Pinellas County

Published on: October 11, 2012

Largo Police Raid Meth Lab on Seminole Boulevard :: Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Police busted an alleged meth lab hidden in a mobile home park along Seminole Boulevard in Largo, Florida this week.

On Wednesday, Largo police and the Drug Enforcement Agency claim they discovered iodine, a bottle of vodka, bug spray and other ingredients cooking in a trailer when they arrived at the property. They arrested the trailer’s occupant, a 37-year-old man, on charges of manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine.

Police allege that tips from anonymous sources led them to the mobile home park.
Many police, prosecutors and DEA agents believe methamphetamine to be one of the most harmful drugs in the country. Also known as crystal meth, ice or speed, methamphetamine has become an increasingly popular drug because the ingredients are cheap and perfectly legal to purchase. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the chemicals involved in the cooking process, meth is extremely intoxicating and highly addictive. Because of this, state and federal governments have amped up their efforts to control methamphetamine manufacturing and possession.

Published on: June 25, 2012

Largo, Florida Man Accused of Bringing Baby to Pinellas Drug Deal :: Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 31-year-old Largo man was arrested Friday night after he allegedly brought his 8-month-old son with him to buy drugs.

Police caught up with the man after his wife was pulled over for driving fast and erratically in Clearwater. She was apparently rushing to get to a home where she believed her husband had gone to buy drugs with their son in tow.

Police followed the woman’s directions and allegedly found the man’s car parked outside the
home with the child locked in the back seat.

Police claim the man was inside the home trying to buy crack.

Clearwater Fire Rescue was called to check on the child, who turned out to be fine and was returned to his mother.

The man was taken to jail and charged with child abuse. According to reports, he was wanted by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on a domestic battery charge.

Child abuse is defined as any act that physically, sexually or emotionally injures or harms a child. Following allegations of child abuse, it is in your best interests to not speak about the charges with family members or law enforcement, as doing so can only make your situation worse. Crimes involving children carry severe punishments and often those charged with these crimes are presumed guilty by police, prosecutors and members of the community. Due to these speculations of guilt, child abuse charges must be defended from as early on as possible. Time is of the essence.

A child abuse conviction can result in lifelong consequences, including jail or prison time and the possibility of losing your parental rights. Pleading guilty to child abuse or being convicted of this criminal offense does not necessarily call for mandatory time behind bars. However, factors such as the circumstances leading up to the charge, severity of injuries, criminal history and probation or parole status can have some bearing on mandatory minimums and even lead to increased maximum sentences.

The crime of child abuse is one of the most emotionally fueled offenses within the Florida Court System. The Florida Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can use these emotional factors to build an effective and powerful defense on your behalf. We will investigate every facet of the charges and mount a defense based on protecting your rights and keeping you out of jail. Our number one priority is to help you minimize the consequences associated with a child injury crime. We know that child abuse charges can place you and your family in a tough situation, which is why we stand ready to help you in any way we can.

Published on: March 23, 2012

Clearwater Grand Theft Auto Attorneys Whittel & Melton :: Teen Accused of Stealing Dodge Charger from Dealership

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 19-year-old Largo, Florida man was charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing a 2012 Dodge Charger from a local dealership.

The man apparently entered the dealership Tuesday and test drove the vehicle. Later, police claim the man returned and stole the car from the dealership lot.

The man allegedly removed the spare key from the key ring after test driving the vehicle and returned to the lot after the dealership closed for the day.

On Wednesday, the dealership received a tip that one of its cars had been stolen. Clearwater police were contacted after a review of their inventory revealed a missing Charger.

Officers arrested the man at his home and transported him to the Pinellas County Jail. The stolen car was allegedly sitting outside his home. His bond was set at $5,000.

Florida courts tend to take grand theft charges quite seriously. In order for a grand theft charge in the state of Florida to be made, the following conditions must be met:

• Value of the stolen property exceeds $300
• The property must be taken without the owner’s knowledge or consent
• The accused must have no intent to return the stolen property
When a person steals a motor vehicle, Florida classifies this as a felony sometimes charged as grand theft or grand theft auto. The consequences associated with any grand theft charge are usually severe. In order to receive a favorable outcome, it is important to consult with a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.

Grand theft auto is a third-degree felony, punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Those accused of grand theft auto charges are subject to the three strikes law in Florida. Basically, the penalties associated with every arrest become harsher with every “strike.” Because of this, it is very important to contact the Florida Grand Theft Auto Attorneys at Whittel & Melton so that we can vigorously pursue an outcome that does not end in conviction. Receiving a conviction places you at risk for maximum penalties under the three strikes law.

Published on: March 20, 2012

St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Lawyers Whittel & Melton :: Woman Accused of Attempting to Burn Down Boyfriend’s Apartment

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 49-year-old St. Petersburg woman was arrested Monday morning for allegedly attempting to torch her boyfriend’s apartment while his sister was inside.

The woman was charged with arson, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

St. Petersburg police claim the woman and her boyfriend got into a domestic dispute early in the night, which prompted the woman to go over to the man’s apartment.

The man’s sister apparently saw the woman knocking on the door through the window, but did not let the woman inside.

According to reports, around 3:50 a.m. the woman allegedly hauled a grill to the front door and placed “combustible” items like a pillow, paper, wood and a floor mat on the grill outside the door and proceeded to set the items on fire.

The woman allegedly dragged a plastic garbage can filled with trash to another door at the rear entrance of the apartment and set that on fire as well.

Police were called to extinguish the fires. No one was injured in the fire, nor was the apartment seriously damaged.

Police did not say if the boyfriend was actually inside the apartment.

The woman was taken to the Pinellas County jail with bail set at $52,150.

Residential fires can start for a variety of reasons, but when law enforcement believes a fire was intentionally set, the accused can be charged with arson. To be charged with arson, no person needs to be home or present in the area. In the state of Florida, arson may be classified as a first-degree or second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 or 30 years in prison. There are many factors that determine the level of the charge. The prior criminal record of the accused, the circumstances of the particular case and the damage done to the property can all influence charges and potential penalties.

Law enforcement agencies working at the local, state and federal levels have sophisticated methods of handling evidence in crimes scenes involving arson that allows them to identify the exact cause of the fire. At Whittel & Melton, our attorneys work with chemical and explosives experts to help those accused of arson. This knowledge can be helpful when investigating the case as well as in creating a zealous defense against the charges. Sometimes these cases can be dismissed based on one mistake by law enforcement or crime scene investigators.

Arson is classified as a violent crime, and like all violent offenses, an arson conviction carries harsh legal consequences. Arson cases are typically prosecuted quite vigorously by the State, which is why it is essential to contact a Florida Criminal Defense Attorney immediately following an arson arrest. If you are convicted of arson you could face imprisonment, restitution expenses and major fines.

Published on: March 9, 2012

Pinellas County Criminal Defense Attorneys Whittel & Melton :: Former Owner of Puppy found with Rubber Band Tied Around Snout Pleads Not Guilty to Animal Cruelty Charges

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 32-year-old Clearwater, Florida woman accused of tying a rubber band around the snout of a 9-month-old puppy for days pleaded not guilty in her first court appearance Monday.

The woman faces a charge of first-degree misdemeanor animal cruelty. A pretrial hearing was apparently set for March 26.

The puppy, a Yorkshire terrier/poodle mix, was taken from the woman’s home on Dec. 13 after investigators with SPCA Tampa Bay allegedly found his mouth clamped shut with a rubber band. The rubber band apparently kept the dog from eating and allegedly ripped through the skin and muscle around his muzzle. Officials claim the band tore a large hole through the top of the dog’s snout, where the continuous force ate away at weaker bones.

According to the SPCA, when an investigator pointed out the rubber band wrapped around the dog’s face, the woman apparently looked unconcerned. She allegedly told the investigator she would seek a veterinarian to treat the dog’s wounds. Officials claim the woman never sought medical treatment for the dog.

The dog has since been adopted by a Largo family.

Essentially, there are two types of animal cruelty – intentional cruelty and negligent cruelty. Intentionally inflicting cruel behavior to animals is viewed as violent and calculated animal abuse that can include torturing, beating, poisoning, mutilating, inhumanely confining or unnecessarily killing an animal. Negligent cruelty to animals is usually classified as failing to provide an animal with adequate care. This includes failing to treat a pet’s wounds or illnesses as well as not providing food, water, sanitary living conditions and suitable shelter.

The state of Florida treats animal cruelty charges as serious crimes and aggressively prosecutes these cases. Animal cruelty charges in Florida can vary from civil infractions to felonies. If convicted of an animal cruelty charge, you could be facing fines ranging from $50 to $10,000 and potentially be subjected to jail time. If the animal cruelty charge you are accused of is found to be deliberate abuse, you could face a felony conviction punishable by five years in prison.

Published on: April 29, 2011

Pinellas Criminal Defense Attorney :: “It’s technique!” Former Employee Accused of Stealing $600,000 from “America’s Personal Trainer” Tony Little

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

An ex-employee of St. Petersburg, FL resident Tony Little was arrested Friday on a charge of grand theft of $100,000 or more. The 50-year-old Pinellas Park, Florida man supposedly told police that he was heavily involved in online horse wagering, but did not indicate where the missing money went. He is accused of stealing nearly $600,000 from the ponytailed fitness guru.

Little supposedly noticed financial flaws last year and was planning to fire the man accused of grand theft who oversaw his Pinellas Park companies’ finances. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Little was unhappy with the man and set up a meeting for July, 27, 2010 where he was to let the man go. The man accused allegedly sent an e-mail to Little before the meeting took place, saying he quit.

Upon hiring a new accountant, major foibles were found and an official complaint was filed with Pinellas Park police. The alleged fraud started in August 2009. According to police, over the course of 11 months 152 checks were fraudulently drawn from three of Little’s holdings with a grand total of $583, 379.

Most of the money went into bank accounts allegedly controlled by the accused. Little said his name was forged on all those checks.

The accused was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Monday after posting $150,000 bail. He entered a plea of not guilty and was appointed a public defender.

There are three degrees of grand theft in the state of Florida. The degree of the crime and the penalties that go along with it increase based on the value of the property taken. In this case, the man accused was charged with grand theft of the first degree. This is committed when the value of the property taken is more than $100,000 or is shipping cargo worth more than $50,000. Grand theft of the first degree is a first degree felony punishable by a minimum sentence of 21 months in prison(assuming no aggravating circumstances or priors), a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, 30 years probation or fines up to $10,000.

Florida operates off of the Criminal Punishment Code scoring system to establish the minimum permissible sentence for all felony crimes. Under the CPC, every felony offense is allocated an offense level between 1 and 10. These numbers carry a point value where the more severe the crime equals an elevated offense level. The point value for a person’s crimes is added together and if the number equals more than 44 points, the person faces mandatory prison time. A person is eligible for parole if the number is less than 44 points. Mandatory prison time through CPC is referred to as scoring prison. In Florida, grand theft of the first degree has a ranking of a level 7 offense under the CPC.

Published on: March 16, 2011

Clearwater, Florida Criminal Attorney :: Largo, Florida Man Pleads No Contest to Hiring Someone to Kill His Wife

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Largo, Florida man has pled no contest to a charge that he hired someone to murder his estranged wife.

The man accepted the open plea on Friday, according to the Miami Herald.

The 53-year-old central Florida man allegedly met with a tipster and an undercover detective in 2009 to arrange the murder. According to the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office, the man requested his wife’s death involve a car accident.

The man’s son was seriously injured in a car crash involving the son of wrestler Hulk Hogan, Nick Bollea, in 2007.

Under Florida state guidelines, this man could be sentenced to as few as 6.4 years in prison or as much as 40 years in prison. The fact that he made an open plea means that he had no agreement with State prosecutors about his sentence. Pleading “no contest” for a criminal charge is not an admission of guilt, this just means the defendant is choosing not to challenge the charge. For sentencing purposes, a plea of no contest and guilty are treated the same. The court does not change a sentence or punishment of a crime because a defendant pleads no contest instead of guilty on a criminal charge.

A plea of no contest is viewed differently when a victim sues a defendant in a civil lawsuit. If this man’s wife chooses to sue for damages in civil court, there is no evidence of his liability in the case because he entered a plea of “no contest.” If he had pled guilty, then there would be sufficient evidence of his liability in the matter.

Published on: May 25, 2009

Clearwater Drug Crimes Defense Attorney News Update : Bubba Sparxxx Charged by Clearwater Police for Possession

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Reports indicate that the musician/rapper was spotted by an off-duty Clearwater Police Department Officer who noticed Sparxxx engage in a hand to hand transaction at a local Hooter’s restaurant.

Apparently, the Officer confronted Mr. Sparxxx and allegedly asked for permission to search his wallet. The report indicates that the rapper agreed to the warrantless search and Tanxene was found in his wallet. He was later charged with one count of Felony Drug Possession and posted a $2,000 bail.

Mr. Sparxxx alleged consent to be searched is important because at that time the officer was probably at most only allowed to do a pat-down for safety and a check for weapons under Florida law. Obviously, no weapons can be stored in a wallet, so any search of the wallet could later be suppressed or hopefully if everyone is following the law, never take place. Nevertheless, the State’s version in this case appears to be that Mr. Sparxxx gave consent to be searched.

Drug possession cases are complex and an experienced Pinellas County drug possession lawyer is needed to go over consent issues, possession and knowledge issues as well as warrantless search procedures by the Officers in this or any matter. In Florida, except for Marijuana, all possession cases are charged at least as a Third Degree Felony, which is punishable up to five (5) years State Prison.

Published on: March 17, 2009

Pinellas County Cyber Crimes Lawyer News Update: St. Petersburg Man Arrested for Internet Child Pornography

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Florida Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest of a Pinellas County man for possession of child pornography. This arrest was a result of a cooperative effort of the St. Petersburg’s Police Department, the Florida Attorney General’s Tampa Cyber Crime Task Force and the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
According to the news release, the man is currently charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography (each count is an second degree felony under Florida Law) and one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child (also a second degree felony under Florida Law).
The Tampa Cyber Crime Task Force executed a warrant on the arrested man’s residence seized his computer. The legal battle in the coming months will related to how the State Attorney’s Office plans 1) to show that these images were knowingly downloaded by the defendant and maybe more importantly 2) whether or not the defendant knew that these images were on the computer.

Published on: August 20, 2008

Social Networking Sites Can Help and Hurt Criminal Defendants

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Florida prosecutors and defense attorneys now have an unlikely resource to score impeachment material for their trials. Social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook have provided both sides of the courtroom with evidence that is used to cast a negative light on a witnesses’ character.

For example, defense attorneys representing clients charged with battery have used a MySpace page containing a video of the so-called victim beating someone up to show that someone other than their client was the aggressor of the fight. On the flip side, prosecutors offered a MySpace picture of a smiling 22-year-old defendant, holding a glass of wine with comments about getting drunk against her in the sentencing phase of her vehicular manslaughter case. The photo was posted after the DUI accident, and prosecutors argued that the post was evidence of lack of remorse for the crime. As a result, instead of getting sentenced to probation, the young woman was sentenced to prison time.

My grandmother used to tell me to never to do anything that I wouldn’t be proud to have on the front page of the local newspaper and this lesson holds true for websites like Facebook and MySpace. The moral learned from these two examples is never to post anything on the internet that you wouldn’t be proud to have a judge or anyone in the community to see–you never know how it could be used against you. Questions or comments about this post can be directed to Pinellas County criminal attorney Whittel & Melton, LLC at 866-608-5LAW.