Author Archives: Jay Butchko
I Was Arrested for Drunk Driving in Miami: Will I Lose My Driver’s License?
Drunk driving is a serious criminal offense. A conviction on a DUI charge could lead to significant financial penalties and even jail time. It will also lead to the suspension of your driver’s license. Of course, a conviction is not the same thing as an arrest. Every person deserves their day in court and… Read More »
Teenager Arrested Months After Deadly DUI Accident in Miami Dade County
According to reporting from WPLG Local 10, Christopher Mejias, an 18-year-old from Miami, was arrested in connection with a 2019 drunk driving accident that killed a 17-year-old. The student who was killed in the wreck was a passenger in the vehicle. Another 17-year-old in the backseat sustained significant injuries in the crash. Based on… Read More »
Supreme Court Decision Gives Individual State Prosecutors Additional Authority to Bring Criminal Charges Against Undocumented Immigrants
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the Supreme Court of the United States recently released a decision that, in effect, will give individual states additional legal authority to prosecute undocumented immigrants. On March 3rd, 2020, the nation’s top court released its opinion in the case of Kansas v. Garcia—deciding in favor… Read More »
What Should I Do If I Was Falsely Accused of Domestic Violence in South Florida?
Domestic violence is a very serious criminal offense. Under Florida law (Florida Statutes § 741.28), battery against a family member or a household member could lead to jail time. While there is no doubt that domestic abuse is a real problem, it is also true that false accusations can happen. If you were falsely… Read More »
Federal Authorities Have Charged a Florida Doctor in $26 Million Health Care Insurance Fraud Case
According to reporting from ABC News, Moses degraft-Johnson, a Florida doctor, has been arrested and charged with health care fraud for allegedly billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies for more than $26 million in phony services. He pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health… Read More »
Dozens Arrested in Joint Law Enforcement Operation in Miami-Dade County
According to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida, several dozen people have been arrested in a large “gang violence” and “gun violence” crackdown in Miami-Dade County. In a joint effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the operation—which is being called ‘Operation Triple Beam’—resulted in the arrest of more than 150 suspects… Read More »
Police in Florida Find a “Bag Full of Drugs” in a Car and Arrest Two People on Trafficking Charges
According to the Miami Herald’s reporting, deputies from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office recently pulled over a vehicle that was allegedly speeding on Interstate 10 in North Florida. Within the vehicle, officers discovered a tote bag that was labelled “Bag Full of Drugs”—the bag was eventually searched and police found the following banned… Read More »
Federal Authorities Arrest Man Linked to Four Bank Robberies in Southeast Florida
According to reporting from 7 News Miami, Erick Capilla, a 27-year-old man, was taken into custody by FBI agents in Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Capilla is accused of robbing at least four banks in Miami-Dade County earlier this month. Authorities believe that he was responsible for a robbery in Doral, a second robbery in Miami… Read More »
Arrest Made in South Florida’s Decades Old “Pillowcase Rapist” Case
On January 20th, 2020, the Miami Herald reported that Robert Eugene Koehler, a 60-year-old Florida man, has been arrested on sexual battery charges. Investigators believe that Koehler is likely responsible for many other crimes. Indeed, they believe committed a spree of sexual assaults that took place across Southeastern Florida in the early and mid… Read More »
Driver Arrested in Deadly Miami Beach Hit-and-Run Accident
According to reporting from 7 News Miami, Ledisnier Pordomingo-Lopez, 35, has been arrested on felony criminal charges in relation to a fatal accident that occurred in the middle of the night last fall in Miami Beach. Prosecutors believe that Mr. Pordomino-Lopez was the driver responsible for a deadly hit-and-run crash that occurred on the… Read More »
Florida Truck Driver Arrested in 39-Year-Old Murder Case
According to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida, James Curtis Clanton, a truck driver, was arrested in Union County on murder charges. The arrest is in relation to a 1980 rape and homicide that happened in Douglas County, Colorado. Using a commercially available genealogy website, prosecutors were able to link Mr. Clanton’s DNA with… Read More »
Study: How the High Costs of Fines and Fees Burden Defendants and the Criminal Justice System
In November of 2019, the Brennan Center for Justice published the results of a new study that focused on how the high costs of being arrested unjustly burden the accused—especially middle and lower income defendants. Beyond that, the researchers found that in many jurisdictions, these fines actually burden the criminal justice system as a… Read More »
Miami Dolphins Running Back Arrested on Domestic Battery Charges, Released By Team
According to reporting from NBC News, former Miami Dolphins running back Mark Walton has been arrested on domestic violence charges in Broward County, Florida. Prosecutors believe that Mr. Walton struck a pregnant woman following a dispute. He was booked into a county jail on aggravated battery charges—and he has since been ordered by a… Read More »
Miami Beach Waiter Arrested, Charged With Credit Card Fraud
According to reporting from WSVN 7 News, Luis Flores, a former waiter in Miami Beach, has been arrested on credit card fraud charges. The Miami Beach Police Department believes that Mr. Flores stole customer credit card information from at least two different people while he was working at the News Cafe restaurant. The two… Read More »
Miami Professor Who Wrote Book on Organized Crime Charged With Money Laundering
On November 18th, 2019, the Miami Herald reported that Bruce Bagley, a University of Miami professor who is nationally known for his work on organized crime, has been arrested on money laundering charges. Recognized as one of the leading experts on money laundering, Mr. Bagley is accused of helping a corrupt foreign national launder… Read More »
South Florida High School Principal Arrested After an Alleged Domestic Battery Incident
According to reporting from CBS 4 Miami, Richard Jean, the principal of Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School, has been arrested on domestic battery charges. The incident, which occurred off-campus, involved an unidentified male. The alleged victim signed a sworn affidavit stating that Mr. Jean picked him up and threw him to the ground… Read More »
A Miami Restaurant Employee Allegedly Stole Thousands from the Business By Voiding Transactions
According to reporting from the Miami Herald, a 30-year-old restaurant worker named Oscar Orta has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $33,000 from his employer. Mr. Orta is accused of voiding transactions many hours after they were completed and then pocketing the money from the cash register. He is facing felony theft and… Read More »
There is a Warrant Out for My Arrest—What Do I Do Now?
An arrest warrant is an official legal document signed by a judge or a magistrate that authorizes law enforcement officers to arrest an individual. If there is a warrant out for your arrest, it is crucial that you take immediate action to protect your rights and your future. Here, our Miami arrest warrant attorneys… Read More »
Miami-Dade County Drops Aggravated Assault Charges After a Security Video Exonerates an Innocent Man
According to reporting from CBS 4 Miami, aggravated assault charges have been dropped against a South Florida grandfather after a surveillance video was uncovered that exonerated him. Jorge Crusellas-Sotolongo, 52, was arrested on criminal assault charges in late September. He was detained for a day before the charges were eventually dropped. If Mr. Crusellas-Sotolongo… Read More »
Four Flight Attendants Arrested on Money Laundering Charges in Miami
According to reporting from NBC News, four flight attendants for American Airlines were detained and arrested on criminal charges at the Miami International Airport. The international based crew had just arrived on an overseas flight. Prosecutors are accusing them of money laundering and the unlawful smuggling of more than $20,000 into the United States…. Read More »
