Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 10-20-17

Crime
Girlfriend Charged In Fatal Stabbing
Attorney Gets 25 Years For Money Laundering Conspiracy
JOHNETTA D. SHEPHARD ... Charged with second- degree murder
Police have arrested the live-in girlfriend of a man who was fatally stabbed. The incident took place early Wednesday.
According to the Tampa Police Department, at ap- proximately 1:30 a.m., Wednesday, police responded to 1203 E. Chilkoot Avenue, in reference to a stabbing.
When officers arrived, they discovered that 24-year- old Justin Lee Tyler Williams suffered from a life-threatening injury.
JUSTIN LEE WILLIAMS 2/14/1993 —- 10/18/2017
Williams was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Detectives interviewed
Ms. Johnetta December Shephard, 24, who is his live-in girlfriend. During the interview, Ms. Shephard al- legedly made incriminating statements. She was arrested later Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder.
She was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail, where she is being held with- out bond.
On Monday, District
Judge Steven Merryday
sentenced a Texas attorney to serve 25 years in federal prison. He was convicted at the con- clusion of a jury trial on Octo- ber 21, 2016.
Attorney Perry Don Cortese, 54, of Little River, Texas, was a licensed, practic- ing attorney. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit inter- national money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
As part of his sentence, the Court entered a money judg- ment in the amount of $9,288,241.36. Cortese was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $3,767,196.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Cortese and his business partner, Priscilla Ann Ellis, as well as Ellis’s daughter, Kenietta Rayshawn Johnson, were members of an international criminal organization that de- frauded dozens of victims across the United States and then laundered the funds.
As part of the scheme, vic- tims were instructed to wire money into funnel accounts held by conspirators, known as “money mules.” The funds were then quickly moved to other accounts in the United States and around the world before the victims could dis- cover the fraud. Bank records indicated that, from 2012 to 2015, several million dollars’
Police Investigate Suspicious Death
The Tampa Police Depart- ment is currently investigating a suspicious death. The death took place Tuesday.
According to police, officers responded to 2335 W. Nassau Street. Information about the victim or any circumstances surrounding the death were not available at press time. The in- vestigation is continuing.
The Sentinel will update the story as the information be- comes available.
PERRY CORTESE
... sentenced to 25 years
worth of wire transfers were re- ceived into the accounts to be laundered.
Cortese worked for the conspirators by laundering vic- tims’ money through his inter- est on lawyers trust accounts (“IOLTAs”). He also met with individuals in person to re- trieve cash withdrawn from re- ceiver accounts and recruited his paralegal and others to open such accounts to launder funds.
Ms. Ellis laundered sev- eral million dollars’ worth of fraud proceeds through several bank accounts under her con- trol. She also arranged for the
MS. PRISCILLA ELLIS ... Sentenced to 40 years
creation of high-quality forger- ies of checks and other docu- ments. Ms. Johnson, then a bank employee at Capital One, helped create the counterfeit checks and monitor money flows between the conspirators’ accounts.
For her role in the conspir- acy, Ms. Ellis was sentenced to 40 years in prison. As part of her sentence, the Court entered a money judgment against her in the amount of $9,288,241.36 and the forfei- ture of various assets.
In addition, she was or- dered to pay $3,767,196 in restitution to her victims.
Driver Charged In Fatal Hit N’ Run
Two Charged With Armed Robbery
2016 Mercedes involved in deadly hit and run accident
A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. He is currently being held at the Hillsborough County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at approxi- mately 3:40 a.m., Wednes- day, a 2016 Mercedes C300 was traveling eastbound on the I-4 exit leading to U. S. Highway 301. The driver col- lided with a bicyclist and fled the scene.
The bicyclist, identified as 45-year-old Aristeo Anto- nio Pascual, of Brandon, was ejected from the bicycle during the impact and pro- pelled onto the shoulder. Pascual suffered fatal in-
CHRISTOPHER J. COLE
juries and died at the scene. Later during the day, a tip to the Tampa Police Depart- ment led officers and troopers to the corner of E. Mallory Avenue and N. 22nd Street. In an enclosed fence, the officers discovered the 2016 Mer- cedes and determined that it was the vehicle involved in the fatal hit and run accident
from earlier during the day. Shortly after the car was located, Christopher J. Cole, of Tampa, contacted the Florida Highway Patrol and surrendered. He report- edly admitted that he was driving the vehicle when it was involved in the fatal acci-
dent.
The investigation is con-
tinuing.
CHEPHREN YOEL SAHADEO
Two men were arrested after they allegedly robbed an- other man. The incident took place in the 1600 block of Har- vard Woods Drive, in Bran- don.
Deputies responded to the location shortly before 1 p.m., in reference to shots being fired. When they arrived, de- tectives were told that 19-year- old Jordan Chavers agreed to meet two men who had ex- pressed an interest in buying a gun from him. Chavers told the police he knew the men as “CJ” and “Dread,” and that he had known them for about a year.
“CJ,” later identified as Sahadeo, asked to see the gun. While inspecting it, Sa- hadeo allegedly removed the
AMAJHJAE ZACAVIUS HOOD
magazine, placed the gun in his pants pocket, and pulled a second gun from his waist- band. He is alleged to have pointed the gun at Chavers, and then fired it in the victim’s direction.
A neighbor observed the incident as he was placing his child in his vehicle. The neigh- bor armed himself and fired at both men. The neighbor said he was in fear of his life and the life of his child. The neigh- bor has a valid concealed weapon permit, police said.
The two men fled, but were later identified. Sahadeo, 20, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery. Hood, 23, was charged with armed robbery.
UNCLE SANDY
It is enough that the peo- ple know 23, 30,34, 38 there was an election. The people who cast the votes 11, 17, 25, 28 decide nothing. The people who count 1, 9, 40, 45 the votes decide everything. 18, 47, 50, 55
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