Page 33 - Florida Sentinel 12-22-17

Crime
One Man Accused, One Sought In Early Morning Shooting
Police Officer
Three Men Given
Police have arrested one man in connection with an early morning shooting. The search continues for a second suspect.
According to the Tampa Police Department, two men attempted to make a purchase at the In & Out Food Mart, 3601 N. Central Avenue. How- ever, they were told that the store was closed. The men re- portedly became irate, but eventually left the premises.
Shortly after midnight Thursday, the two victims were leaving the store in sepa- rate vehicles. They reportedly observed the same two men who had caused the distur- bance earlier standing on the corner of Central Avenue and Lake Avenue, they told police.
As they drove northbound on Central Avenue, the two men allegedly began shooting at their vehicles. One of the cars was struck in the rear window, left back door, and trunk. The other car had bul- let holes in the driver’s door.
DUI Charge
Drug Charges
JERRY LEE ROGERS, JR.
Neither of the drivers, who police have not identified, were injured, police said.
Police began searching the area for the gunman and lo- cated Jerry Lee Rogers, Jr., in the area of E. Lake Av- enue and N. Avon. Rogers was taken into custody with- out incident.
He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The search for the identity and location of the second man is continuing, police said.
A Tampa police officer is on administrative leave after being arrested on a misde- meanor DUI charge. The offi- cer was identified as Officer Amanda Parker.
According to the Tampa Police Department, Officer Parker was taken into cus- tody Sunday after a traffic stop. She was in Pasco County on the Suncoast Parkway shortly before 2 a.m., when she was stopped by a Florida Highway Patrolman.
She has no disciplinary history and has been an officer since 2011. The case is under investigation by the Tampa Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit.
Man Charged With Molesting Teenager
JEFFREY RANDEL NELSON
A 51-year-old Brandon man was arrested and charged with three counts of lewd and lasciv- ious molestation. The victim is a 14-year-old boy.
Jeffrey Randel Nelson
was taken into custody on De- cember 14th. His bond was set at $22,500.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, the inappropriate contact with the child began on June 1st and continued until December 11th. Police said Nelson would in- vite the teenager to his home in Brandon. Once there, the vic- tim told police, Nelson mas- saged him both over and under his clothing on approximately 25 separate occasions.
The victim alleges the mas- sages consisted of rubbing his back, buttocks and genitalia area. The victim further told police that on one occasion, Nelson allegedly took his clothes off, carried him to the shower and used a washcloth to wash the victim’s body.
Detectives said Nelson ad- mitted in detail to inappropri- ately touching the child during an interview.
A federal judge sentenced three Florida men to life in prison. They were found guilty by a jury on July 28th.
According to court docu- ments, U. S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Brown Laster, Jr., 37, of Tampa, Jerry Browdy, 44, of Riverview, and Wesley Petiphar, 30, of Davenport, each to life in federal prison.
They were convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of metham- phetamine.
The Court also ordered Browdy to forfeit $106,000 and Petiphar to forfeit $22,400, which are traceable to the proceeds of the offense. As part of their sentences, the Court imposed a fine of $1 million for Laster and $500,000 each for Browdy and Petiphar.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Laster, Browdy, and Petiphar were part of a con- spiracy to ship kilograms of methamphetamine from Sacramento, California to various hotels in Florida and Georgia via Federal Express.
The evidence showed
JERRY BROWDY
that, throughout 2015, the men had sent approximately 40 packages of methamphet- amine through the mail per week.
The packages were deliv- ered to co-conspirators who had been recruited to wait at the hotels for the packages of methamphetamine to arrive. The packages were then de- livered to local drug traffick- ers.
In addition, witness testi- mony revealed that the men enforced the conspiracy through violence, including one incident where a cooper- ating witness had a gun placed in his mouth with such force that the gun knocked out some of his front teeth.
Arrested On
Life Sentences On
Man Accused Of Robbery Faces Several Charges
A 29-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection with a robbery. The offense took place early Tuesday.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified victim had made arrangements to meet a woman named Anstacia. The victim drove to the 9600 block of Barnside Place, shortly after 4 a.m., and exited his car.
He was then confronted by a man who was armed with a knife. The suspect reportedly took more than $700 in per- sonal belongings from the vic- tim before fleeing the scene on foot. The suspect ran into a trailer at 9646 Barnside Place, police said.
Deputies arrived and searched the trailer. The vic- tim identified Justin Hughes as the man who had robbed him at gunpoint.
Police said Hughes was in possession of the exact amount the victim said was taken. When deputies called the victim’s cell phone, they
JUSTIN HUGHES
heard it ringing inside the trailer.
They also located the vic- tim’s head phones, watch, shoes, wallet, and credit cards hidden in an air conditioning vent in Hughes’ bedroom, police said.
Hughes was taken into custody and charged with armed robbery, aggravated as- sault, possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, battery, and grand theft.
He is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail on a bond of $29,500.
UNCLE SANDY
A heart is not judged 8, 10, 32, 40 by how much you love, 7, 28, 56, 60 but by how much 21, 49, 54, 58 you are loved by others. 14, 17, 19, 24.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A