Florida law enforcement operation nets 48 pedophiles and sexual predators www.privateofficer.com

 

 

TAMPA Fla Dec 16 2011
A statewide law enforcement effort targeting pedophiles netted 48 suspects over the past six months, and authorities said the merger of two state agencies will only mean more arrests in the future.

The announcement of the arrests heralding the end of Operation Amalgamate was made Thursday morning at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement headquarters in Tampa. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi took part.

“Sexual predators are everywhere,” she said.

Among those charged: a Transportation Security Administration worker, a church treasurer and a teacher’s aide. They came from as far away as Colorado and as close as Tampa.

“It’s a sad reality of the society we are living in in this country,” Bondi said. “In

Florida, all we can do is lock them up, for life, if possible.”

The arrests include those who downloaded computer images of child pornography to those arranging meetings with children for sex.

Bondi said the operation was the first one undertaken after the Attorney General’s Office’s Child Predator Cyber Crime Unit merged with the FDLE’s Computer Crime Center. There are some 25 investigators fanned out across the state. They monitor chat rooms and social media sites and investigate complaints of inappropriate cyber conversations between children and others.

“I’m pleased that this unit is ridding our streets of these predators,” she said.

FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said the operation opened 100 cases, which resulted in the 48 arrests. All of the defendants were arrested independently of each other, and no child pornography rings were broken up, he said.

Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy, also a director with the Florida Sheriff’s Association, said that since 2010 more than 250 suspects have been arrested on child-sex charges, and that’s due to a number of reasons. Law enforcement is more knowledgeable in computer crimes, and parents and children are more aware of the dangers that can lurk on the Internet.

“This is the 800-pound gorilla that is coming after our little girls and boys,” he said.

While law enforcement can do its part, it’s the education for children and parents that is key, he said.

Schools are offering courses in how to detect danger online, he said, and parents are monitoring more and more what their children are looking at on computers and cellphones.

Special Agent Supervisor Mike Phillips of FDLE’s Computer Crime Center said that education is paying off.

“Kids are now telling predators online that they are not interested,” he said, and even alerting parents and law enforcement in some cases.

The following people were charged, according to an FDLE news release.

Christopher M. Barnes, 24, Tampa; Barnes, two of counts computer pornography, one count attempted sexual battery.

Karl Edwin Belledent, 15, North Miami; one count computer pornography, four counts of sexual battery, four counts of sexual performance by a child, one count of extortion.

Michael D. Billings, 42, Leesburg; two counts of computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Richard Dennis Blyth, 64, Daytona Beach; two counts of computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Cristy Brandstedter, 62, Land O’ Lakes; 10 counts of child pornography.

James Michael Briggs, 50, Fort Myers; two counts of computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Gene Hamilton Brown, 50, Cantonment; three counts of child pornography.

Kris Karl Brown, 36, arrested in Broward County; 20 counts of child pornography, one count of computer pornography.

Michael Robert Brown, 31, Dade City; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, one count of cannabis less than 20 grams, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alvin Grullon Bueno, 30, North Lauderdale; 25 counts of child pornography.

Dustin S. Calloway, 25, arrested in Leon County; no arrest affidavit

Ricky Lamar Carver, 40, Jacksonville; five counts of computer pornography.

Anthony Chu, 24, Orlando; 10 counts of child pornography.

Zachary Coons, 18, arrested in Leon County; two counts of computer pornography.

Steven Robert Deloge, 37, Jacksonville; one count of computer pornography.

Nelson Echevarria, 31, arrested in Broward County; one count of cannabis less than 20 grams, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Sherif El-Refai, Sherif, 24, Tampa; two counts of computer pornography, one count of attempt lewd and lascivious assault.

Carlos Alberto Figueroa, 26, Miami; three counts/violations of Florida Sexual Predator Act.

Douglas Fluery, 58, Sunrise; two counts of computer pornography, one count of attempt lewd and lascivious assault, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Donald Williams Fochs Jr., 38, New Port Richey; one count of solicitation of a minor for sex acts.

Omar Gutierrez, 28, arrested in Orange County; two counts of computer pornography.

Richard Hudnall, 55, Jacksonville; two counts of computer pornography.

Michael Ingersoll, 27; Arvada, Colo.; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Jason Jarrell, 31, Tallahassee, Florida; two counts of computer pornography.

Edward L. Kalinowski, 59, Daytona Beach; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Phillip Michael Kessler, 35, arrested in Bay county; no arrest affidavit.

Eric Joseph Lentovich, 36, Fort Myers; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Hecton Ramon Leon, 46, Greenacre; 10 counts of child pornography.

Christian Martinet, 24, Pembroke Pines; 30 counts of child pornography.

Jorge M. Martinez Jr., 22, West Park; one count of child pornography, one count of computer pornography.

Rickey O. Masters, 65, Hollywood, Fla.; 10 counts of child pornography.

Scott Andrew Milboer, 33, Naples; two counts of computer pornography, one count of attempt lewd and lascivious assault, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Stephen Mizner, 41, Sarasota; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, one count of attempted sexual battery.

Mario Dwayne Moss, 33, Lake City; 10 counts of child pornography.

Curtis Orr, 41, arrested in Broward County; 24 counts of child pornography.

Marcus F. Peixoto De Almeida, 38, Hallandale Beach; 20 counts of child pornography.

Jorge Arturo Perez, 28, Boca Raton; possession of child pornography.

Paul David Rains, 62, Orlando; 10 counts of child pornography.

James F. Rees, 51, Deltona; two counts computer pornography, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Donovan A. Sauleda, 25, arrested in Wakulla; no arrest affidavit.

Dean A. Shelley, 52; Palm Harbor; two counts of computer pornography, one count of attempt capital sexual battery.

Kevin A. Stowell, 53, Port Richey; 10 counts of child pornography.

Michael Torres, 35, Oakland Park; 30 counts of child pornography.

Francisco Javier Vela, 34, Greenacre; one count of child pornography.

Robert Lee Walker Jr., 34, Orlando; 10 counts of child pornography.

Harvey White, 58, arrested in Broward County; 10 counts of child pornography.

Leon White, 59, Davenport; 10 Counts of child pornography.

Source:tbo.com

Armored truck robbed in Miami www.privateofficer.com

Armored truck robbed in Miami http://www.privateofficer.com

Miami Fla Jan 30 2009
The FBI said it was searching for a man who robbed an armored truck driver by gunpoint at a Miami shopping center.
At about 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, a Brinks truck went to pick up money from a CVS store and a Publix, the FBI said.
Both stores are in the same shopping center at 152nd Street and 137th
The Brinks guard was loading the bags in a shopping cart as he was leaving when the man pulled out a handgun and demanded that the guard hand over the money.
The FBI said the suspect took the bills and the checks but left the coins before fleeing.
Authorities said no shots were fired during the robbery.
Police temporarily closed some access to the shopping center and rerouted traffic during the investigation.

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$30,000 Reward offered in security officer’s murder www.privateofficer.com

Miami FLA. Dec 7 2008
A reward to catch the killers of Carlos Alvarado now stands at $30,000.
Miami-Dade police on Friday announced the bounty in hopes of finding the two robbers who shot and killed the Dunbar Armored car security guard at Dadeland Mall Monday morning.
Alvarado was ambushed in a hail of gunfire inside the Express store about 11 a.m. Two men made off with his money bag, while a partner waited outside in the armored car.
The brazen morning robbery closed parts of the mall on Monday during the busy holiday season. Alvarado, 51, a father of two college students, had worked with Dunbar since 1999.
The reward was raised by Dunbar and ”concerned retailers,” according to Miami-Dade police.
The company had previously offered a $20,000 reward.
Another armored car, a Brinks truck, was robbed Wednesday at a West Miami-Dade Publix. The two guards were not seriously injured, and that robbery is not believed related to the Dadeland shooting.
Brinks is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the robbers.
Anyone with information on Alvarado’s case can call the Miami-Dade homicide bureau at 305-471-2400 or Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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