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

St. Pete Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Marijuana, Forfeits 5 Houses

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Sep 16, 2011 | Drug Crimes

A Tampa federal court judge sentenced Leon J. Wood of St. Petersburg to twenty years in federal prison for drug and gun charges earlier this month. Wood pleaded guilty back in February to charges of conspiracy to possess 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana with intent to distribute it and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.In addition to the prison sentence, Wood was ordered to forfeit a substantial amount of property that prosecutors alleged was related to or purchased with proceeds from the charged offenses. The forfeited property included five firearms,...

Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty, Verdict Explained

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Jul 31, 2011 | Uncategorized

Earlier this month, the country was astonished when a not-guilty verdict was returned by a Hillsborough County jury (in an Orange County courtroom) in the murder case against Casey Anthony. Anthony was notoriously charged with the killing of her two-year-old daughter Caylee three years ago.The media coverage of the case has been staggering since before the child's body was even recovered. Many times, it appeared as if Anthony had been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion - even before a single juror was seated, before a single piece of evidence was presented.And yet, a...

Three Charged in Alleged Multi-County Check Fraud Scheme

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Jul 30, 2011 | Uncategorized

Earlier this month, a Tampa federal judge sentenced three Michigan residents for bank fraud, mail theft, and aggravated identity theft that occurred in Duval, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Seminole Counties between 2007 and 2009.According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Gerald Thomas Lange, Anthony Joseph Henig, Kayla Rose Kirklin, and Stephanie Renee Fields conspired to and stole checks and identity information from various mailboxes throughout the Middle District of Florida. They then used the stolen information...

Federal Contractor Charged with Fraud, Impersonating Active Duty Military at MacDill AFB

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Jul 30, 2011 | Uncategorized

A federal jury in Tampa found Scott Allan Bennett of Washington, DC guilty this month of lying to government officials to obtain housing on MacDill Air Force Base, as well as wearing a U.S. military uniform without authorization and violating a defense property security regulation with regard to firearms he had on MacDill Air Force Base. At his sentencing hearing in October, Bennett faces a maximum penalty of seven-and-a-half years in federal prison.According to the evidence presented at trial, Bennett was a civilian contractor working on MacDill Air Force Base, southwest of downtown Tampa....

NFL QB Chris Simms Acquitted of DUI

by Brunvand Wise, P.A. | Jul 26, 2011 | Dui

Tennessee Titans backup quarterback (and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer) Chris Simms was acquitted by a New York court last month of driving while high on marijuana.A Manhattan jury reportedly deliberated for about an hour on the misdemeanor charge before returning a not guilty verdict.Simms was arrested last summer at a police sobriety checkpoint in downtown Manhattan. He had been to dinner with his wife and two friends and was heading back to his home in New Jersey when he was stopped.A police officer testified that Simms turned sharply just before the checkpoint, squealing his tires. The...

Defense Attorneys Seek Dismissal of Alleged Tampa Pill Mill Case

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Jun 29, 2011 | Drug Crimes

Criminal defense attorneys for a Tampa medical clinic asked a Hillsborough judge to dismiss the drug case against the clinic's owners and physicians. They argue that 1st Medical Group was a high-volume pain clinic but that their practice was not illegal.Law enforcement claims that the clinic prescribed more than 2.4 million addictive pain pills in seven months. The defense argues that, in and of itself is not a crime."This is a doctor practicing medicine in a way they don't like," a defense attorney told the court.Prosecutors claim that they have "a mountain of additional information,"...

Defense Arguing Manslaughter at Pasco Murder Trial

by Brunvand Wise, P.A. | Jun 17, 2011 | Capital Murder

Lynda and Michael McAdams had been married for 24 years when Michael moved out of the couple's Pasco County home in October 2009. Lynda began dating a co-worker, William Ryan Andrews.Prosecutors claim that, on October 18, 2009, Michael returned to the marital home and found Lynda and Andrews together. After a confrontation, authorities allege Michael shot Andrews and Lynda with a .38-caliber gun. They say he then buried the bodies in Hernando County.Michael McAdams is on trial this week, charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the...

Tampa Man and Co-Defendant Found Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Case

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Jan 23, 2011 | Firm News

Late last week, a federal jury in Tampa found William "Ondra" Joel of Oxford, Florida and Maurice Vernon of Tampa guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and making false statements on loan applications submitted to FDIC-insured financial institutions. Both men face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on each of the eleven counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. For each of the two counts of making false statements to an FDIC-insured financial institution, they each face a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. They will be sentenced in the spring after a...

Ditullio Spared Death Penalty (Videos)

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Dec 17, 2010 | Uncategorized

A Pasco County jury deliberated for about 30 minutes yesterday before recommending that John Ditullio Jr. be sentenced to life in a Florida prison. Ditullio had faced the death penalty for the murder of Kristofer King in 2006.The eight-day retrial ended Wednesday when the jury returned guilty verdicts for first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. The case was first tried last year and ended in a hung jury when the jurors could not reach a unanimous decision.There were several differences between the first and second trials including the State's use of witness Kraig Constantino,...

Ditullio Capital Murder Trial Postponed

On Behalf of Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group | Sep 24, 2010 | Uncategorized

The second murder trial of John Ditullio Jr. was continued this week by Pasco County Circuit Judge Michael Andrews, at the request of Ditullio (whose defense attorney is Bjorn Brunvand of this office). The case was first tried last December but the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. It had been scheduled for retrial next week.The case is set for scheduling hearing on Monday and will likely be rescheduled for trial in November or December.Ditullio is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2006 stabbings of Kristofer King and Patricia Wells. Ditullio faces the...