Page 53 - Florida Sentinel 5-6-22

Crime
69-Year-Old Volunteer Charged With Drug Trafficking
DAVID ROBERTS
Deputies arrested a 69- year-old volunteer with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office volunteer (Volunteer Sheriff’s Service Officer), and charged him with drug trafficking charges (selling Oxycodone pills) and weapons charges. David Roberts was charged with: possession of a vehicle used to traffic drugs, possess of narcotic paraphernalia, posses- sion of ammunition by a con- victed felon, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, possession of cannabis over 20 grams, trafficking in oxycodone 25 grams or more, and posses- sion of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Deputies received a tip ear- lier this month that Roberts receives a monthly prescription for 90 Oxycodone pills (10 mg) that he sells to others and that Roberts was seen carrying large amounts of cash. Undercover detectives contacted Roberts and asked to purchase oxy- codone. Roberts agreed and a meeting was set up at a con- venience store in the Lake Wales area to conduct the transaction. Undercover detec- tives agreed to purchase 90 oxycodone pills from Roberts.
After the drug transaction, Roberts drove to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office South- east Command Center, where he was taken into custody. The money for the drug transaction was located in his front pocket. Deputies then went to Roberts’ residence and lo- cated a .22 rifle, a handgun, ammunition, a prescription pill bottle for 90 oxycodone pills, and a large mason jar full of a green leafy substance that tested positive for cannabis (25.02 grams). Roberts told deputies he does not have a medical marijuana card. Roberts has a 1971 conviction for burglary (a felony).
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Having Gun
Man Charged With Hate Crimes
Federal authorities in the Civil Rights Division of the Middle District of Florida, an- nounced that a federal grand jury in Tampa, returned a two-count indictment charg- ing Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, with committing hate crimes for his racially-moti- vated attack on a Black man who was driving along a pub- lic road in Seminole, Florida.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 8, 2021, Leahy willfully intimidated and in- terfered with J.T., and at- tempted to injure, intimidate, and interfere with J.T. through the use of a danger- ous weapon (Leahy’s vehi- cle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public road in Seminole, Florida.
JORDAN LEAHY
According to the indict- ment, J.T.’s girlfriend and daughter were also in the car with J.T. when Leahy al- legedly committed the attack.
If convicted, Leahy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
A 42-year-old Tampa man has pleaded guilty to possess- ing a gun and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Karey Tyrone Taylor, II, qualifies for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sen- tencing date has not yet been set.
According to court docu- ments, on January 2, 2021, Taylor brandished a firearm at a woman while they were driving in adja- cent lanes on East Fowler Avenue in Tampa. Units from the Tampa Police De- partment located Taylor’s car at a nearby gas station.
After apprehending Tay- lor, police discovered a
KAREY TAYLOR, II
black handgun in the dri- ver’s side door pocket of Taylor’s car. The handgun had one round of ammuni- tion in the chamber and 14 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Taylor has been convicted of sev- eral felony crimes.
Man Who Displayed Firearm On Social Media Pleads Guilty
DEVIN KELLY Pleaded guilty to possessing firearm as a convicted felon
A 27-year-old man pleaded guilty last week to possessing a firearm as a con- victed felon. A sentencing date for Devin Kelly, of Tampa, has not been set. He is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison.
According to court docu- ments, on July 2, 2021, Kelly and co-defendant Keyshawn Watts handled and displayed an AR-15 style rifle during an Instagram live video. One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR 556
KEYSHAWN WATTS Awaiting Trial
rifle and an extended maga- zine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition.
Kelly admitted that the rifle seized from his residence was the rifle he had displayed in the Instagram video. Kelly, who had previously been con- victed of several felony of- fenses, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or am- munition under federal law.
Keyshawn Watts, 21, of Tampa, has been charged with possessing a firearm as a con- victed felon. His case is cur- rently pending trial.
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022