SENTENCING UPDATE: Man receives consecutive life sentences for sexually battering, filming a child

Judge Carpanini handed down two consecutive life sentences and an additional 160 years to Jason Bracero-Reyes Friday afternoon.

Following a jury trial, Bracero-Reyes was convicted June 20 of two counts of sexual battery with familial or custodial authority, eight counts of promoting sexual performance of a child, and eight counts of possession of child pornography.

Bracero-Reyes, 34, sexually battered a 12-year-old girl multiple times, threatening to punish the girl or tell her family if she did not cooperate.

But after more than two years of abuse, the victim found the courage to write her mother a letter containing details of the sexual assaults. Her mother contacted law enforcement immediately.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement found eight explicit videos on Bracero-Reyes’ cell phone. He had recorded nude videos of the victim during without her knowledge.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, a letter from the victim was read aloud in court.

“I believe that the only suitable punishment for what this man put me through is life in prison. What he did to me proves that he would do it to anyone else he claimed he cared about,” the girl wrote. “The only thing that might give me some closure would be to know that he’s never able to hurt anyone again.”

JURY VERDICT: Davenport man to receive life after being convicted for rape of 11-year-old

As a punishment for not finishing household chores, Matthew Baist raped his victim and beat her into submission when she tried to fight back.

Matthew Baist, of Davenport.

After less than 45 minutes of deliberation, a jury found Baist guilty Thursday of sexual battery on a victim younger than 12 and sexual battery by a person with familial or custodial authority. He is facing mandatory life in prison, which will be imposed on Sept. 14.

Assistant State Attorney Mattie Tondreault told jurors that the first assault happened a week before the victim’s twelfth birthday. When the girl tried to stop his advances, Baist hit her, causing her eye to become red.

Baist continued punishing the victim by sexually assaulting her for about a month and a half.

On May 4, 2017, the victim’s aunt learned something inappropriate may be happening with Baist, and when she sat down with the victim, the girl burst into tears.

She told her aunt that Baist had sex with her five times and would hit her when she tried to stop him. The aunt testified she recalled seeing a red mark on the victim’s eye in the days leading up to her twelfth birthday, which was in the time period the first assault happened.

The victim said the last time Baist forced himself on her, he choked her. The victim’s aunt saw red marks on the girl’s neck and immediately called law enforcement.

Detectives did a series of controlled phone calls with Baist. He did not admit to anything on the first two calls, but he also never denied having sex with the victim.

On the third call, when Baist was asked if he had sex with the girl, he said, “yeah.”

Baist sits slumped over in court Thursday as the verdict is read. He will be sentenced to mandatory life in prison on Sept. 14.

The doctor who examined the victim said she had several internal abrasions that were consistent with sexual abuse. The doctor also noted red marks on the victim’s neck from the physical abuse.

When DNA from the sexual assault kit was tested, it was a match for Baist.

In closing arguments, the defense told jurors that the victim was mistaken about the first assault having occurred before her twelfth birthday. He said that the red mark on the girl’s eye was circumstantial and could not be linked to the first sexual assault.

But Tondreault reminded jurors that something as traumatic as a sexual assault is not an event that the victim would be mistaken about.

“The first time this happens to a little girl is the first time her world comes crashing down,” Tondreault said. “She (the victim) told you it haunts her and that she has nightmares. All of the physical evidence corroborates what she told you.”

Polk prosecutor recognized at 2018 MADD Law Enforcement Awards

FORT LAUDERDALE – Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Weil was recognized Friday at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) 2018 Statewide Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony in Fort Lauderdale.

Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Weil, right, and Lakeland Police Officer Cory Suttle pose for a photo with their awards at the 2018 MADD Statewide Law Enforcement Awards Dinner in Fort Lauderdale Friday evening. Suttle nominated Weil for her award and was also recognized for his work making DUI arrests.

Weil was one of 17 prosecutors nominated from across the state for their exemplary job handling DUI cases.

Lakeland Police Officer Cory Suttle nominated Weil for the “Outstanding Prosecutor Recognition” award for her hard work prosecuting DUI cases over the past year.

Weil has worked closely with the Lakeland Police Department DUI Unit over the years to ensure DUI convictions are secured, and she said it was incredibly humbling to learn that LPD nominated her.

“Officer Suttle’s investigative work, in particular, is top notch,” Weil said. “Because of his great police work, we were able to have some really good results in the courtroom.”

A strong partnership between the SAO and law enforcement agencies in our circuit is vital to making sure those who are charged with DUI are held accountable for their actions,” said State Attorney Brian Haas. “This is just one example of how our prosecutors continually work alongside law enforcement to ensure the end result of justice is achieved.”

Suttle was also recognized at the 2018 Awards Dinner with the “Centurion Award” for making more than 100 DUI arrests in a calendar year.

Weil said she is privileged to serve under State Attorney Brian Haas, who has made the prosecution of DUI offenders a priority in the Tenth Circuit.

“When DUI offenders are held accountable for their actions, lives are saved,” Weil said.

SENTENCING UPDATE: Teen who beat, battered, burned man sentenced to 75 years in prison

Nathan Johnson sat motionless as a 75-year sentence was handed down to him.

Nathan Johnson

On Friday afternoon, Judge Harb sentenced Johnson to 75 years for first-degree murder, 40 years for sexual battery, 15 years for abuse of a dead human body, and five years for tampering with physical evidence, all to run concurrent with each other. Johnson was also labeled as a sexual predator.

Following a jury trial, jurors deliberated nearly three hours before finding Johnson guilty of these charges on Aug. 17, 2017. Because Johnson was 16 when he committed murder, a separate sentencing hearing was held Friday.

Johnson and three other co-defendants – Michael Gunn, Anthony Johnson, and Brian Johnson Jr. – suspected Banks had raped Johnson’s mother, so on Jan. 14, 2016, they lured him over with the intent to beat him up.

“They were lying in wait inside the house,” said Assistant State Attorney Mark Levine. “When confronted about the baseless accusation of the sexual battery of their mother, Banks said he absolutely did not touch her.”

But Johnson and his co-defendants didn’t like that answer. They charged Banks, who tried to run to safety, but they slammed the door in his face and began to beat him up.

Levine told jurors Johnson and his friends would run across the room to kick him as hard as they could in the face and in the head – they shattered his face in the process. A co-defendant then grabbed a pipe and split his head open.

“They destroyed this man,” Levine said.

Close to the last minutes of his life, Johnson grabbed a flashlight and sexually battered Banks with it while taunting him. He then helped his brother tighten an electrical cord around Banks’ neck.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Levine. (FILE PHOTO)

“The defendant jumps on his (Banks’) back and was holding him down while kicking and punching, tightening the electrical cord, choking the life out of him,” Levine said. “Banks’ life was over, but the story and nightmare wasn’t.”

Johnson memorialized the murder by taking multiple cell phone photos of Banks’ beaten and battered body. He sent those photos to his mother.

After killing Banks and taking photos of him, Johnson called his father – Brian Johnson Sr. – to tell him what they’d accomplished. His father came over to help them dispose of the body to keep them from getting caught.

They wrapped Banks with trash bags and a blanket, loaded him into a jeep, and drove to Sumter County. Banks’ body was dumped into the woods and set on fire.

But Levine said their trip to Sumter County didn’t end there. Johnson and his co-defendants went to Circle K to buy drinks, and they were caught on the surveillance video.

“This man and his cohorts didn’t have a care in the world,” Levine told jurors. “They were laughing and smiling.”

When they returned to Polk County, Johnson and his co-defendants discarded the pipe and burned the mattress Banks’ body was laid on and clothes he was wearing.

The next day, Banks’ body was spotted by a man driving his Jeep on trails in the woods. Law enforcement was called, and an investigation began, leading back to Johnson.

At first, Levine said, Johnson kept denying his involvement. But he eventually confessed to luring Banks, beating him and taking the “trophy” photos of the aftermath.

Levine said Johnson’s actions proved he intended to kill Banks. Once the plan was in motion, Johnson made conscious decisions and choices that led to one conclusion: Banks would be beaten until he was dead.

But not only was Banks beaten, he was sexually battered.

“The defendant was the one who took joy and twisted excitement in sexually battering him, and he memorialized it in taking a picture of it,” Levine said in his closing arguments. “He (Johnson) said and did things that make his intent explicitly clear.”

“These are conscious choices this man made to brutally beat, sexually batter, burn and discard another human being. He deserves to be held accountable for his actions,” Levine said.

From left to right: Anthony Johnson, Michael Gunn, Nathan Johnson, Brian Johnson Jr., Brian Johnson Sr.

Michael Gunn was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, and tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to life in prison.

Anthony Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and battery and was sentenced to life in prison.

Brian Johnson Jr. was convicted of second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, tampering with physical evidence, and battery. He is facing life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 6.

Brian Johnson Sr. pled to accessory after the fact to a capital felony and abuse of a dead human body and was sentenced to eight years in prison.