Page 48 - 3-6-15 Friday's Edition

Crime
Roofing Employee Charged In Death Of Co-Worker
Two Men Sentenced To Prison On Drug Charges
OCTAVIUS HENDERSON .... Sentenced to
20 years in prison
LAMAR “BUDDA” WILSON ... Sentenced to
10 years in prison
Two men have been sen- tenced to a combined 30 years in prison on drug charges. Both men appeared in federal court on Wednesday.
U. S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sen- tenced Octavius R. Hen- derson, 35, of St. Petersburg, to 20 years in prison for con- spiring with others to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to the charge on December 16, 2014.
According to court docu- ments, Henderson and his co-defendants were involved in a drug conspiracy that spanned several years. During that time, the group was re- sponsible for the distribution of at least 149 kilograms of co- caine in St. Petersburg. Police searched a St. Petersburg re- sidence that Henderson and others had used as a “stash house” for drugs and money.
During the search, investi- gators seized digital scales, mixing agents, containers with cocaine residue, and a “kilo” press. Officials also seized 850 grams of cocaine and $71,930 in U. S. currency inside the stash house.
In an unrelated case, U. S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr., sentenced Lamar “Budda” Wilson, 33, of Tampa, to 10 years in prison. Wilson pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”
According to court docu- ments, Wilson met a DEA Confidential Informant on September 23, 2013 to con- duct the sale of an ounce of crack cocaine. The two met in Hillsborough County where Wilson received $1,050 for the ounce of cocaine. He was arrested after the transaction was completed.
Woman Enters Guilty Plea To Tax Fraud Charges
CARLOS ISMAEL NAVARRO
... Being held without bond at the Hillsborough County
A 19-year-old resident of Alcoa, Tennessee has been arrested and charged in con- nection with the death of his co-worker. He is currently being held at the Hillsbo- rough County Jail without bond.
On February 17th, Tampa Police responded to the Quality Inn, 4139 E. Busch Blvd., in reference to an in- jured man. The officers found the man, whose iden-
tity has not been released by police, lying in a pool of blood. The man died from in- juries to his upper body area.
During their investigation, police learned that the two men were employed by a Tennessee roofing company. They also discovered that the company vehicle was miss- ing.
Police located the vehicle at Busch and N. 27th Street, where it had been aban- doned by the suspect.
Police identified Carlos Ismael Navarro as the vic- tim’s co-worker. Based on evidence developed in the case, Navarro was identi- fied as the suspect in the case and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Navarro was located in Maryville, Tennessee and charged with manslaughter with a deadly weapon and grand theft auto. He was ex- tradited to Hillsborough County on Tuesday.
A 25-year-old Palm Har- bor woman pleaded guilty to committing tax fraud. She appeared in federal court on Wednesday.
According to court docu- ments, Ms. Makaeia Demps, 25, of Palm Har- bor, was arrested on Decem- ber 15, 2011. At the time of her arrest, police found two Greendot debit cards that were n0t in her name.
Police discovered that one of the cards traced to a tax fraud that occurred in 2010 had been loaded with $6,575. Investigators said $1,306.45 had been used as part of a down payment on a 2006 Ford Mustang that Ms. Demps was driving at the time of her arrest. The victim of the identity theft was a 99-year-old man who lived in a nursing home.
The second card found in her possession reflected similar activity. It was also traced to a false refund from 2010. Investigators said $6,300 had been used to purchase a car as well. The victim was an 84-year-old man, officials said.
Law enforcement also found personal information
MAKAEIA DEMPS
of two other people in her possession. The information included the individuals’ names, social security num- bers, and dates of birth.
The investigation re- vealed a series of cases that were similar that involved the use of personal informa- tion of other individuals.
Ms. Demps pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. She has also agreed to forfeit money judgment in the amount $60,585.
A sentencing date has not been set for Ms. Demps.
Man Charged After
$137,600 In Counterfeit
Bills Found In Rented Car
Police Seek Suspect Who Shot Dog, Tied To Railroad Track
A 51-year-old Lakeland man has been charged with possession of counterfeit money. More than $137,000 in fake money was found in a car that he had rented.
According to police,
Larry Theodore Smith
rented a car on September 11, 2013 from a business in Lakeland. He was supposed to return the vehicle two days later. When the vehicle was four days overdue, the company activated its GPS to locate it.
The vehicle was located on September 16th, in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart Store in Plant City. It was then towed back to the car rental company. While the vehicle was being towed from the parking lot, Smith was being detained by the store’s loss prevention em- ployees after he was report- edly observed taking ink cartridges without paying for them.
When employees began cleaning the vehicle, they discovered a black duffel back on the back seat that contained a printer/scanner and two ink cartridges. When the employee opened the lid to the scanner, he found 4 genuine $100 bills taped to the glass on the scanner.
The employees also lo-
LARRY THEODORE SMITH
cated another carry-on styled suitcase in the vehi- cle. The suitcase contained a book bag that had 344 pages of uncut counterfeit money, valued at $137,600. Each page matched the images of the genuine money found
taped to the glass.
When an agent with the
U. S. Treasury Department visited Smith in jail, he re- portedly told the agent that he had been paid $200 to rent the car and that the printer belonged to the man who paid him. He also said that the man had possession of the vehicle.
But, when his account was challenged, he admitted that he had possession of the car. Smith was arrested on a federal warrant and charged with possession of counterfeit money.
On Wednesday, Tampa Police officers responding to a call of shots fired in the area ended up rescuing a dog. The officers discovered a dog that had been shot twice and then tied to the railroad tracks.
When police arrived in the area, they found the dog ap- proximately 100 feet north of Eskimo Drive. The one to two-year-old female mixed breed had been shot once in the neck and above the right shoulder. The dog also had an injured right leg.
She was transported to the Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Center at Florida and Bearss, where the dog was treated. Officials said the dog was in stable condition, but would need to have her right front leg amputated.
The Tampa Police Depart- ment is asking anyone with
Sgt. Rick Mills is shown carrying the dog injured dog rescued from the railroad track.
information about the inci- dent, or anyone who knows who owns the dog to contact the Tampa Police Depart- ment.
PAGE 24-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015