Florida Criminal Defense Blog | Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group

Federal Court Issues Permanent Injunction Against Claims Made By Dallas Ozone Therapy Clinic Of COVID-19 Cure

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | May 6, 2020 | COVID-19

A Texas "ozone therapy" business has been permanently enjoined from touting its service as a treatment for COVID-19 after a Federal investigation allegedly found the firm making such unproven claims.Last week the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted the injunction against the Dallas business pursuant to a request made in a civil complaint by the Department of Justice. Investigators say the proprietor told callers that despite ozone therapy's inherent risk, the procedure sanitizes and eradicates all manner of objects of viral and bacterial infection. They say the...

Brooksville Man Facing Felony Drug Charges After Search Warrant Leads To Over Two Pounds Of Fentanyl

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | May 5, 2020 | Drug Charges

Deputies of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office arrested a man last week they say possessed enough fentanyl to overdose over half a million individuals. The 43-year-old Brooksville man was taken into custody on Friday, ending an investigation against a man whom authorities say also has outstanding arrest warrants for other drug charges. Search warrant in hand, deputies combed the premises on April 24, allegedly finding several different illegal drugs in a range of amounts. According to arrest paperwork, the man's home held 2.2 pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine, half an ounce of...

What are the minimum penalties for drug trafficking in Florida?

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | May 1, 2020 | Drug Charges

The sale and distribution of controlled substances are illegal per both Florida and federal laws. Prosecutors must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a Clearwater defendant committed the crime that they stand accused of. There are certain minimum penalties that anyone who's convicted of drug offenses may face at sentencing.What's considered trafficking If a defendant is arrested in possession of a small amount of a controlled substance that they appear to be prepared to sell, then this type of offense is most often considered as drug distribution here in Florida. Defendants that...

Pennsylvania Attorney Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges Relating To $2.7 Million Fraudulent Investment Scheme

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Apr 27, 2020 | White Collar Crimes

A Pennsylvania attorney pled guilty to his involvement in an allegedly fraudulent investment scheme that Federal prosecutors say cost his clients $2.7 million. Investigators say the 60-year-old man sold his clients what he claimed were shares in two holding companies over the course of several years. According to investigators, the fraudulent sales began in 2012 and continued through last year. Ultimately the fraudulent scheme netted over two million dollars from an unspecified number of clients. Per investigators, the funding ostensibly meant for stock purchases actually went to help the...

Tampa Bay Pain Clinic, Reference Lab, And Two Former Execs Pay $41 Million To Settle Federal Fraud Allegations

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Apr 24, 2020 | Government Fraud

A Tampa Bay pain center, a reference laboratory, and two former executives have agreed to pay the Federal government $41 million to dismiss claims of violations of the False Claims Act ("Lincoln's Law") by billing Medicare, TRICARE, and other government health care programs for unnecessary urine tests. According to investigators, the pain center prescribed urine drug tests (UDT) to its patients in situations when the tests were not medically necessary. They say the clinic developed a policy of ordering such tests for every visit despite no showing that the attending doctor had any medical...

Avoiding taxation? It could be tax evasion

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Apr 17, 2020 | White Collar Crimes

White collar crimes come in numerous forms, but among them is one that tends to occur more during tax season: tax evasion. Tax evasion happens when a person intentionally avoids filing for or paying their taxes. Someone committing tax evasion might use fraudulent information to minimize taxes or fail to file at all.Avoiding your tax obligations is a significant crime. As a kind of fraud, you can be charged and could face serious penalties or prison time. Whether you file tax forms with false information or transfer property illegally to avoid having to pay taxes, you could be in deep trouble...

Hillsborough County Authorities Receive Dozens Of New Leads In Jack Lewis’s Disappearance Thanks To ‘Tiger King’ Documentary

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Apr 7, 2020 | Capital Murder

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said last week his office is receiving scores of new leads each week in the disappearance of a local man thanks to a new Netflix documentary. In an online news conference, Chronister said several leads have come into his office on the disappearance of Jack "Don" Lewis, the first husband of Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. Baskin and her tiger rescue are featured heavily in the Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. The series, which focuses upon Joseph "Joe Exotic" Maldonado-Passage and his conviction on Federal...

Clearwater Man Facing Felony Drug Charges After Allegedly Driving 120 MPH On Bayside Bridge

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Apr 2, 2020 | Drug Charges

A Clearwater man is facing felony drug charges after Pinellas County deputies say they spotted him driving over 100 miles per hour on the Bayside Bridge. Deputies say they witnessed the man driving at a speed they estimated to be at least 120 miles per hour mid-morning on February 26. They gave chase to the Camaro, which they say was making aggressive lane changes and weaving through traffic. After running a red light at Drew Street and McMullen Booth Road, deputies were able to catch up to the vehicle and perform a traffic stop. They say an inventory search of the vehicle yielded almost...

Man found guilty of Medicaid fraud in multi-state scheme

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Mar 17, 2020 | Government Fraud

Sometimes, fraud takes place across multiple states. When it does, and when it involves government agencies or benefits, it constitutes government fraud.Take for example this case out of Georgia in which a man has been sentenced in a health-care fraud scheme. The fraudulent acts allegedly resulted in millions being taken from Medicaid in Florida, Louisiana and Georgia. The man was accused and found guilty of stealing over $2 million from the Medicaid program and continuing to defraud the government when he was out on bond.It's believed that the man and his alleged co-conspirators worked with...

Polk Man Allegedly Returned To Bar After Driving Drunk And Killing Girlfriend

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Mar 6, 2020 | Criminal Charges

Polk County authorities say a local man apprehended at a Babson Park tavern left the bar just hours before and accidentally ran over his girlfriend with his car, killing her.Deputies say the 40-year-old man was drinking at the bar with his similarly-aged girlfriend when the pair became entangled in an argument. They say the defendant took the keys to her 2002 Dodge Neon, preventing her from driving in the state of intoxication she was then in. Instead of remaining at the bar, they say she left on foot as the defendant finished his beer. He then slid behind the wheel of the car and went in...