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Substitute Teacher Vernell Hicks of Pompano Beach, Florida Accused of Performing Oral Sex on Teen Boy

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Substitute teacher Vernell Hicks of Pompano Beach, Florida was arrested on August 23 for allegedly performing oral sex on a 15-year-old boy he met at Crystal Lakes Middle School.

Hicks, 30, is charged with multiple felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, behavior and conduct on a victim 12 to 16 years of age. He is being held in lieu of $150,000 bond. He has been ordered not to access the internet or contact the victim or any other minors. It is unclear if he has acquired legal representation.

According to the arrest report, police learned about Hicks’ alleged actions after the victim’s mother informed them about the explicit messages he sent to her son on Facebook. Hicks was the alleged victim’s substitute teacher two years ago. He helped the teen to create a Facebook account, the report said.

Hicks and the teen allegedly had several conversations through Facebook starting from June 2017 until August 22. The one the victim’s mother saw reportedly involved Hicks coordinating when he would perform sex acts on the 15-year-old boy.

When questioned by police, the victim said they started communicating on Facebook and Hicks would pick him up from his home on multiple occasions and drive him to commercial warehouse areas where he would perform oral sex on him. He and Hicks met for sexual encounters on six different occasions, according to the report.

Hicks initially denied the allegations, but later confessed to performing oral sex on the boy on one occasion, the report said.

Hicks began working as substitute teacher for Broward County Public Schools in 2015. He taught at Crystal Lake Middle School until early 2017 and has been teaching at Pompano Beach Middle School from July 2017 to the present. A spokesperson for the school district told the press that Hicks has since been fired from his position.

Another incident of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a teacher and an underage student was reported two weeks ago in Davie, Florida. Former school teacher and camp counselor Christopher Lawrence Falzone was taken into police custody on August 13 for allegedly molesting an underage girl who attended a summer camp where he worked.

Falzone, 35, is being charged with multiple felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond and is prohibited from having contact with the victim or any other minors. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, Falzone met the victim at Camp Live Oak in Dania Beach between June 11 and August 3. Police learned about Falzone’s alleged relationship with the victim from her mother, who overheard her daughter talking to a man on the phone. The victim’s mother saw Falzone’s name listed in the call history, the report said.

She called the police after her daughter admitted that Falzone touched her inappropriately on several occasions during camp field trips.

Falzone was a substitute teacher for Broward County Public Schools from October 2008 to October 2013. He currently works a full-time teacher at Renaissance Charter School at Cooper City.

Florida Lewd or Lascivious Battery Attorney

If you are involved in a lewd or lascivious battery case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual battery attorneys.

Source: 8.24.18 broward county substitute teacher accused of performing oral sex on teenage boy.pdf

Dedrick Williams of Pompano Beach Arrested, Accused of Killing Rapper XXXTentacion

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Dedrick Williams of Pompano Beach, Florida was arrested as a suspect in the Monday shooting of Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, better known as rapper XXXTentacion.

Williams, 22, was charged with first-degree murder without premeditation as well as driving without a license and violating parole for an earlier crime. He was denied bond in court on Thursday and was booked into Broward Count Main Jail. It is unclear if he has acquired an attorney.

Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) spokeswoman Joy Oglesby told the press that homicide detectives are searching for additional suspects. They won’t be releasing any other details at this time.

According to sheriff’s office, 20-year-old Onfroy was murdered at around 4 p.m. on Monday afternoon as he sat inside his vehicle outside Riva Motorsports in Deerfield Beach. Two armed men approached and shot him before stealing a large Louis Vuitton bag from the vehicle. Onfroy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Onfroy’s attorney David Bogenschutz told the press that investigators told him his client had visited a bank shortly before the incident and likely withdrew cash to buy a motorcycle at the motorsports shop.

Investigators won’t say how Williams became a suspect in the fatal shooting, but he was reportedly spotted driving in Pompano Beach on Wednesday night and was pulled over. He was driving with a suspended license, according to the arrest warrant.

Records show Williams has been previously charged with several felonies, including domestic violence, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and grand theft auto. He was never imprisoned for any of the charges and some of them were dropped.

XXXTentacion was a rising rap star with a slew of Billboard hits. He notched a No. 1 single last spring and a No. 1 album in March 2018. His career was embroiled in controversy. He was arrested on multiple charges including home invasion in 2016, and less than a month later was jailed for allegedly attacking his pregnant girlfriend.

“I don’t think Jahseh ever came to grips with how famous he was,” Bogenschutz told the Miami Herald. “If he had security, maybe things would be different. Maybe not.”

Onfroy was placed on house arrest late last year and was released earlier this year to allow him to promote his new album. He was facing 15 felonies at the time of his death.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been involved in a shooting, you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced criminal defense attorneys.

Source: 6.21.18 a_suspect_in_the_shooting_of_rapper_XXXTentatcion_is_behind_bars.pdf

Kevin Macek of Pompano Beach, Florida Arrested on Child Porn Charges

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Kevin-Macek-234x300Kevin Macek of Pompano Beach, Florida was arrested on Monday morning for allegedly sending pornographic images of children and encouraging sex acts on underage children during webcam shows.

Macek. 41, faces 11 counts, including solicitation of a child and possession and transmission of a child porn. It is unclear if he has acquired legal representation.

According to the arrest report, a Broward Sheriff’s Office task force that fights internet crimes against children was contacted by an internet provider (ISP) in May about a user was sharing child porn images through a messaging service.

The user had reportedly sent four pictures of children between the ages of 3 and 14 posing in a sexual manner while exposing their private parts. The ISP sent investigators the user’s unique IP address to help them locate the computer that was used to send the images.

Investigators tracked the computer’s location to Macek’s home on North Riverside Drive. They obtained a warrant and placed him under arrest. Macek allegedly admitted to sending the images and also said he encouraged another man, identified only as “David,” to perform sexual acts on camera with a three-year-old girl while he watched. “David” and his wife were reportedly arrested on June 27. Their full identities have not yet been released by news sources.

Police searched Macek’s home and purportedly found a phone that contained three videos depicting girls as young as 11 in the nude performing sexual acts on themselves or being sexual assaulted by an older man.

Another child porn case was reported in Palm Beach County last week. Palm Beach County sheriff’s office deputy Adam W. Godbey was arrested on June 28 after detectives reportedly found more than 30 pictures and videos of underage girls and boys performing sex acts on his phone and computer.

Adam-Godbey.jpgAccording to the arrest report, investigators were tipped off by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about someone who was uploading child pornography to a website. Investigators were provided with the IP address of the user’s computer and that led them to Godbey’s place of residence.

Police reportedly found a phone and a laptop “hidden on the top of a kitchen cabinet” when they searched his home. The devices contained more than 30 pictures and videos of child porn. Godbey allegedly admitted that he owned the devices.

Godbey has worked for the sheriff’s office since 2013. He has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. PBSO said the following statement about the incident:

“The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public’s trust. Unfortunately sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct. This misconduct was reported, investigated and determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in charges.”

Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, fines, and lifetime registration on the sex offender registry. Production of child pornography carries the heaviest penalties and is a first-degree penalty punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Sex crimes can carry life-changing consequences, which is why an offender should hire an experienced and skilled attorney to push for the best possible outcome on their behalf.

Sources: 7.11.17 Kevin Macek of Pompano Beach Arrested on Child Porn Charges.pdf

Dr. Willem Ouw of Broward County, Florida and Three Medical Staffers Arrested on Federal Drug Charges

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https://www.briansilber.com/files/2017/06/Dr.-Willem-Ouw-240x300.jpgDr. Willem Ouw of Broward County, Florida was arrested last week for allegedly running a “pill mill” from his medical office. Ouw, 84, faces charges for dispensing a controlled substance without authorization by law, conspiracy to dispense oxycodone, and attempting to dispense oxycodone, morphine, and amphetamine. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

Three of his employees, Sarah Shoopman of Orange County, Belafonte “Quincy” Byard of Broward County, and Donna Licata of Broward County were also arrested. They are being charged with one count of conspiracy to dispense a controlled substance without authorization by law. If found guilty, they each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. News sources did not name attorneys for them.

According to the arrest report, DEA agents raided Ouw’s Pompano Beach medical office on June 15 and seized several boxes of documents as evidence. Using information gathered during the raid, investigators discovered that Ouw and his employees had reportedly prescribed more than 400,000 pills with an estimated value of $10 million.

Ouw allegedly prescribed over 16,000 amphetamine pills and 64,000 morphine pills without any medical reason. His employees, Shoopman, 36, Byard, 50, and Licata, 62, purportedly directed patients on what to do and took payments on behalf of the doctor. Ouw agreed to surrender his medical license and his DEA registration after his arrest, sources said.

“When they’re taking advantage and overprescribing, writing prescriptions with no medical necessity, it’s all for profit and that’s just not right,” DEA Public Information Officer Anne-Judith Lambert told CBS Miami. “They’re supposed to be part of the solution and they’re not. They’re part of the problem.”

The arrest of Ouw and his staff was announced by Benjamin G. Greenberg, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, together with representatives from the DEA and Broward Sheriff’s Office on June 16. In addition to levying the criminal charges, the indictment also seeks to seize properties owned by Ouw that were allegedly derived from or used in the furtherance of the charged offenses. Ouw reportedly owns properties valued at $2.8 million.

Pompano Beach was a hotbed for pill mills until 2012 when the DEA partnered with local officials to crackdown on doctors and clinic owners involved in the illegal market. In that year, agents reportedly shut down 40 clinics and arrested 80 people, 22 of whom were doctors.

Despite the crackdown on pill mills and the decline of drug overdose deaths in Florida because of state regulatory changes, prescription drug overdose is still a problem in the region. Five people are estimated to die from drug overdose in South Florida every day.

Source: 6.16.17 Ouw of Broward County Arrested on Federal Drug Charges.pdf

Elaine May of Pompano Beach, Killed in Fort Lauderdale Car Crash

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car-crash-300x200AutoNation executive Elaine May of Pompano Beach, Florida was killed on March 20 in a Fort Lauderdale car crash.

According to Fort Lauderdale police, the crash occurred at NW 15th Avenue near Lockhart Stadium at 7:20 p.m. last Monday. May was driving a Nissan Maxima south when an Infiniti G35 traveling west on West Commercial Boulevard crashed into her vehicle. May died at the scene. It is unclear if the other driver was injured.

The driver of the Infiniti was reportedly identified as Ashley Rivera of North Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale police told news sources that charges against Rivera, 34, are pending the outcome of the crash investigation.

May had worked for AutoNation for over 18 years and was a manager in corporate real estate services at the time of her death. She is survived by her husband John May and their two daughters.

Marc Cannon, the executive vice president of communications at AutoNation, told the press that the company’s employees are raising funds for the education of May’s daughters, and AutoNation plans to match the amount raised.

Another crash was reported in Jupiter last Tuesday involving Shawn Charles Smith of Jupiter. Smith, 31, allegedly rear-ended a vehicle on the 100 block of West Indiantown Road and fled the scene. No one was injured in the crash.

Shawn-Smith-232x300Smith faces multiple charges including leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, failure to register a motor vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to Palm Beach County Jail and was released the following day after posting a $6,000 bond. Sources did not name an attorney for Smith.

The victims of the crash told police that Smith signaled that he was pulling over after the crash but instead drove away. The victims followed him to a place near South Old Dixie Highway, where he reportedly parked the vehicle.

According to the arrest report, when Smith saw that he was being tailed, he purportedly sped away south. The victims lost sight of him on Alternate A1A, but a detective later saw him driving recklessly and speeding near Main Street and Central Boulevard, and stopped him.

The detective discovered that Smith’s vehicle was registered to another vehicle. Smith also reportedly admitted to having a syringe in his pocket which he uses to “inject marijuana.” A search of his vehicle revealed four more syringes and a powder that reportedly tested positive for amphetamines. He told police that he fled the scene of the crash because of fear.

Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County, and Broward County rank the highest in Florida for hit-and-run car accidents. Hit-and-run crashes have reportedly risen by over 25% since 2013. More than 99,000 hit-and-run crashes were reported last year, compared to less than 77,000 in 2013.

While many of these types of accidents really are accidents (the driver may not be aware that they hit someone), many involve alcohol and drugs and lead to deaths. In 2016, 179 people where killed by hit-and-run drivers in Florida.

Sources: 3.24.17 May Car Crash.pdf and 3.23.17 Smith Hit and Run Crash.pdf