Page 36 - Florida Sentinel 9-18-15 Edition

Crime
High School Put On Lockdown As Officers Pursue Teenagers Getting Into Stolen Vehicle
King High School Student Arrested For Bringing Gun To School
Authorities Need Help In Identifying Aggravated Battery Suspects
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a reported aggravated battery that occurred at 2 a.m. Satur- day when two men left the Round Up Bar and walked to the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 6216 Elliot Drive.
At that location, investigators said twins Corey and Cyle Russell, 21, were confronted by a Black male and a Hispanic or white male. The Russell twins said the two men struck them several times with their fists before fleeing the area. The Russell twins were hospi- talized for their injuries.
The Hispanic or white male is described as appearing to be in his mid 20s 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray tank top, black shorts, tattoos on both arms,
This is a security camera shot of two men suspected of assaulting twins at the Wal- mart Neighborhood Market on Elliot Drive.
and a red backward hat with a sticker on the brim.
The second suspect was de- scribed as a black male, 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds, and last seen wearing blue plaid shorts high white socks and short black hair.
Anyone with information on these suspects is asked to all (813) 247-8200.
Tampa Police reported that on Wednesday, a pair of teenagers were chased near Howard W. Blake High School after they were seen trying to get into a car that had been re- ported stolen. The car was parked at the Presbyterian Vil- lage Apartments parking lot south of the school’s campus.
Police said school was letting out, but was put on lockdown
because they didn’t want the teenagers getting into a stolen car and possibly driving reck- lessly. Officers tried to stop the teenagers, and they ran.
A foot pursuit resulted in one of the teenagers being ar- rested. Officers reported re- covering a gun during the pursuit, and they are still try- ing to find the second teenager.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that on September 14th, the School Re- source Deputy at King High school received a tip that a stu- dent had a gun on campus.
The deputy, along with school security and administrators, im- mediately responded to the classroom of the student. Once the student, identified as Devin Carter, 16, was removed from the classroom, the firearm was found inside his backpack. The firearm was a .25 caliber hand- gun with two live rounds in the magazine.
Carter was arrested and transported to the Juvenile As- sessment Center.
Gun Charge Gets Man 6 Years In Federal Prison
A federal judge sentenced a Sarasota resident to serve time in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on July 8, 2015.
According to court docu- ments, in October 2014, 31- year-old Kevin Eugene McKnight reportedly sold a handgun and oxycodone pills to an undercover Sarasota Po- lice Department detective.
Prior to the transaction, McKnight had numerous felony convictions, and as a re- sult of his criminal record is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
U. S. District Judge James
KEVIN EUGENE McKNIGHT
D. Whittemore sentenced McKnight to serve 6 years and 5 months in federal prison.
Trial Begins For Man Accused Of Causing Death Of Detention Deputy
Gaither Coach Charged With Grand Theft
Terrence Barnett (left) and Sgt. Ronnie Brown.
Jury selection began Tues- day in the trial of a man ac- cused of killing a Polk County Detention Deputy in 2009.
Terrence Barnett was al- ready serving a 30-year prison sentence for allegedly being in- volved in the 2007 death of a Highlands County man. Two years later, while serving time in the South County Jail in Bar- tow, authorities said he had an altercation with Detention Deputy Sgt. Ronnie Brown.
Jail officials said Barnett became verbally abusive and physically threatened two de- tention deputies on August 30, 2009.
Sgt. Brown and Barnett, 34, engaged in a struggle when Sgt. Brown tried to restrain
him. Barnett reportedly shoved Sgt. Brown causing him to fall onto his back. Sgt. Brown died several days later after complications from back surgery. He was 48.
A grand jury decided Bar- nett’s violent actions led to Sgt. Brown’s death. An in- dictment upgraded Barnett’s initial charge of battery on an officer causing serious bodily injury to first-degree murder.
Prosecutors have said they will be pursuing the death penalty. Barnett also was charged with aggravated bat- tery on a law enforcement offi- cer, two counts of battery, criminal mischief, depriving an officer of means of protection and resisting an officer with vi- olence.
Man Pleads Guilty To Fraud, Lying To Officials
A 44-year-old Lutz man en- tered a guilty plea in federal court on Wednesday to one count of bankruptcy fraud and one count of making a false statement under oath during a bankruptcy proceeding.
David W. Griffin is ac- cused of operating a foreclo- sure rescue scheme through his companies, Bay2Bay Area Holding, LLC and Business Development Consultants, LLC.
The purpose of the scheme was to obtain quitclaim or warranty deeds from dis- tressed homeowners facing foreclosure in return for false promises to rescue their homes from foreclosure by ne- gotiating with creditors, rent- ing the property back to the homeowner to obtain rental income, and falsely promising that the homeowner could re- purchase the property from Griffin.
Griffin also prevented cred- itors and guarantors, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal Housing Adminis- tration from pursuing lawful foreclosures and eviction ac- tions to maximize his rental income. This was accom-
DAVID W. GRIFFIN ... Entered guilty plea
plished by filing or causing to be filed, fraudulent bankrupt- cies in the names of the home- owners without their knowledge or consent, officials said in court documents.
He also reportedly admitted that he lied under oath in sworn testimony before the Office of the United States Trustee.
Griffin has agreed to make full restitution to the Clerk for the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. The estimated loss resulting from Griffin’s conduct is ap- proximately $25,125.
He is facing a maximum of 5 years in prison for each charge. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
CHARLES LATTIMORE
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that dur- ing the duration of the 2014- 2015 school year, Charles Lattimore, 52, was employed as a Gaither High School Substi- tute Teacher, Coach and Ath- letic Event Coordinator. His responsibilities included collect- ing, reporting and turning in the money made at each school ath- letic event.
After the end of the school year, investigators said Latti- more had cashed all the event checks that funded each event, but had not turned in all the gate money as scheduled and in- structed from these events.
On May 14, 2015, Lattimore reportedly told school officials $6,800 had been stolen. He also claimed to have been too em- barrassed to tell anyone, inves- tigators said. Lattimore was subsequently fired.
Authorities were notified and began an investigation. An audit of the account showed a school loss of $9,852. Lattimore was arrested Monday and charged with grand theft.
UNCLE SANDY SAYS...
Beauty is 9, 18, 27, 36 truth's smile 10, 30, 48, 60 when she beholds her own face 27, 44, 54, 77 in a perfect mirror. 16, 19, 61,70
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A