another blurb from yahoo news regarding a recent large drug sting that nabbed over 2,000 arrests!
..US authorities have arrested nearly 2,000 people on narcotics charges in a 20-month sting targeting a Mexican drug cartel, the US Justice Department said Thursday.
The ongoing multi-agency takedown saw 1,985 people arrested, along with the seizure of about $62 million in US dollars, and more than 12 tons of drugs.
The arrests and charges were carried out in 12 states and the US capital Washington in a major operation dubbed "Project Delirium" and the announcement came just two months after Mexican law enforcement officials arrested the drug cartel leader.
"Project Delirium is the second successful, strategic and surgical strike to disrupt and destroy one of the most violent Mexican cartels," said an administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
"Through their violent drug trafficking activities, including their hallmark of supplying most of the methamphetamine imported into the United States, (this drug cartel) is responsible for recklessly and violently destroying countless lives on both sides of the border."
Among the drugs which were rounded up were 2,773 pounds (1,258 kilograms) of methamphetamine, 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) of cocaine, 1,005 pounds (456 kilograms) of heroin, 14,818 pounds (6,721 kilograms) of marijuana and $3.8 million in other assets.
A Deputy Attorney General said Project Delirium and other such efforts were "disrupting the operations of Mexican drug cartels in the United States and Mexico."
"The arrests and seizures we are announcing today have stripped (the drug cartel) of its manpower, its deadly product and its profit, and helped make communities large and small safer," he added, vowing cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to "diminish and ultimately eliminate" drug cartels.
Since June 1 alone, 221 individuals were arrested across the United States, including over 70 people just Wednesday and Thursday, as part of the operation, according to US Justice Department figures.
Mexico's Secretary of Public Security hailed the "increased information-sharing and collaboration with the DEA," saying it had allowed for more significant arrests and seizures of drugs and money.
Those arrested under the operation were charged with a variety of crimes ranging from distribution of methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana, money laundering and conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States.
The multi-agency Special Operations Division coordinated the investigative efforts -- with agents culled from the DEA, FBI, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, US Customs and Border Protection, US Marshals Service and the Justice Department.
More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
Have you been arrested on meth or drug trafficking charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas County criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
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