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Recent Press Releases
Please be advised that Florida has a broad Public Records law and all e-mail correspondence to this office or anyone employed here may be subject to disclosure. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this agency. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
7 Life Sentences for Highlands County Man Convicted of Seven Counts of Capital Sexual Battery
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensA Highlands County Jury convicted Jacob Knowles of seven counts of Sexual Battery. Knowles sexually abused the young girl for several months at her home and other locations. Knowles faces life in prison when sentenced. State Attorney Brian Haas thanks Assistant State Attorney Courtney Lenhart and the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work […]
Texas Man Convicted of Grand Theft by a Polk County Jury
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensDwyane Rowland schemed to steal a house that was not his. The Texas man noticed that there was a man with a similar name in Polk County who owned a home. Rowland traveled here from Texas and attempted to move into the home, even employing a locksmith in an effort to get the locks changed. […]
ASA Paul Wallace Recognized for 40 Years of Service
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensAssistant State Attorney Paul Wallace was recognized at the State Attorney’s Annual Years of Service Ceremony this year for Forty-Years of Service. Wallace, Director of the Homicide Division, is one of the most meticulous, well prepared prosecutors in the state. Wallace was selected as the Gene Barry Award winner in 2019, this is the most […]
POLK COUNTY MAN CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensPolk County Man, Elijah Stansell, was Convicted by a Polk County Jury of First-Degree Murder. Stansell, along with three other co-defendants, drove to the victim’s home to confront her son. When the victim returned home, she confronted the defendant who was driving the getaway van. As he was fleeing the area, the defendant drove his […]
SAO Annual Years of Service and Law Enforcement Award Ceremony
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensThe State Attorney’s Office held its Annual Years of Service and Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recently, Five officers were recognized for their exemplary work on a particular case and those who went above and beyond their routine job duties in efforts to assist our office. Investigator Jason Leggett-Lakeland Police Department Sergeant Steven Ritenour-Highlands County Sheriff’s […]
Winter Haven Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder
/in SAO10 Blog /by Jamie OwensJames Williams, 40, was convicted by a Polk County Jury of Second-Degree Murder, Manslaughter with a Firearm, and two counts of Improper Exhibit of a Firearm. Williams, also known as “Spooky” used a firearm to shoot one victim who died at the scene and shot another victim who later died at the local hospital due […]