Page 41 - Florida Sentinel 2-11-22

Crime
Student Arrested
Teacher Arrested For Sexual Battery On Student
For Making Threats
On Campus
Detectives have arrested a Pasco County School teacher and former Pinellas County School teacher for Sexual Battery Custodial Authority on a student. The investiga- tion began on January 7, 2022, after police received in- formation regarding an inap- propriate relationship that had occurred between 32- year-old Kyle Handfield and a 14-year-old student at the time of the incident.
During the course of the investigation, it was discov-
curred from 2017 through 2018.
According to detectives, the investigation deter- mined that Handfield ini- tially communicated with the victim through a social networking website. Detec- tives say the victim stated Handfield engaged in in- appropriate sexual activity with her while she was a stu- dent at Pinellas Park Middle School.
Handfield was the 14- year-old victim’s teacher.
A 23-year-old man was ar- rested last week and charged with making threats. The in- cident took place last Thurs- day and the man is a student at Eckerd College.
According to the St. Pe- tersburg Police Department, they received a call about 3 p.m. The victim told police that Eli Altman Johnson made threatening comments using voice mail and text messages. The victim was off campusatthetime.
Johnson allegedly threatened the victim with acts of violence as well as the school.
Campus security located Johnson in his dorm room and stood by until the officers arrived. Johnson had in- gested pills and was trans- ported to the hospital to be medically cleared before being Baker Acted and booked into the Pinellas
ELI ALTMAN JOHNSON
County Jail later that night. He is charged with one count of written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily in- jury, or conduct a mass shoot-
ing or an act of terrorism. Police did not locate a firearm in Johnson’s dorm room or his vehicle. However, investigators learned he had purchased a gun earlier in the day and was in the three-day waiting period before he
could possess it.
KYLE HANDFIELD
ered that this relationship oc-
Man Wanted For Attempted Murder
Last week, a 34-year-0ld Haines City firefighter was arrested on fraud charges. He is accused of electroni- cally depositing a county payroll check into his bank account.
Police said a day later,
Desmond James Walker, II, cashed the check at an Amscot Store.
The investigation began after a Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comp- troller Division contacted Pasco County Sheriff’s Office detectives to report a possi- ble payroll fraud incident. During the investigation de- tectives learned that in Octo- ber of 2021 Walker had accessed his online employee payroll information using his assigned username and password to make changes to his direct deposit banking in- stitution.
According to policy, when an employee makes this type of change, as an internal se- curity control, the payroll de- partment confirms with the bank, and then on the next paycheck the employee is is- sued a physical check. Issu- ing a physical check allows the payroll department to in- tervene without resulting in a financial loss in the event the change was not made or approved by an employee.
After making changes to his direct deposit informa- tion, Walker received his next paycheck of $2,772.06 on November 19, 2021 as a
DESMOND WALKER, II
physical check. The same day, Walker deposited the paycheck into his bank ac- count as an online mobile
deposit.
The next day (11-20-21),
Walker took the physical check, which had already been electronically deposited into his bank account, to Amscot Financial Services in Haines City, where he cashed the check, receiving cash minus the check cash- ing fee.
Walker was arrested for scheming to defraud a finan- cial institution, grand theft, fraud, and cashing a worth- less check with intent to de- fraud. He is currently in the Polk County Jail being held on $8,000 bond.
Leads Police On Pursuit
Fireman Arrested On Fraud Charges
Last Friday morning, a Winter Haven man wanted on an attempted murder warrant led police on a pursuit and brief manhunt. He is facing several charges in three law enforcement jurisdictions.
According to the Haines City Police Department, Lemuel Johnson, Jr., 36, was driving a 2017 Ford Es- capes shortly after 11 p.m., last Thursday. Police pulled his vehicle on a traffic stop in the area of U. S. 27 and Bates Road.
As Officer Haley Mc- Donald approached the ve- hicle, she instructed Johnson to roll down the window and show his hands. Johnson reportedly acceler- ated and drove toward her, forcing her to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.
Johnson continued east
LEMUEL JOHNSON, JR.
on Bates Road and was pur- sued by officers from Haines City and the Davenport Police Department. During the pur- suit, Johnson had a passen- ger in the vehicle. He was cooperative with the investi- gation and told law enforce- ment that he was fearful and pleaded with Johnson to let him out of the vehicle during the pursuit.
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