Paul Marx consumed numerous alcoholic drinks and drifted off the roadway while driving home, striking and instantly killing a pedestrian.
Paul Marx, 45, of Auburndale.
After three hours of deliberation, Marx, 45, was convicted Friday of vehicular homicide with failure to render aid and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. He is facing up to 60 years in prison.
Marx will be sentenced May 3.
Assistant State Attorneys Mattie Tondreault and Courtney Durden tried the case and took jurors back to the night of Sept. 27, 2014, when 52-year-old John Haney was killed.
Marx started drinking at about 4 p.m. that day with his neighbor, consuming drinks with double shots of alcohol. He took his neighbor home about two hours later and went back out to drink, visiting at least three different establishments, until he left the XYZ Lounge about 11:15 p.m.
Haney walked up to the Circle K on U.S. 92 and was headed back home. He was walking in the grassy area on the eastbound side of the road, which is about three feet from where the pavement ends.
Marx was travelling about 55 miles per hour down U.S. 92 in his 2004 Ford F-150 when he veered off the roadway. He drove on the side of the road for 224 feet, and he struck Haney with the front right section of his truck.
Haney’s back hit the hood of Marx’s truck before his body was thrown 141 feet from the point of impact. Marx continued driving on the side of the roadway for over 150 feet before he re-entered it.
There were clear tire tracks left at the scene, which showed that Marx did not swerve or attempt to hit the brakes.
When Marx got home, his neighbor noticed that the truck was parked funny and saw Marx drunkenly leaning on the vehicle. The two men found blood spots on the hood of the truck, and Marx admitted he heard a thud while driving home but thought it was road debris.
The neighbor drove Marx back to the bar in an attempt to find the scene of the incident, but they were unable to. Marx went back home and waited another two hours before calling police to report the crash.
Haney’s body was found about 3 a.m.
The defense argued that Marx didn’t see the victim or know what he hit, so he kept driving. They claimed it was just an accident.
But Tondreault told jurors that at least two feet of Haney’s body would have been visible above the hood of the truck at the point of impact. She also reminded the jury that Marx had his headlights and fog lights on, illuminating the grass in the 224 feet leading up to the victim.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Paul-Marx.jpg480400Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-03-21 16:32:232018-03-21 16:32:51JURY VERDICT: Auburndale man found guilty in fatal hit-and-run, faces 60 years in prison
One of Aaron Henry’s life goals is to help others.
Aaron Henry
And he felt the way he could help people best was by becoming a lawyer.
“I always knew that was what I wanted to do,” Henry said, adding that he took a longer route by going in to the Air Force after High School.
Henry, 27, grew up in Jacksonville and went to college at Ashford University. He went into the Air Force in 2009 and worked in airfield management as a supervisor of airfield safety.
After finishing his undergraduate degree in the military, Henry went to Florida Coastal in 2015. He graduated with his juris doctor in only two years.
“I knew I wanted to help people, and being any kind of lawyer means you can help a lot of people,” Henry said.
But Henry said he felt particularly drawn to criminal law because of the importance it plays in our society.
“You can win or lose a lawsuit, and that’s just money,” he said. “But criminal law is someone’s life, and you have to have a certain level of maturity to handle that.”
Henry said he believes his time with the Air Force helped shape him into a person who is well-equipped to reasonably accept the challenges and responsibilities that come with criminal law.
Since he joined the State Attorney’s Office, Henry said, his enthusiasm for prosecution has been reinforced.
“I love being a prosecutor,” Henry said, smiling.
But when he’s not prosecuting, Henry loves spending time with his wife and two daughters.
He also enjoys watching television. He and his wife are currently watching are Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Grey’s Anatomy.
“I also love Law and Order,” Henry said, laughing.
Sports are also important to his family, as they have an in-house rivalry.
“I’m a huge FSU fan, and my wife is a UF fan,” he said.
As he looks ahead to his future with the SAO, Henry said, he has a couple career goals.
Since he has a background as a supervisor in the military, he hopes he’ll get the opportunity to prosecute in a leadership position.
But ultimately, he would like to work in special prosecutions.
“With my personality, it’s easy to get motivated for all crimes,” Henry said, “but I think you walk into work with a little more motivation when you’re dealing with those specific crimes.”
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Aaron-Henry_2.jpg47443389Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-03-16 16:10:002018-03-16 16:13:34SAO SPOTLIGHT: Henry’s life goal leads to law career
Derek Maude glanced over his shoulder and looked his shooter in the eyes.
Kaheem Bennett, 24, of Lakeland.
“I saw his eyes lined up with the gun sight,” Maude said as he testified from his wheelchair. “I was sure a shot was coming soon … Next thing I know, my head is ringing. I looked down and told myself to get up, and I couldn’t.”
Kaheem Bennett fired a single shot at 27-year-old Maude that hit his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the waist down.
A jury convicted Bennett Feb. 22 of attempted first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and armed kidnapping. He is facing a mandatory life sentence, which will be imposed on April 5.
Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson told jurors that on Jan. 25, 2015 – Super Bowl Sunday – Maude and his friends pooled their money in order to buy an ounce of marijuana for their super bowl party. He agreed to locate and purchase the marijuana. That choice is one Maude would later refer to as the “stupidest decision he’s ever made,” as it cost him the use of his legs.
While Maude was looking for a place to buy marijuana on 5th Street in Lakeland, he ran into an old friend from high school named Deshaundre Roseboro. The two went back to Roseboro’s house to catch up when a silver Dodge Charger pulled up to the curb.
In court, Maude testified that he approached the car because he thought they were going to sell him the marijuana he had been looking for earlier. He didn’t know he was about to robbed at gun point.
He got into the rear driver’s door of the vehicle occupied by three black males but left the door open with his foot out. When Maude sat down, the car swiftly left the driveway and sped down the road, forcing Maude to shut the car door.
The front seat passenger asked if Maude “wanted to see what it looked like.” When Maude said yes, a bag was thrown into the back seat, which he assumed was marijuana.
But when Maude looked up, a Tech-9 pistol was pointed at his stomach.
He reached to open the door, but it was locked. Maude immediately began to fight the rear passenger – he grabbed the barrel of the gun and head-butted the rear passenger, causing him to loosen his grip on the weapon.
Maude aimed the firearm at the floorboard with the intent of discharging the rounds, but the front passenger began to fight him. Maude continued to throw punches at the two passengers until he had possession of the gun again.
He pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not shoot. Maude, who grew up in a military family and has experience handling firearms, disengaged the safety and ejected the magazine.
It fell to the floorboard of the car.
The passengers continued fighting Maude and took the nearly $1,000 in cash that was in his possession. With Maude outnumbered, they soon regained control of the gun.
One of the men told Maude to get out of the car and run. As soon as the door unlocked, the front passenger told the driver to “bust that cracker.”
“I knew what was coming next,” Maude said in court, adding that he began to run in a zigzag pattern. “I looked back and made eye contact with the driver. All I see is a firearm pointed at me … his eyes lined up with the gun sights.”
Maude said he did not remember hearing a shot – just that he hit the ground and could not feel his legs.
“One moment I was running and the next I was laying on the ground,” he said. “There was blood everywhere … and it felt like everything fell asleep and was tingling.”
He was able to call 911 with his cell phone, but Maude testified that he began losing consciousness and said his memories of talking to police were hazy.
Officers who responded found a single 9 millimeter casing on the ground and got a description of the shooter and vehicle from Maude.
He was able to identify the front seat passenger from a photo pack as Gregory Dickens, who is a known associate of Bennett.
Maude chose two people from a photo pack to identify the driver. His first choice was Bennett, and his second was someone who looked like Bennett but was incarcerated at the time of the shooting.
Five days after the incident, police saw Bennett driving the silver Dodge Maude described, and he was arrested.
In interviews with law enforcement, Bennett said he was in Leesburg at the time of the shooting. His phone records refuted that statement and placed him in Lakeland days leading up to and during the shooting.
Bennett did not leave for Leesburg until after the shooting took place.
Further examination of the cell phone uncovered text messages linking Bennett to the crime. He texted friends and told them that the only witnesses from the shooting were Roseboro and Maude.
In court, the defense argued Bennet could not have been the shooter and that Maude’s photo pack identifications were unreliable. Bennett’s attorney said that two people did not shoot Maude, which meant he failed to make a proper identification and could not be trusted.
“Kaheem Bennett wasn’t there,” the defense said. “He didn’t do the shooting, and he wasn’t involved in the robbery.”
But Dickens – the person Maude did correctly identify – was called as a defense witness and admitted to being in the car with Maude before he was shot.
Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson addresses jurors during closing statements Feb. 22. Johnson held up his right arm to demonstrate how Kaheem Bennet pointed the gun at Derek Maude.
“Their own witness admitted to what happened in the car,” Johnson said, “and that supports Maude’s testimony.”
Johnson told jurors all of the evidence leads back to Bennett, meaning it was not a coincidence Maude chose his photo.
“How would Kaheem Bennett know who the only two witnesses were unless he was he driver of the car that pulled up to rob Derek Maude?” Johnson asked jurors.
“All the circumstantial evidence locks in Kaheem Bennett as the person who did this,” Johnson told jurors in his closing arguments. “His phone put him at the location. He attempted to fabricate an alibi, and his conversations show that he had info he could only know if he was there.”
“There is no reasonable doubt,” he said.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kaheem-Bennett.jpg480400Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-03-12 14:57:382018-03-12 14:57:38JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man guilty of attempted murder, facing mandatory life
Calvin Barnes pled guilty to 50 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography Tuesday and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 15 years of sex offender probation.
Calvin Barnes, 46, of Mulberry.
Barnes, 46, was viewing, downloading, and distributing explicit photos and videos on Twitter. His activity was flagged by Twitter, and the company sent a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The investigation was then passed to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were able to link the flagged Twitter account to Barnes using his subscriber information.
Over 500 pictures and videos were located in connection to Barnes’ account. The investigation also revealed he was having conversations about wanting to engage in sexual activity with minors.
After the court hearing today, State Attorney Brian Haas attributed the lengthy prison term to the “excellent investigation performed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the dedicated efforts of Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith, who prosecuted the case for the Tenth Circuit State Attorney’s Office.”
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Barnes.jpg512414Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-03-06 12:07:562018-03-06 12:07:56PLEA AGREEMENT: Mulberry man sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession of child pornography
Willie Watson III stepped into McDonald’s, raised a gun over his head, and fired a single shot into the ceiling.
Willie Watson III, 45, of Lake Wales.
Watson, 45, walked past the registers and toward the drive-through window and yelled, “Give that —– up!” He paced back and forth before walking toward the exit, where he yelled at two elderly people and demanded they sit down, preventing them from leaving the scene.
Watson left the restaurant without taking anything.
A jury convicted Watson Wednesday of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison following trial.
At about 8:30 a.m. January 8, surveillance footage caught Watson exiting a minivan outside the McDonald’s wearing a dark colored hoodie and a red bandana covering his face. He was also wearing black gloves and was holding a black firearm.
The defense agreed there was a shooting that Sunday morning at McDonald’s but that Watson did not do it. During trial, Watson testified that he lent the minivan to someone with a similar stature to his.
But Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry told jurors that multiple pieces of evidence placed Watson at the scene.
A gunshot residue test was conducted on Watson after he was arrested, and residue particles were found on his hands.
A single black glove was left at the scene. The DNA on it was a match for Watson.
A shell casing was located at the scene. When law enforcement searched the minivan Watson was seen exiting at McDonald’s, they found a firearm.
It was a match for the casing.
“The defense wants you to think he’s the unluckiest man in the world,” Perry told the jury during her closing arguments. “But all the evidence points in one direction, and that is toward Willie Watson.”
State Attorney Brian Haas said he was thankful for the excellent work of the Lake Wales Police Department in investigating and solving this case.
“I also appreciate the hard work and dedication of Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry in securing this conviction and putting this dangerous felon in prison for many years,” Haas said.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Willie-Watson.jpg600480Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-02-23 16:19:282018-02-23 16:20:26SENTENCING UPDATE: Lake Wales man who shot McDonald’s ceiling sentenced to 20 years
Noah Worthington was angry when he found out he’d been fired from his job as a truck driver.
Noah Worthington
Another employee was sent to retrieve the truck from Worthington. But instead of gathering his belongings and handing over the keys, Worthington struck the employee and drove away in the stolen semi.
A jury convicted Worthington on Jan. 18 of robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm. He is facing 20 years in prison and will be sentenced March 2.
Although it’s been almost 15 months since Tyler Reeve was struck in the right leg with the semi, he still deals with constant pain. Reeve has had numerous surgeries and is unable to do a lot of simple things on his own.
Assistant State Attorney Seth Solomon questioned Reeve, who walked jurors through the events of Nov. 1, 2016.
Reeve and another employee of Leonard’s Express – a truck driving company – were sent to where Worthington had dropped off his last truckload. They were told to retrieve the semi because Worthington had been disqualified as a truck driver and could no longer work for the company.
Worthington was asked to gather his personal belongings from the semi, which took him nearly an hour. But Worthington got back in the driver’s seat, cranked the vehicle, and backed it up a few feet.
Reeve began waving his arms at Worthington and stepped in front of the vehicle in an attempt to keep him from leaving. But Worthington put the truck in gear and sped forward, striking Reeve with the front bumper of the truck.
The force of the truck knocked Reeve down, but he was able to roll out of the vehicle’s path to avoid being hit again.
Worthington then drove the semi-truck to Jacksonville and left it there.
During trial, Worthington took the stand and claimed that during the hour he was gathering his personal belongings, he had a conversation with Ron Scafaro – the operations manager of the truck company.
Worthington was from New York, and his closest friends lived in Jacksonville. He told jurors that he asked Scafaro for permission to take the truck to Jacksonville, where he would then find his own way home.
He claimed Scafaro’s answer was yes.
But when Scafaro had taken the stand earlier in the trial, he testified that he never agreed to the vehicle staying in Worthington’s possession.
Worthington also claimed that he never struck Reeve in the leg.
But in closing arguments, Solomon reminded jurors that every point of Worthington’s testimony was not supported by any other testimony during the trial.
“Ron (Scafaro) came in here and testified, and every step of the way he contradicted what the defendant said and backed up what Tyler (Reeve) said,” Solomon told the jury. “The differences in the defendant’s testimony are each key point that’s critical to the crime.”
The defense argued there was no robbery because the vehicle was never in Reeve’s possession, which meant there was no force used in taking it away.
“Worthington did not have permission to use the truck for anything other than to get his belongings. That’s the only reason he still had the keys,” Solomon said. “And I can’t imagine a greater force of violence than hitting someone with a semi-truck.”
“All aspects of Scafaro’s plan were communicated to all parties, and the defendant did not follow those aspects,” Solomon told jurors, adding that he was confident the testimony showed Worthington was guilty.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Noah-Worthington.jpg512414Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-02-07 16:51:352018-02-07 16:53:29JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of aggravated battery after striking man with stolen semi
JURY VERDICT: Auburndale man found guilty in fatal hit-and-run, faces 60 years in prison
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonPaul Marx consumed numerous alcoholic drinks and drifted off the roadway while driving home, striking and instantly killing a pedestrian.
Paul Marx, 45, of Auburndale.
After three hours of deliberation, Marx, 45, was convicted Friday of vehicular homicide with failure to render aid and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. He is facing up to 60 years in prison.
Marx will be sentenced May 3.
Assistant State Attorneys Mattie Tondreault and Courtney Durden tried the case and took jurors back to the night of Sept. 27, 2014, when 52-year-old John Haney was killed.
Marx started drinking at about 4 p.m. that day with his neighbor, consuming drinks with double shots of alcohol. He took his neighbor home about two hours later and went back out to drink, visiting at least three different establishments, until he left the XYZ Lounge about 11:15 p.m.
Haney walked up to the Circle K on U.S. 92 and was headed back home. He was walking in the grassy area on the eastbound side of the road, which is about three feet from where the pavement ends.
Marx was travelling about 55 miles per hour down U.S. 92 in his 2004 Ford F-150 when he veered off the roadway. He drove on the side of the road for 224 feet, and he struck Haney with the front right section of his truck.
Haney’s back hit the hood of Marx’s truck before his body was thrown 141 feet from the point of impact. Marx continued driving on the side of the roadway for over 150 feet before he re-entered it.
There were clear tire tracks left at the scene, which showed that Marx did not swerve or attempt to hit the brakes.
When Marx got home, his neighbor noticed that the truck was parked funny and saw Marx drunkenly leaning on the vehicle. The two men found blood spots on the hood of the truck, and Marx admitted he heard a thud while driving home but thought it was road debris.
The neighbor drove Marx back to the bar in an attempt to find the scene of the incident, but they were unable to. Marx went back home and waited another two hours before calling police to report the crash.
Haney’s body was found about 3 a.m.
The defense argued that Marx didn’t see the victim or know what he hit, so he kept driving. They claimed it was just an accident.
But Tondreault told jurors that at least two feet of Haney’s body would have been visible above the hood of the truck at the point of impact. She also reminded the jury that Marx had his headlights and fog lights on, illuminating the grass in the 224 feet leading up to the victim.
SAO SPOTLIGHT: Henry’s life goal leads to law career
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonOne of Aaron Henry’s life goals is to help others.
Aaron Henry
And he felt the way he could help people best was by becoming a lawyer.
“I always knew that was what I wanted to do,” Henry said, adding that he took a longer route by going in to the Air Force after High School.
Henry, 27, grew up in Jacksonville and went to college at Ashford University. He went into the Air Force in 2009 and worked in airfield management as a supervisor of airfield safety.
After finishing his undergraduate degree in the military, Henry went to Florida Coastal in 2015. He graduated with his juris doctor in only two years.
“I knew I wanted to help people, and being any kind of lawyer means you can help a lot of people,” Henry said.
But Henry said he felt particularly drawn to criminal law because of the importance it plays in our society.
“You can win or lose a lawsuit, and that’s just money,” he said. “But criminal law is someone’s life, and you have to have a certain level of maturity to handle that.”
Henry said he believes his time with the Air Force helped shape him into a person who is well-equipped to reasonably accept the challenges and responsibilities that come with criminal law.
Since he joined the State Attorney’s Office, Henry said, his enthusiasm for prosecution has been reinforced.
“I love being a prosecutor,” Henry said, smiling.
But when he’s not prosecuting, Henry loves spending time with his wife and two daughters.
He also enjoys watching television. He and his wife are currently watching are Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Grey’s Anatomy.
“I also love Law and Order,” Henry said, laughing.
Sports are also important to his family, as they have an in-house rivalry.
“I’m a huge FSU fan, and my wife is a UF fan,” he said.
As he looks ahead to his future with the SAO, Henry said, he has a couple career goals.
Since he has a background as a supervisor in the military, he hopes he’ll get the opportunity to prosecute in a leadership position.
But ultimately, he would like to work in special prosecutions.
“With my personality, it’s easy to get motivated for all crimes,” Henry said, “but I think you walk into work with a little more motivation when you’re dealing with those specific crimes.”
JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man guilty of attempted murder, facing mandatory life
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonDerek Maude glanced over his shoulder and looked his shooter in the eyes.
Kaheem Bennett, 24, of Lakeland.
“I saw his eyes lined up with the gun sight,” Maude said as he testified from his wheelchair. “I was sure a shot was coming soon … Next thing I know, my head is ringing. I looked down and told myself to get up, and I couldn’t.”
Kaheem Bennett fired a single shot at 27-year-old Maude that hit his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the waist down.
A jury convicted Bennett Feb. 22 of attempted first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and armed kidnapping. He is facing a mandatory life sentence, which will be imposed on April 5.
Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson told jurors that on Jan. 25, 2015 – Super Bowl Sunday – Maude and his friends pooled their money in order to buy an ounce of marijuana for their super bowl party. He agreed to locate and purchase the marijuana. That choice is one Maude would later refer to as the “stupidest decision he’s ever made,” as it cost him the use of his legs.
While Maude was looking for a place to buy marijuana on 5th Street in Lakeland, he ran into an old friend from high school named Deshaundre Roseboro. The two went back to Roseboro’s house to catch up when a silver Dodge Charger pulled up to the curb.
In court, Maude testified that he approached the car because he thought they were going to sell him the marijuana he had been looking for earlier. He didn’t know he was about to robbed at gun point.
He got into the rear driver’s door of the vehicle occupied by three black males but left the door open with his foot out. When Maude sat down, the car swiftly left the driveway and sped down the road, forcing Maude to shut the car door.
The front seat passenger asked if Maude “wanted to see what it looked like.” When Maude said yes, a bag was thrown into the back seat, which he assumed was marijuana.
But when Maude looked up, a Tech-9 pistol was pointed at his stomach.
He reached to open the door, but it was locked. Maude immediately began to fight the rear passenger – he grabbed the barrel of the gun and head-butted the rear passenger, causing him to loosen his grip on the weapon.
Maude aimed the firearm at the floorboard with the intent of discharging the rounds, but the front passenger began to fight him. Maude continued to throw punches at the two passengers until he had possession of the gun again.
He pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not shoot. Maude, who grew up in a military family and has experience handling firearms, disengaged the safety and ejected the magazine.
It fell to the floorboard of the car.
The passengers continued fighting Maude and took the nearly $1,000 in cash that was in his possession. With Maude outnumbered, they soon regained control of the gun.
One of the men told Maude to get out of the car and run. As soon as the door unlocked, the front passenger told the driver to “bust that cracker.”
“I knew what was coming next,” Maude said in court, adding that he began to run in a zigzag pattern. “I looked back and made eye contact with the driver. All I see is a firearm pointed at me … his eyes lined up with the gun sights.”
Maude said he did not remember hearing a shot – just that he hit the ground and could not feel his legs.
“One moment I was running and the next I was laying on the ground,” he said. “There was blood everywhere … and it felt like everything fell asleep and was tingling.”
He was able to call 911 with his cell phone, but Maude testified that he began losing consciousness and said his memories of talking to police were hazy.
Officers who responded found a single 9 millimeter casing on the ground and got a description of the shooter and vehicle from Maude.
He was able to identify the front seat passenger from a photo pack as Gregory Dickens, who is a known associate of Bennett.
Maude chose two people from a photo pack to identify the driver. His first choice was Bennett, and his second was someone who looked like Bennett but was incarcerated at the time of the shooting.
Five days after the incident, police saw Bennett driving the silver Dodge Maude described, and he was arrested.
In interviews with law enforcement, Bennett said he was in Leesburg at the time of the shooting. His phone records refuted that statement and placed him in Lakeland days leading up to and during the shooting.
Bennett did not leave for Leesburg until after the shooting took place.
Further examination of the cell phone uncovered text messages linking Bennett to the crime. He texted friends and told them that the only witnesses from the shooting were Roseboro and Maude.
In court, the defense argued Bennet could not have been the shooter and that Maude’s photo pack identifications were unreliable. Bennett’s attorney said that two people did not shoot Maude, which meant he failed to make a proper identification and could not be trusted.
“Kaheem Bennett wasn’t there,” the defense said. “He didn’t do the shooting, and he wasn’t involved in the robbery.”
But Dickens – the person Maude did correctly identify – was called as a defense witness and admitted to being in the car with Maude before he was shot.
Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson addresses jurors during closing statements Feb. 22. Johnson held up his right arm to demonstrate how Kaheem Bennet pointed the gun at Derek Maude.
“Their own witness admitted to what happened in the car,” Johnson said, “and that supports Maude’s testimony.”
Johnson told jurors all of the evidence leads back to Bennett, meaning it was not a coincidence Maude chose his photo.
“How would Kaheem Bennett know who the only two witnesses were unless he was he driver of the car that pulled up to rob Derek Maude?” Johnson asked jurors.
“All the circumstantial evidence locks in Kaheem Bennett as the person who did this,” Johnson told jurors in his closing arguments. “His phone put him at the location. He attempted to fabricate an alibi, and his conversations show that he had info he could only know if he was there.”
“There is no reasonable doubt,” he said.
PLEA AGREEMENT: Mulberry man sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession of child pornography
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonCalvin Barnes pled guilty to 50 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography Tuesday and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 15 years of sex offender probation.
Calvin Barnes, 46, of Mulberry.
Barnes, 46, was viewing, downloading, and distributing explicit photos and videos on Twitter. His activity was flagged by Twitter, and the company sent a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The investigation was then passed to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were able to link the flagged Twitter account to Barnes using his subscriber information.
Over 500 pictures and videos were located in connection to Barnes’ account. The investigation also revealed he was having conversations about wanting to engage in sexual activity with minors.
After the court hearing today, State Attorney Brian Haas attributed the lengthy prison term to the “excellent investigation performed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the dedicated efforts of Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith, who prosecuted the case for the Tenth Circuit State Attorney’s Office.”
SENTENCING UPDATE: Lake Wales man who shot McDonald’s ceiling sentenced to 20 years
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWillie Watson III stepped into McDonald’s, raised a gun over his head, and fired a single shot into the ceiling.
Willie Watson III, 45, of Lake Wales.
Watson, 45, walked past the registers and toward the drive-through window and yelled, “Give that —– up!” He paced back and forth before walking toward the exit, where he yelled at two elderly people and demanded they sit down, preventing them from leaving the scene.
Watson left the restaurant without taking anything.
A jury convicted Watson Wednesday of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison following trial.
At about 8:30 a.m. January 8, surveillance footage caught Watson exiting a minivan outside the McDonald’s wearing a dark colored hoodie and a red bandana covering his face. He was also wearing black gloves and was holding a black firearm.
The defense agreed there was a shooting that Sunday morning at McDonald’s but that Watson did not do it. During trial, Watson testified that he lent the minivan to someone with a similar stature to his.
But Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry told jurors that multiple pieces of evidence placed Watson at the scene.
A gunshot residue test was conducted on Watson after he was arrested, and residue particles were found on his hands.
A single black glove was left at the scene. The DNA on it was a match for Watson.
A shell casing was located at the scene. When law enforcement searched the minivan Watson was seen exiting at McDonald’s, they found a firearm.
It was a match for the casing.
“The defense wants you to think he’s the unluckiest man in the world,” Perry told the jury during her closing arguments. “But all the evidence points in one direction, and that is toward Willie Watson.”
State Attorney Brian Haas said he was thankful for the excellent work of the Lake Wales Police Department in investigating and solving this case.
“I also appreciate the hard work and dedication of Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry in securing this conviction and putting this dangerous felon in prison for many years,” Haas said.
JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of aggravated battery after striking man with stolen semi
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonNoah Worthington was angry when he found out he’d been fired from his job as a truck driver.
Noah Worthington
Another employee was sent to retrieve the truck from Worthington. But instead of gathering his belongings and handing over the keys, Worthington struck the employee and drove away in the stolen semi.
A jury convicted Worthington on Jan. 18 of robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm. He is facing 20 years in prison and will be sentenced March 2.
Although it’s been almost 15 months since Tyler Reeve was struck in the right leg with the semi, he still deals with constant pain. Reeve has had numerous surgeries and is unable to do a lot of simple things on his own.
Assistant State Attorney Seth Solomon questioned Reeve, who walked jurors through the events of Nov. 1, 2016.
Reeve and another employee of Leonard’s Express – a truck driving company – were sent to where Worthington had dropped off his last truckload. They were told to retrieve the semi because Worthington had been disqualified as a truck driver and could no longer work for the company.
Worthington was asked to gather his personal belongings from the semi, which took him nearly an hour. But Worthington got back in the driver’s seat, cranked the vehicle, and backed it up a few feet.
Reeve began waving his arms at Worthington and stepped in front of the vehicle in an attempt to keep him from leaving. But Worthington put the truck in gear and sped forward, striking Reeve with the front bumper of the truck.
The force of the truck knocked Reeve down, but he was able to roll out of the vehicle’s path to avoid being hit again.
Worthington then drove the semi-truck to Jacksonville and left it there.
During trial, Worthington took the stand and claimed that during the hour he was gathering his personal belongings, he had a conversation with Ron Scafaro – the operations manager of the truck company.
Worthington was from New York, and his closest friends lived in Jacksonville. He told jurors that he asked Scafaro for permission to take the truck to Jacksonville, where he would then find his own way home.
He claimed Scafaro’s answer was yes.
But when Scafaro had taken the stand earlier in the trial, he testified that he never agreed to the vehicle staying in Worthington’s possession.
Worthington also claimed that he never struck Reeve in the leg.
But in closing arguments, Solomon reminded jurors that every point of Worthington’s testimony was not supported by any other testimony during the trial.
“Ron (Scafaro) came in here and testified, and every step of the way he contradicted what the defendant said and backed up what Tyler (Reeve) said,” Solomon told the jury. “The differences in the defendant’s testimony are each key point that’s critical to the crime.”
The defense argued there was no robbery because the vehicle was never in Reeve’s possession, which meant there was no force used in taking it away.
“Worthington did not have permission to use the truck for anything other than to get his belongings. That’s the only reason he still had the keys,” Solomon said. “And I can’t imagine a greater force of violence than hitting someone with a semi-truck.”
“All aspects of Scafaro’s plan were communicated to all parties, and the defendant did not follow those aspects,” Solomon told jurors, adding that he was confident the testimony showed Worthington was guilty.