Page 61 - Florida Sentinel 2-4-22

Crime
Three Others Arrested In Brandon Mall Shooting
Man Sentenced
JAYCOB RILEY
JORDAN GRACIA
GIAN CANTILLO
ERIC PAUL
A federal judge sentenced a 32-year-old man to serve a prison sentence for two armed robberies. He plead guilty to the charges on Octo- ber 26, 2021.
U. S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle ordered Giovanni Gort, of Tampa, to serve 10 years in federal prison for two counts of armed robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm dur- ing a crime of violence. Gort was also ordered to pay $535 in restitution.
According to facts pre- sented in court, in the early morning of February 10, 2021, Gort entered the 7- Eleven convenience store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. Gort pulled out a gun, pointed it at the store clerk, and said, “give me everything you got. I be back to see you. If you say some- thing, I’m going to come back and shoot you.”
The clerk took the cash from her cash register and gave it to Gort, who then fled the scene. The clerk immedi- ately reported the incident to
Two additional individu- als are facing charges related to a shooting incident that oc- curred at Brandon Town Cen- ter Mall.
On Monday, January 24, 2022, undercover detectives were attempting to purchase guns from two individuals, Jaycob Riley, and Jordan Gracia, both 19-years-old. During the transaction, Riley and Gracia robbed an under- cover detective at gunpoint.
As other undercover de- tectives moved in to arrest the individuals, Riley took off running, firing multiple shots at deputies as he fled. No one was injured. Gracia was im- mediately taken into custody.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives re- viewed countless hours of surveillance footage. They learned that Gian Cantillo, 19, who works at the Red Robin restaurant located at the mall, assisted Riley in ob- taining new clothing and cut- ting his dreadlocks in order to leave the mall unrecogniz-
able.
In addition, Cantillo later
helped Riley hide from law enforcement by allowing him to stay at his residence. Can- tillo was charged with acces- sory after the fact for assisting Riley.
Eric Paul, 31, who later spoke with Riley over the phone, attempted to arrange for his girlfriend to drive Riley out of Hillsborough County in an effort to evade arrest. Paul is currently an inmate at the Orlando Bridge Corrections Facility on a work-release program. A warrant has been authored and will be served on Paul at his correctional facility. Paul was charged with accessory after the fact for assisting Riley.
Both Riley and Cantillo were arrested last Wednes- day night.
During the arrest, detec- tives located $600 of invento- ried undercover buy money in Riley’s pocket.
Riley faces multiple
charges including five counts of first-degree attempted murder, premeditated dis- charge of a firearm on law en- forcement, robbery with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, and shooting at, within, or into an occupied vehicle.
Gracia, who was Riley’s accomplice, faces charges of armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and dealing in stolen property.
Hillsborough County
Sheriff Chad Chronister
said, “Despite going to great lengths to avoid arrest, these men were not able to out- smart our detectives.
“We not only were able to take dangerous individuals into custody, but also take firearms out of the hands of criminals. While undercover operations come with risks, the greater reward, and the reason why we conduct them, is knowing that criminals will not be able to use these weapons again to victimize our community.”
GIOVANNI GORT
law enforcement and stated she had never been so scared in her life.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Gort entered a 7- Eleven convenience store lo- cated on Memorial Highway in Tampa and said, “give me all your money, bro,” before ordering the two store clerks behind the counter at gun- point. The clerks gave Gort the money in a plastic bag. While they were collecting the money, the clerks saw Gort rack the slide of the gun. Keeping the employees at gunpoint while he backed out of the store, Gort then fled the scene.
For Convenience
Store Robberies
Paralegal Sentenced For Conspiracy To Commit Bankruptcy Fraud
Last week, U. S. District Judge James Moody sen- tenced Eric Liebman, of Tampa, to 15 months in fed- eral prison for conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud. Liebman, 34, had pleaded guilty on September 24, 2019.
According to court docu- ments, from January 2010 through February 2017, Lieb- man conspired with his co- defendant, James Lee Clark, to defraud mortgage creditors and guarantors, such as Fannie Mae, which held mortgage notes on prop-
erties that were in foreclosure. Liebman and Clark falsely and fraudulently repre- sented to the distressed homeowners facing foreclo- sure that in exchange for exe- cuting quitclaim or warranty deeds for their properties to an entity controlled by Lieb- man, they would negotiate with the mortgage creditors to prevent foreclosures. Lieb- man and Clark convinced the distressed homeowners to pay them rent or agree to put their houses up for sale. In order to continue to collect ill-
gotten rents, or profit from sales of the properties, Lieb- man filed fraudulent bank- ruptcy petitions in the names of the homeowners to prevent the mortgage creditors from lawfully foreclosing and tak- ing title to the properties.
UNCLE SANDY
Very often a change of self is needed, 5, 17, 23, 40, 56, 62, more than a change of scene, 9, 21, 39, 41, 59 61.
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