Andrew D. Stine, P.A. - Florida Criminal Defence Attorney

Experts are saying where the demand is, that's where the supply will be. Leading news reporters and experts on criminal trends are reporting that when large nationwide events occur, a spike in criminal activity is likely to happen. Law enforcement officers are turning their eyes away from Super Bowl XLVI this weekend in order to focus on potential criminal activity, likely to happen wherever large groups of people congregate for this special event.

For the past several months, law enforcement has seen a rise in metal thefts all across the county. Because of the serious increase in this particular crime, officials are wanting to crack down on thieves who target homes, restaurants, and even abandoned buildings. Task forces have been created in order to battle the ever popular and lucrative crime of metal theft. There are several different kinds of crimes committed involving metal theft, not only could the thief be charged with theft, but the buyer could be charged with dealing in stolen property.

Many people have been following the case of the death of beloved grocery store owner Jimmy McMillan in Belle Glade. The 19-year-old accused of robbing, shooting, and killing McMillan confessed to his crimes Saturday. After appearing before the Judge briefly he is being held without bond and could possibly be facing the death penalty for aggravated assault with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, and first-degree murder with a firearm.

Theft in the state of Florida is charged at varying degrees depending on the amount stolen. Recently, there have been several people charged with theft around the South Florida are for stealing Air Conditioning units which usually results in a grand theft charge because of the cumulative dollar amount of items stolen.

A consistent headline in the news is how pain clinics are a growing problem. South Florida is considered to be the hotspot for pain clinics and by proxy, prescription drug trafficking. Doctors at pain clinics have an underhanded reputation for handing out prescriptions like they’re candy for highly addictive drugs like Oxycodone. As law enforcement continues to crack down on drug traffickers disguised as pain clinics, drug traffickers continue to find loopholes around the law.

Crimes against elderly people often go unreported because the victim’s rarely contact authorities themselves. Usually, a witness or friend recognize something odd occurring and report the discrepancies to the authorities. Crimes against elderly people usually encompass fraud, burglary, theft, or any money-related crime. One Tequesta woman, 65, was young and nimble enough to escape a serious assault on her life.

The pill mill brothers, Chris and Jeff George, were indicted in October of last year on federal weapons charges. The two were indicted and arrested along with several doctors working for them in their pain clinics after amassing millions from their pain clinics. The brothers were living a lavish lifestyle while the doctors they employed supplied prescription pills to drug traffickers and dealers pouring in from Kentucky, Ohio, and South Carolina.

All over South Florida, seniors are banding together to protect their own. Florida now has a growing army of “Senior Sleuths” dedicated to catching people who commit crimes against the elderly. These retirees and other silver-haired volunteers do everything from spend their time on the phone while in bed to conducting undercover investigations.

Law enforcement officers in South Florida are cracking down on pain clinics. The FDLE and DEA are very concerned with the amount of prescription pain pills that are being illegally peddled through pain clinics. The doctors of several pain clinics have been arrested and charged with drug trafficking. There is usually a residual charge of fraud as well. A criminal defense lawyer can explain the whole process if you have been charged with drug trafficking.

The new tethering laws for animals have a lot of surprised people being visited by Animal Care and Controlserving warnings. The new law prohibits people from leaving pets outside tied up without supervision. Neighbors are calling in at a much higher rate to report people who tie up their animals. The only problem is, many animals are not being mistreated but the owners are still receiving visits and warnings from Animal Care and Control.