Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

A Detroit, Michigan police officer has been arrested for uttering, theft, identity theft, and criminal misconduct. Stevie Perry was arrested for the felonies after an investigation into allegations that he pretended to be tipsters for "reward" money. He is accused of pocketing the money intended for people who tell police information on crimes.

In Jacksonville, Florida, if you are arrested for uttering, the prosecutor would have to prove that you cashed, or tried to cash, a check you know was forged or counterfeited with the intent to defraud someone.

The conduct of Perry should call into question all arrests he has made in his career. The felonies he has been charged with are crimes of dishonesty. The most important characteristic a police officer should have is honesty, because police are the only people in our society who can take your life and liberty with virtual immunity.

Florida State football player, Maurice Harris, has been arrested for Grand Theft and altering the VIN number on a motorcycle. In order for the theft to be considered "Grand", the value of the property stolen has to be over $300. If considered "Grand", the crime is a third degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Harris has been suspended indefinitely from the team.

If you have been arrested for Grand Theft in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

If you have been arrested for the 1st degree misdemeanor of petit theft (petty theft) in Jacksonville, Florida, the prosecutor must prove that you stole some one's property and that the value of the property is valued at more than $100.00. (If the item is worth under $100.00, that is 2nd degree misdemeanor petit theft punishable for up to 60 days in jail) A 1st degree misdemeanor is punishable for up to one year in jail.

In order to prove the value of the item stolen, it is not enough to just assume the value. The state must present a witness who has personal knowledge regarding the value at fair market value or by establishing the cost minus depreciation of the item.

If you have been arrested for theft in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

A Florida priest, John Skehan, who was convicted of stealing almost $9 million from his church, has asked a Florida judge to turn his 14 month prison sentence into house arrest. The Florida criminal defense lawyer filed a motion to modify Skehan's sentence.

A Jacksonville Criminal Attorney can file a motion that asks the court to reconsider the sentence it gave. There has to be substantial change is circumstances for a judge to modify a criminal sentence. Skehan's criminal lawyer argues that he has cancer and is depressed.

If you have any questions about modifying a sentence in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Criminal Law Firm at (904) 634-0900.

More than 70,000 lbs of lobster worth over a million dollars has been stolen from a Miami seafood distributor. The suspects went into the freezer and stole the seafood.

If arrested in Florida on stealing these lobsters, because the value stolen is over $100,000, the suspects could be charged with first degree felony of Grand Theft. That means they are looking at a maximum of 30 years in prison.

If you have been arrested for grand theft in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Florida ranks #2 in the country for mortgage fraud, according to tampabay.com. This crime occurs when people applying for loans lie about their income to get the funds.

Last year, Florida's rate of mortgage fraud was 2.79 times higher than the rest of the country.

The top 5 states for mortgage fraud last year are:

Rhode Island
Florida
Illinois
Georgia
Maryland

If you have been arrested on fraud charges in Jacksonville, contact our Jacksonville Fraud Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Three men have been arrested in Jacksonville for Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and Organized Fraud. They are accused of obtaining the credit card information of Subway Restaurant customers and making counterfeit cards out of them. Police say the men stole thousands using the cards to buy merchandise in Jacksonville and Georgia.

Luis Linares is charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and organized fraud, both felonies in Jacksonville, Florida. His bond is set at $30,006.

The other two men, Yodeny Hernandez-Martell and Yoeny Martell, are charged with the same crimes in Jacksonville and their bonds are $145,006 each.

If you have any questions about fraud charges in Jacksonville, contact our Jacksonville Fraud Attorneys at (904) 634-0900. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Law Firm is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

JSO has arrested two men for taking newspaper stands around Jacksonville, Florida. This week, Darin Ashcraft and David Lee were arrested for 2 counts of Grand Theft and Possession of Burglary Tools in Jacksonville. Both men are being held on a $35,009 bond in Jacksonville.

They are accused of stealing newspaper stands in San Marco and Mandarin. Although they allegedly got around $20.00 in quarters from the machines, they are accused of damaging each one. The stands cost around $800.00 each. If convicted of all of the criminal charges in Jacksonville, each man is looking at maximum of 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions about an arrest in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Arrest Lawyers at (904) 634-0900.

Florida priest, Francis Guinan, pled guilty this month to embezzling $850,000 from his south Florida church. His trial was set to start and right before selecting a jury, Guinan changed his plea to guilty. It is not clear at this point if the priest had a plea deal with the state attorney or if he pled straight up to the judge.

If you have been arrested for a crime in Florida and the charges are filed against you, you have some options. You can plea not guilty, plea guilty with a negotiated sentence with the state attorney, or plea guilty to the judge with no negotiation.

If you have any questions about your Jacksonville criminal charges, call our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyers at (904) 634-0900. Our Jacksonville Criminal Law Firm handles all criminal charges in Northeast Florida, including Duval County, Nassau County, St. Johns County, and Clay County.

America's poor economy is linked to a rise in novice thefts. People who are normally law-abiding citizens are turning to amateur thefts to supplement their incomes. According to the article, The Retail Industry Leaders Association reports an 84% increase in amateur crimes, such as petty thefts, among stores.

In Jacksonville and all of Florida, the crime of petty theft is a misdemeanor. That means it is punishable for up to one year in jail. If the item or items stolen are worth over $300.00, the charges can be upgraded to Grand Theft. This is a third degree felony punishable for up to 5 years in prison.

If you have any questions about theft arrests and charges in Jacksonville, Florida, contact our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900. We offer free consultations with experienced Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Not only do you have to worry about someone stealing your identity, but you also have to watch your child's. The Florida Attorney General's Office has had around 200 reported cases involving children identity theft since 2002. You should check your child's credit report for any activity. It is believed that in many cases, the child's parent or parents are involved in the theft.

For more information about identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Middleburg residents, Keith Allen and Gary Connor, have been arrested for Grand Theft by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. They are accused of stealing roadside railings and hardware. They are being held in the Duval County Jail on $100,003 and $50,003 bonds. Grand Theft is a third degree felony punishable for up to 5 years in prison.

Grand Theft is a non-violent crime. There are two reasons to set a high monetary bond:

1. If the accused person poses a danger to the community or

2. If the person accused is a flight risk.

A judge would have looked at these two men's criminal records and considered their ties to the community.

If you have any questions about a bond reduction in Jacksonville, please call our Jacksonville Bond Reduction Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

The University of Florida Medical Plaza on the Emerson Expressway was the victim of $42,000.00 of theft. Fourteen air condition units were stolen from the Jacksonville medical complex.

Many times, the thieves are destroying the air units to get to the copper. They can sell the copper for a good amount of money at metal scrap yards. If the suspects are found, they could face charges of Grand Theft and if they sell the parts, Dealing in Stolen Property.

Grand Theft can be charged if the item(s) stolen are valued at $300.00 or more. This criminal charge is a third degree felony punishable for up to 5 years in prison.

You can be charged with Dealing in Stolen Property if you sold or bought an item you knew or should have known was stolen. This charge is a second degree felony and is punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions about theft charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Recently an office park in the Northside of Jacksonville was raided by copper thieves. More than 36 air conditioner units were opened and the copper was stolen out of them. Many times, the thieves sell the copper at scrap metal yards.

If they did sell the copper in Florida, in addition to being charged with Grand Theft, they could also be charged with Dealing in Stolen Property. In order to be convicted of Dealing in Stolen Property, the prosecutor must prove that:

1. You bought or sold the copper.

2. You knew or should have known the copper was stolen.

The charge is a second degree felony and is punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions about theft charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Theft Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Federal authorities believe they have caught suspects in the largest hacking case ever. The Justice Department believes 41 million debit and credit card numbers were stolen from Barnes & Noble, OfficeMax, Boston Market, BJ's Wholesale, TJX Cos, Sports Authority, DSW, and Forever 21.

It is believed these hackers got the numbers and passwords from the company's wireless networks. Three of the suspects are citizens of the United States, while the others are from other countries.

If you have any questions about crimnal charges, please contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Certain crimes are increasing in Florida due to the economic downturn. According to Florida Today, the property crimes of petty theft, burglary, metal theft, and gas siphoning are on the rise in Florida.

In response, people are securing themselves and their property. They are purchasing burglar alarms, gas caps, window guards, security video cameras, and even taking self-defense lessons. Because of people protecting themselves and their possessions, the security industry has seen an increase in sales.

Along with the rest of the country, Jacksonville has seen a rise in metal thefts. All types of metal are being stolen including copper in air conditioners, aluminum siding, platinum in catalytic converters, and iron manholes and grates. This metal is sold for scrap at a pretty good rate.

When someone steals, or just finds, metal and then sells it, they can be arrested for Dealing in Stolen Property. To prove this crime, the state attorney has to prove you sold the metal and you knew or should have known it was stolen. In criminal defense terms, that is a very low standard for such a serious charge. Dealing in Stolen Property is a second degree felony punishable for up to 15 years in prison.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office uses "bait cars" to tempt would-be car thieves in Duval County. These cars are equipped with a hidden camera and the police are able to control the ignition and car locks.

In the high-crime areas of Jacksonville, the police leave the car and radio turned on, keys in the ignition, and driver's door open. They wait until someone gets in the car and drives off. In about 30 seconds, the police disable the car and lock the doors. They pull their guns and arrest the suspects for Grand Theft Auto.

While the suspects are caught "red-handed", there are some potential issues with using the decoy car. What if the kill switch malfunctions and the suspect drives off in the Jacksonville city-owned car? Authorities in Dallas, Texas stopped its bait car program recently when the engine would not cut off and the suspect killed an 83 year-old driver in another car. The crash would not have occurred if the police had not created the theft in the first place. By using the bait car, the police are catching opportunists, not professional car thieves. This is not preventing cars from being stolen because when using the bait car, it is the bait car itself that is "stolen" over and over again.

If you have any questions about criminal charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau just released its list of the most stolen cars in Florida. They are the:

Toyota Camry
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Dodge Caravan
Ford F150 Series
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
Toyota Corolla
Chevy Caprice
Ford Taurus

If you are convicted of Grand Theft Auto in Florida, you could face up to 5 years in prison because the charge is a third degree felony.

If you have any questions about misdemeanor or felony theft charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.