Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-10-15 Edition

Crime
Police Looking For Man To Ask Questions About
3 Die,
Tampa Residents Linked To $11.1 Million
Tax Fraud Conspiracy
Suspicious Death Of Woman
3 Injured In
DAVE ALLEN .....being sought for ques-
tioning in the death of Erica Gaffney.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that On November 7th at 6:45 a. m., deputies found a dead woman inside 5008 Beechcraft Way in Seffner. Homicide detectives determined the preliminary cause of death as being suspi- cious.
The woman was later identi- fied as 37-year-old Erica Gaffney.
Deputies want to question a man who they believe was in- side the home at the time of Gaffney’s death. He has been identified as Dave Allen, 53.
Deputies said Ms. Gaff- ney’s body was found by one of her children inside the home around 6:41 a.m. Satur- day.
A neighbor reported hearing
ERICA GAFFNEY .....her body was found by
her son.
a disturbance coming from in front of Gaffney’s home, and hours later Gaffney’s son said his mother was dead. She said she had gone up the street to find out what was happen- ing earlier and saw Allen and Gaffney arguing.
Deputies said they believe Allen lived in the home with Gaffney.
No criminal charges are being sought against Allen at this time. He is being sought for questioning in Ms. Gaffney’s death.
If anyone knows the where- abouts of Allen, please call (813) 247-8200.
Ms. Gaffney’s cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.
Three people died in separate motorcycle accidents over the weekend. One of the accidents took place in Pinellas County.
On Saturday, at approxi- mately 6:15 p.m., Lawrence Silva, 56, and Ms. Laurel J. Silva, 59, both of Dunedin, were riding their 2003 Kawasaki Motorcycle on U. S. 19 when a pickup truck, driven by Walter Hertrich, 70, of Palm Harbor, traveling the opposite direction turned into their path as they approached Congress Avenue.
Both were thrown from the motorcycle upon impact. Lawrence Silva died at the scene. Ms. Silva was trans- ported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in critical condition.
The Florida Highway Patrol said neither of the Silvas was wearing a helmet.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the fatal accident of James M. Shenefield, 30, of Tampa. The accident took place at ap- proximately 12:30 a.m., on Sunday.
Police said Shenefield was traveling northbound on Gornto Lake Road on his 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle when he failed to negotiate a curve south of Brandon Blvd.
Shenefield drove into the median and was ejected from the motorcycle. He died at the scene. Police said no other ve- hicle was involved in the crash.
The third fatal accident in- volving a motorcycle that took place this weekend occurred on W. Bearss between Zambito Road and N. Dale Mabry High- way, around 2 p.m. Sunday.
According to traffic homicide investigators, a 2004 Lexus, driven by Kirk Francis, 30, of Lutz, entered the path of a 2011 Toyota Corolla, driven by Miguel Montaldo, 50, of Tampa. The Lexus struck the passenger side of the Toyota, and both vehicles spun after impact.
As the Toyota went into a spin, it was struck by the 2010 Kawasaki Motorcycle that was also traveling in the same di- rection. Jeffrey Nichols, 47, was the driver and his passen- ger was Ms. Dawn Nichols, 40, both of Lutz.
Ms. Nichols was ejected over the car and died at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident. Ms. Nichols was not wearing a helmet, police said.
Jeffrey Nichols, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered incapacitating injuries. Mon- taldo was also injured in the crash. Francis was not in- jured, police said.
JOHN WALTER SIMMONS
Last week, a federal grand jury returned a 14-count in- dictment naming 10 people with conspiracy, theft of gov- ernment funds, and other crimes. Four of those indicted are linked to the Tampa Bay Area.
According to the indictment, between January 2011 and April 2014, the personal iden- tifying information of approx- imately 2,800 individuals was fraudulently used. The names and information was collected from several sources, includ- ing the AmeriGroup Insurance Company, and an online death databases.
The indictment alleges that the conspirators took the in- formation, prepared fraudu- lent federal income tax returns using the victims’ names and filed them. The tax refunds were then loaded on to debit cards, issued in the form of U. S. Treasury checks, and de- posited into bank accounts.
ANRE’ JUARDON DAVIS
Officials said the group at- tempted to obtain approxi- mately 11.1 million in tax refunds.
The individuals from the bay area named in the indictment are: Anre Juardon Davis, 34, St. Petersburg; Mercedes Shevon Sutton, 25, of Tampa, Daria Patrice Sim- mons, 33, Tampa, and John Walter Simmons, 34, Tampa. John Simmons was also charged with knowingly possessing a firearm as a con- victed felon.
Others indicted were: Jas- mine Junae Robinson, 25, Jazzman Shabazz Sim- mons, 27, and Ja’Baree Vazquez Allen, 26, all of Tal- lahassee; Ronald Edward Brown, 27, and Rashard Lavonta McMillian, 29, both of Quincy; and Addrain Montez McMillan, 29, of Overland Park, Kansas.
The trial has been set for De- cember 14, 2015.
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that will lead to the identification and arrest of the unknown sus- pect in a hit-and-run case being investigated by Tampa Police. Anyone with informa- tion is asked to call 1-800-873- 8477.
Alexander Torres, 11, had been reported missing by his family at 5 p. m. on November 6th.
On Saturday, police received a call that a car had struck a pedestrian on the bridge at Hillsborough Avenue and the river.
The victim, later identified as Torres, was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The circumstance that led to the accident are being investi- gated, but police are calling it a hit-and-run and are looking for
Man Shooting Into Crowd Wounds One Person
Separate
Motorcycle
Accidents
Reward Offered For Information Into Hit-And Run Death
ALEXANDER TORRES
a vehicle described as possibly a 2005 or 2006 metallic or gun metal Nissan Altima.
Torres was a 5th grade stu- dent at Davis Elementary School, and when he didn’t come home Friday, his family reported him missing. He had been last seen riding his bicy- cle leaving school near his Town ‘N Country home.
A man from Spring Hill has been accused of firing several shots from a vehicle into a crowd of people in Brooksville and wounding one person Fri- day night.
Kevin Squair, 30, is facing charges of attempted murder with a firearm, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
When officers arrested Squair, they reported he was trying to swallow some co- caine. He was transported to a hospital for monitoring. After his release, he will be held on $75,000 bond.
About 8:50 p.m., a witness reported seeing a red vehicle drive past 809 Shayne Street and shots fired from the vehi- cle into a crowed that was gathered outside. A witness followed the vehicle and called 9-1-1.
Rian Williams, 27, was
KEVIN SQUAIR
shot in the drive-by and hospi- talized with a wound consid- ered to be non-life threatening.
Officers found the vehicle shortly after the shooting, and witnesses identified Squair as the shooter. Police also said a firearm similar to the one used at the scene was found inside the vehicle.
Uncle Sandy Says...
Aging is not 14, 30, 44, 60 lost youth but 3, 10, 19, 20 a new stage 5, 25, 45, 55 of opportunity and strength. 4, 16, 32, 36
PAGE 20 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015