Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog

March 11, 2016

Florida Mom Turns in Teen Son After Police Chase

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Broward Sheriff’s detectives are lauding the actions of a mother who turned her teenage son into authorities after spotting him on television news, fleeing on foot from a police helicopter that had been chasing him and three others across four cities along I-95.

Authorities say she brought her son to the police station around 1:30 a.m. and instructed him to cooperate with deputies. Her actions were deemed “upstanding” and “noble.”

To be sure, parents have a responsibility to hold their children accountable for wrongdoing. At the same time, what some may not realize is that even though these are minors, they can still face adult penalties. That’s why they should receive the same kind of legal defense protection as any adult facing serious charges. Continue reading

March 5, 2016

Law Enforcement Use Technology to Catch Suspects

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

The evolution of technology in recent years is somewhat astonishing. The fact that we all walk around with what amounts to a personal computer and can instantly connect to anyone in almost any corner of the globe is a testament to that.

But don’t think for a second that police haven’t tapped into that potential as well.

Prime example: Recently the Sun-Sentinel reported on a case in which Broward County Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to electronically track a stolen phone to a man and woman who were later arrested for theft.

The pair allegedly stalked the victim as he walked out of a Pompano Beach casino, followed him to a nearby store and robbed him at gun point of his winnings, his wallet, electronics, his backpack – and his iPhone – in the parking lot. In cash alone, the pair reportedly took $11,740. Continue reading

March 1, 2016

Marital Privilege Violation in Florida Sex Case Results in Mistrial

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

A criminal case for lewd lascivious molestation against a Weston foot doctor has ended in mistrial after a recorded phone conversation played for jurors violated Florida’s spousal privilege statute.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Broward Circuit Judge Raag Singhal made the call after jurors heard a recorded call between defendant, Dr. Augustine Bollo, and the alleged victim’s mother in which the mother alleged Bollo’s wife did not believe he was innocent.

Singhal considered the defense attorney’s request for mistrial after the tape was played, and after reviewing case law, granted that request. Continue reading

February 29, 2016

Florida Manslaughter Charges Dropped for Ansara Law Firm Client

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

South Florida Defense Attorney Richard Ansara of The Ansara Law Firm successfully defended a client charged with manslaughter following a 2013 fatal shooting in Boca Raton.

As The Sun-Sentinel recently reported, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley dismissed the second-degree felony case against 25-year-old client Joshua Henry of Pompano Beach. Henry originally faced up to 15 years in prison. He is now a free man.

Ansara aptly argued that the events resulting in the death of Justin Holt, 22, were the result of a “tragic accident,” not criminal action. Continue reading

February 27, 2016

Alligator Drive-Thru Assault: “It Was a Prank”

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

A 24-year-old South Florida man stands accused of assault with a deadly weapon for throwing a live alligator into a fast-food restaurant drive-thru window. His father recently spoke out, saying his son is a “nature lover” with a “good heart,” and the ordeal was simply, “a prank.”

Unfortunately, intent in these matters is of little consequence in the eyes of the criminal justice system. He allegedly willfully tossed the 3.5-foot creature at the unsuspecting fast food workers would, if proven, render his reported lack of harmful intention meaningless.

In fact, it has been our experience that most people accused of criminal conduct had failed to fully grasp the seriousness of their actions under the law. Sometimes this, along with a lack of prior criminal record and other factors, can be asserted as mitigating circumstances to justify a lesser penalty. However, it cannot on its own be grounds to drop the charges entirely. Continue reading

February 24, 2016

Report: Hit-and-Run Crashes Uptick in South Florida

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Hit-and-run crashes in Florida are reportedly on the rise, with the Florida Highway Patrol recently calling a Miami news conference to raise awareness of the issue.

State data shows more than 92,600 drivers fled auto accident scenes in 2015. That was approximately 8,000 more than had done so in 2014. It’s also nearly 23,000 more than were tallied in 2012.

Locally, state law enforcement officials say that in Broward County, hit-and-run crashes climbed from 9,750 in 2014 to 10,950 in 2015. In Miami-Dade, the numbers increased from 17,480 to 18,1350. And in Palm Beach County, hit-and-run collisions were up from 6,700 to 6,770. Continue reading

February 21, 2016

Shoplifting in Florida Can Result in Felony Charge

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Authorities in Weston are tracking down leads trying to find a suspected light-fingered woman with a penchant for long skirts.

According to the Sun Sentinel, the woman first appeared on law enforcement radar last year, when she reportedly heisted some $1,000 up or into her flowing, floral skirt. Now, almost exactly a year later, the same woman – accompanied by the same man – reportedly returned to the same store. This time, she had on a different skirt, but the technique was the same. The value of the goods taken this time, police say, was $400.

The dollar amounts are important in these situations because when it comes to Florida theft cases, the severity of the charge will depend on the amount stolen. Continue reading

February 17, 2016

Florida Official Accused of Keying Car in Neighbor Spat

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Ron Cacciatore is a man who has spent his life in Broward law enforcement. He worked for years as an undercover agent, targeting drug traffickers. He took on high-profile, influential members of organized crime. He even spoke at one about about running for Broward sheriff himself.

But now, he’s on the other side of that coin. The 62-year-old, who currently serves as the head fraud investigator at the Broward Property Appraiser’s Office, was recently accused of taking a key to vandalize the car of a 73-year-old neighborhood association president, who has been sparring with his 43-year-old stepdaughter.

This is according to The Sun-Sentinel, which alleges the source of this quarrel spans a full five years – and the tenure of two association presidents. In all this time, there have been reports of conflicts between those involved that resulted in hair-pulling, biting and restraining order filings. And now, reportedly, it’s culminated in vandalism by a high-ranking county official and retired lawman. Continue reading

February 13, 2016

3 Years Federal Prison for Wire Fraud Suspect in Online Auto Sales Scheme

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

The man said he was roped into an international fraud after striking up a conversation with a group in a Romanian night club. That was back in 2007. The plan didn’t involve physically hurting anyone, simply separating them from their money.

The following year, he was on a flight to Los Angeles, where he was taught how to open phony bank accounts. He was able to return to Romania. From there, federal prosecutors say, he would trick unsuspecting buyers on websites like AutoTrader.com and Craigslist into putting a down payment on a vehicle. Problem was, he didn’t own any vehicles and he never delivered once the cash was transferred. Authorities say there was never any intention on Mihai Postelnicu’s part to engage in a legitimate vehicle purchase transaction.

He returned to the U.S. in 2010 and began working out of Broward County, where he set up two bank accounts into which victims sent electronic transfers of cash. Posing as a Czech or Swedish citizen, he used fake identification cards and aliases to withdraw the money. The emailed transactions made it appear as if they were from legitimate services, like Google Wallet.

Now, The Sun Sentinel reports, the 37-year-old Postelnicu has been sentenced to 2 years, 9 months in a U.S. federal prison. Once he serves his sentence, he’ll be deported back to Romania. Continue reading

February 9, 2016

Bail Set for “Peeping Tom” Suspect in Pembroke Pines

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Prosecutors say Pelayo Alexander Cerulia grew increasingly brazen with his exploits over the course of two years. He allegedly started by peering into the homes of unsuspecting women. Then he started doing so while touching himself. Then, he began shattering their windows with marbles fired from a slingshot. Then, in the most serious incident, he is accused of trying to break into a woman’s home this past July, demanding that she show her breasts and bragging he would never be caught.

The Sun-Sentinel reports Cerulia was terrorizing the same five women (and possibly others) over the course of 24 months. The women tearfully spoke publicly about these repeated encounters and Cerulia turned himself into police two days later, on New Year’s Eve.

Initially, prosecutors argued the judge should set no bond in the case, arguing the 43-year-old defendant was a danger to the community. But defense argued there was a significant flaw in the eyewitness account provided by the woman who alleged attempted burglary: She described a man who was “Irish-looking” with “reddish complexion” who was a “pasty white guy.” His client’s skin is tan and his hair is dark and graying near his temples. He also has thick black eyebrows. Continue reading