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Recent Press Releases
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Man Convicted of Multiple Counts of Trafficking in Heroin
/in SAO10 Blog/by Jon McMillanA Lake Alfred man was convicted by a Polk County Jury of three counts of trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to traffic heroin and several other drug-related charges. The street value of the heroin involved in this case exceeded tens of thousands of dollars. The defendant, Beverly Souels, worked with another man to traffic heroin throughout […]
JURY VERDICT: Russell Lewis Botts Guilty of Attempted Armed Robbery with a Deadly Weapon
/in SAO10 Blog/by Jon McMillanPolk County jury trials resumed this week after being paused for several weeks due to COVID. In a trial on Wednesday, jurors convicted Russell Lewis Botts of Attempted Armed Robbery with a Deadly Weapon. In November of 2019, Botts and an accomplice tried to rob a man who was walking home from work near Griffin […]
Jury Verdict: Man Guilty of First Degree Murder
/in SAO10 Blog/by john chamblissIn the first COVID-19-Era First Degree Murder Trial, jurors convicted James “Jimbo” Pennington for the murder of Devyn Martin in Indian Lake Estates in 2017. During the 6 day trial, jurors heard testimony from Polk County Sheriff’s Deputies and other witnesses to the crime. Assistant State Attorney Jaenea Gorman presented evidence to the jurors […]
Child suffered years of sexual abuse, Winter Haven man sentenced to life in prison
/in SAO10 Blog/by john chamblissState Attorney Brian Haas’ Office prosecuted Edward Stevenson for sexually abusing a young girl. Stevenson was convicted at a jury trial of four counts of sexual battery on a child. He was arrested in 2017 after Winter Haven Police investigated the abuse allegations. They also conducted a controlled phone call with the defendant and […]
Winter Haven man sentenced to 7 years for trafficking methamphetamine
/in SAO10 Blog/by john chamblissA Winter Haven man was sentenced to seven years in prison in October for trafficking more than $2,000 in methamphetamine. Alan Stroh, 56, was found guilty Oct. 14 after six jurors deliberated for about two hours. Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen sentenced Stroh following the conviction. Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter prosecuted the case. Nutter told […]
Man who attacked roommates with box cutter sentenced to 17 years
/in SAO10 Blog/by john chamblissA Winter Haven man, who stabbed two roommates with a box cutter in 2018, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. Justin Handshoe, 35, pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, which are second degree felonies. Handshoe attacked his roommates, a man and a woman, several days after […]