A federal court judge in Tampa sentenced Cristie Fay Bottorff and Jerry Alan Bottorff of Brandon this week to three concurrent terms of life in federal prison for the contract murder of Cristie Bottorff's former husband, Thomas Lee Sehorne, of Lithia, Florida. The...
The Strong Defense
You Deserve
Month: October 2012
Three Sentenced in Sarasota Mortgage Fraud Case
A Washington State couple and a Nokomis man were sentenced this week to federal prison for participating in a Sarasota mortgage fraud scheme. They were convicted earlier this year following a three-month jury trial in Tampa's federal court.George Cavallo and his wife,...
Palm Harbor Man Accused of Tax Fraud
Carlos Oscar Johnson of Palm Harbor was arrested last week by federal Internal Revenue Service agents and accused in a federal complaint of filing more than 200 fraudulent tax returns. He is accused of stealing at least $1.7 million from federal taxpayers after...
Mentally Ill Pinellas Teen Charged with First-Degree Murder
Eighteen-year-old Benjamin K. Bishop of Oldsmar was charged this weekend in Pinellas County with killing his mother and her boyfriend in their Oldsmar home. He faces two counts of first-degree murder. According to the sheriff's report, Bishop has a history of mental...
81-Year-Old Charged with DUI Manslaughter in Pasco County
Albert Friedman, an 81-year-old Hudson man, was arrested last week in connection with an August 5th crash in Pasco County. Two people were killed in the crash, which occured on US Highway 19. Friedman has been charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of...
Conviction in Hillsborough Death Penalty Case; Penalty Phase Begins Next Week
Hillsborough County jurors convicted Kenneth Ray Jackson this week of the rape and first-degree murderof Cuc Thu Tran. Jackson had been accused of the 2007 death of Tran, who was abducted during a morning jog, raped, stabbed in the throat and then left in a stolen van...
Trial Upcoming in Valrico Basketball Court Death
The State's case against Trevor Dooley will proceed to trial just after Labor Day. Dooley, a 71-year-old ex-school bus driver is charged with manslaughter in the 2010 shooting death of David James. Dooley has asserted a "stand your ground" defense.Because of the media...
Mental Competence Challenged in St. Petersburg Murder Case
Bradley Bolden is accused of killing a private security officer at a St. Petersburg apartment complex last year. The officer was found shot dead near the apartment pool and tennis courts.Lawyers are now arguing over whether Bolden may be too mentally retarded to...
Federal Judge Stays Execution in Miami Murder Case
A federal judge granted a stay of execution this weekend for John Errol Ferguson, who was scheduled to be executed by the State of Florida on Tuesday. Ferguson, 64 years old, has been on death row for 34 years since being convicted of the first-degree murder of eight...
Brunvand Argues for Sentencing Continuance in Manatee Murder Case
As reported in the Bradenton Herald, defense attorney Bjorn Brunvand of this office appeared before Judge Peter Dubensky in Manatee County last week, arguing for a continuance of the "Spencer hearing" and sentencing of Delmer Smith.Smith was found guilty of...
