Author Archives: Jay Butchko
North Miami Man Arrested on Suspicion of Several Armed Robberies
According to reporting from WPLG Local 10 News, Jonathan Daniels, a 37-year-old man from North Miami, has been arrested on multiple robbery charges. Reports indicate that he was detained after a joint law enforcement operation conducted by officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Miami-Dade Police Department. In filing the charges,… Read More »
Beer Vendor Arrested After Fraudulently Charging a Fan More Than $700 for Two Drinks at a Miami Dolphins Game
According to reporting from the Miami Herald, a beer vendor that served drinks at a Miami Dolphins game has been arrested for fraudulently charging a customer a total of $724 for two beers. Nathaniel Collier, a 33-year-old man from Miami-Dade County, was charged with grand theft. After being arrested, he was booked into the… Read More »
Alleged ‘Peeping Tom’ Arrested in Coral Gables, Florida—Charged With Voyeurism and Criminal Trespassing
According to reporting from CBS 4 Miami, a 31-year-old man named Yoel Diaz Hernandez, who was identified as an Uber driver, was recently arrested by the Coral Gables Police Department after allegedly peering into the bedroom of two residential homes. Mr. Hernandez, who was identified by two separate women, has been charged with two… Read More »
Criminal Mischief Charges in Florida: What You Need to Know
Criminal mischief — sometimes also referred to simply as ‘vandalism’ — is defined as the willful and malicious destruction of personal property or another person’s belongings. Depending on the extent of the damage, it can be charged as either a felony offense or misdemeanor offense in Florida. Here, our Miami defense lawyers provide an… Read More »
Luxury Car Executive Pleads Guilty in Multi Million Fraud Scheme
According to reporting from CBS Miami, Shiraaz Sookralli — a former Broward County Porsche salesman — has pled guilty to scamming at least 30 customers out of approximately $3 million. Earlier this year, Mr. Sookralli was arrested by federal agents on several white collar crimes charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering…. Read More »
Supreme Court Preview: Can an Officer Assume a Registered Vehicle is Being Operated By Its Owner?
In October of 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to hear oral arguments in the case of Kansas v. Glover. Centered around whether or not a police officer had the right to stop and search a vehicle, this is one of the most important criminal procedure cases that the nation’s… Read More »
Arrest Warrants Issued for Four Former Nursing Home Employees — The Charges are Related to a Dozen 2017 Deaths
On September 13th, 2017, eight people died in an assisted living facility in Hollywood, Florida. Sadly, four more nursing home patients died in the following few weeks. The incident occurred days after Hurricane Irma hit the state of Florida — damaging the air conditioning system at the facility. Repairs were not immediate. While staff… Read More »
Three Miami-Dade County Women Arrested in Relation to Affordable Housing Scam
According to reporting from The Real Deal, three South Florida women have been arrested on fraud charges in relation to an affordable housing scam. Among other things, the three defendants in this case allegedly made false representations to people throughout the Miami-Dade region — indicating that they were city employees and that they had… Read More »
Father and Son Pair Arrested for Leading $1 Million Miami Area Boat Theft Ring
According to reporting from the Miami Herald, a father and son duo has been arrested for allegedly leading a boat theft ring that spanned several jurisdictions across South Florida — including Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County. Prosecutors allege that William Baez-Cartalla and William Baez-Valdes were at the top of a criminal enterprise that… Read More »
Social Media Celebrity “Real Tarzan” Arrested, Charged With Burglary and Battery in Miami
According to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida, Michael Holston, a social media personality with more than several million followers across platforms, has been arrested on burglary charges and battery charges in South Florida. Mr. Holston, who is known as the ‘Real Tarzan’ online, has been called the “next Steve Irwin” by some observers…. Read More »
Miami Beach Police Make Arrest in DUI Manslaughter Case
According to reporting from CBS Miami, an arrest has been made in connection with a fatal car crash that occurred on MacArthur Causeway in July. Jose Dominguez, 26, has been charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI causing a serious injury. A representative from the Miami Beach Police Department stated the deadly accident was triggered… Read More »
Miami Police Department Officer Arrested for DUI, Refused Breathalyzer Test
On July 22nd, 2019, the Miami Herald reported that Danny Hebra, an officer with the Miami Police Department, was stopped after allegedly driving in a reckless manner in Key Largo, Florida. The police report states that Mr. Hebra was weaving in and out of lanes and that he improperly drove through a bicycle lane…. Read More »
Miami-Dade County Swimming Instructor Arrested, Charged With Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of Young Children
According to reporting from NBC Miami, Daniel Diaz-Mejia, 20, has been arrested on sexual molestation charges. Mr. Diaz-Mejia was recently employed as a swim instructor in Miami-Dade County. Based on the arrest documents obtained by the news organization, NBC Miami reports that this individual is accused of fondling two nine-year-old girls who were in… Read More »
Supreme Court Strikes Down Overall Vague ‘Crime of Violence’ Law
According to reporting from The Washington Post, the Supreme Court of the United States has struck down a federal ‘Crime of Violence’ statute on the grounds that it is impermissibly vague. Writing the opinion for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the Court’s four liberal leaning members to rule in favor of the defendant… Read More »
Seven People Arrested in for Involvement in Prescription Drug Ring in South Florida
On June 30th, 2019, the Miami Herald reported seven people were arrested on prescription drug fraud charged in South Florida. In a joint operation between state and federal law enforcement officials, arrest warrants were issued against six people who allegedly obtained fraudulent prescriptions and one pharmacist who knowingly filled bad prescriptions. Here, our Miami… Read More »
Miami Police Officer Arrested, Charged With Selling Stolen Automobiles
According to reporting from CBS Miami, Orestes Santiago Verdura — a Miami-Dade County police officer — was recently arrested and charged with participating in a scheme to sell stolen cars. Mr. Verdura and an co-conspirator were charged with: Conspiracy to Commit Organized Scheme to Defraud; and Organized Scheme to Defraud; and Dealing in Stolen… Read More »
Assistant Broward County Attorney Faces DUI Property Damage Charge
According to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida, Alim Babayev — an assistant state attorney for Broward County, FL — has been arrested on drunk driving charges. The report indicates that Mr. Babayev was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol on June 11th, at approximately 8:00 in the evening. NBC 6 South Florida reviewed… Read More »
Four Tips for Defending Probation Violation Charges in Florida
In criminal law, probation is a period of supervised release. A person may be placed on probation after being let out of prison. Alternatively, a person may be placed on probation instead of being sentenced to serve time in prison. When on probation, it is imperative that you comply with all of the terms… Read More »
Parkland Deputy Who Failed to Confront Shooter Arrested, Charged With Child Neglect and Culpable Negligence
According to reporting from the Miami Herald, Scot Peterson — the Broward County deputy who was assigned as the public safety officer at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — is facing 11 criminal charges for his failure to confront the former student and gunman who killed 17 innocent people in February of 2018…. Read More »
Criminal Charges: Driving Without a License in Florida
Drivers operating vehicles without a valid license happens a lot more often than most people realize. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that unlicensed drivers are responsible for more than ten percent of the accidents in the United States. In some cases, people drive with a suspended or expired license. In… Read More »
