A Pasco man was sentenced to a month in jail for defrauding the court by giving a fake name when he pleaded guilty to drunken driving.

Juan V., 32, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree criminal impersonation. The sentence will be served while he is doing time for his Pasco Municipal Court case on the underlying offense.

According to court documents, Juan was stopped April 2 and could not provide Pasco Officer Chad Pettijohn with a valid driver’s license or identification. He told Pettijohn his name was Antonio.

Pettijohn arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence, reckless driving and no valid operator’s license without identification, documents said.

Then on April 4 in Municipal Court, the city’s prosecutor Bronson Brown offered Juan a deal. Juan talked with a defense attorney before pleading guilty to DUI, court documents said.

However, the court was unaware that Juan was using an alias when he signed the paperwork with the Acevedo name, Brown said in documents.

If Juan had used his correct name in that case, the mandatory minimum offered by the city would have increased because his criminal history includes DUI.

It is not clear when the fraud was discovered. In addition to his sentence, Juan is in the Franklin County jail on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

I can never stress this enough: when police have you where they want you, just follow suit. If you are charged with a crime, quickly contact a Pasco County attorney to discuss your legal options.

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A woman said Wednesday that her boyfriend was not intoxicated when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrested him in August for boating under the influence.

Janice T. said that she, James N. and her son went to a family cookout at her brother’s home and that while there, James had very little to drink.

“He had maybe two beers,” Janice said.

At the end of the cookout, Janice said, they went rode around in a boat for awhile until it was dark. With poor visibility, Janice said, her son was shining a spotlight for James because there were alligators in the water.

While her son was spotting for James, she said, the light caught her boyfriend’s face briefly, which temporarily blinded him, and the boat got stuck between two fence posts.

That’s when FWC officials showed up, Janice said.

An FWC report notes that officials were patrolling the St. John’s River in Volusia County shortly before 11 p.m. Aug. 20 when they noticed the engine of a 17-foot ski boat tangled in a barbed-wire fence that extended from the shoreline.

Authorities said James was the boat’s operator and that he appeared to be confused about why the boat would not move.

After freeing the boat, commission officials did a safety inspection. While on board, they detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from James, who was unstable and had slurred speech, according to the report.

James was arrested after completing a field sobriety exercise and was jailed in Volusia County and was later released.

James’ arrest in August violated his condition of probation stemming from his Sept. 6, 2008, release from prison on a charge of DUI manslaughter. On Sept. 6, a Marion County judge signed off on an arrest warrant for James for violation of probation.

James, 45, turned himself in at the Marion County Jail on Sept. 14.

In the DUI manslaughter case, officials say James was driving west on County Road 42 on Jan. 7, 2000, when his 1997 Dodge crossed the center line and collided with a 1984 Yamaha motorcycle ridden by Mark Parker, 38, who died at the scene. James’ blood-alcohol content was 0.126. In Florida, a driver is presumed impaired when the level is 0.08. In addition to prison time and probation, the sentence included a $500 fine and court costs, 100 hours of community service and permanent revocation of James’ driver’s license.

In regard to his August arrest, Janice maintains he was innocent of those charges.

“He was not intoxicated. They even did a test on me. We were not doing anything wrong,” she said.

James remains at the Marion County Jail without bond. Court records show he is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office. He declined an interview request from the Star-Banner.

If you’ve too been charged with DUI, BUI or a related offense in Pasco County, it’s essential for your future and current way of life that you quickly contact a Pasco County DUI attorney at Musca Law. Call 727-480-9675 right now to schedule your free phone consultation now.

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The Florida Highway Patrol said a driver is expected to be arrested on a charge of driving under the influence in connection with a crash involving a trooper Friday morning.

According to FHP, the crash happened just after 9 a.m. on Krome Avenue between Kendall Drive and Tamiami Trail.

Investigators said the trooper was traveling north, while the male driver of the Chevrolet was heading south.

Skid marks left on the road clearly show someone was trying to stop, but at this time, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The male civilian driver, whom police identified as Carlos P., 32, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he remains in critical condition.

The state trooper, whom FHP identified as Cpl. Lynn Styne, was taken to West Kendall Hospital with only minor injuries.

A public information officer for FHP said Carlos is expected to be arrested on a DUI charge. Police said he had an outstanding warrant for DUI.

For well over three hours, Krome Avenue remained closed as crews continued their investigation.

Police are investigating who was at fault in the crash.

If you’ve been accused of DUI in Pasco County or elsewhere in Florida, it’s very important that you quickly contact a Pasco County DUI defense lawyer at Musca Law. We can help you though this difficult time. Call 727-480-9675 right now to schedule a free phone consultation.

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A Pasco County high school teacher is under arrest, accused of driving under the influence.

39-year-old Crystal  B. is a teacher at Gulf High School. Pasco deputies say they received a call from a motorist on Wednesday night, alerting them of a person driving erratically.

A deputy responded and pulled over Crystal for failure to maintain a single lane.  Her arrest report states she showed signs of impairment, including glassy eyes, constricted pupils and slurred speech.

Crystal reportedly failed several field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest on one count of DUI. A urine sample was collected for testing.

According to Gulf High’s website, Crystal is a math teacher who has been at the school since 2010.  She previously taught at Hudson High School, as well as schools in Mississippi and Louisiana.

It’s important to note that Crystal has not been fired. She will be given the chance to defend herself in court and with the help of the right Pasco County DUI attorney, she may be able to avoid being convicted.

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Michelle B. had one request of David B. before he went to prison for the Christmas Day crash that killed her parents and her grandmother almost four years ago.

“Write a journal,” she told David in court Tuesday, “and when remorse finally hits you, please mail it to me.”

He stared at the floor, a tissue box nearby.

Authorities say David had alcohol, Xanax and evidence of cocaine in his system when he crashed his pickup into the back of a Chevrolet Tahoe just after 2 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2007, on U.S. 19 in northwest Pasco County.

Ray McWilliams, at the wheel of the Tahoe, was stopped at a red light with his wife, Linda, and her daughter and son-in-law, Denise and Gerard B., who were visiting from Connecticut. Presents and a holiday ham were in the back of the SUV as they headed to a family Christmas gathering.

David, 37, was set to face trial this month in a case that could have sent him to prison for life if convicted. But in a deal struck with prosecutors in recent days, he pleaded guilty to three counts of DUI manslaughter and other charges in exchange for 12 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. He also must pay about $32,000 in restitution, and he loses his driver’s license for life.

He has a history of driving infractions and has faced DUI charges twice before, records show. One of those times, in 2003, New Port Richey police searching his Ford Mustang found a gallon of the intoxicant GHB. David served 17 months in prison after pleading no contest to trafficking the drug.

In a 1994 incident in which he was not charged with a crime, he struck a pedestrian on U.S. 19 near Fivay Road. The woman later died.

David is the son of Alfred and Marlene, who owned a construction company in Hernando County. Records show that David was an officer in his parents’ company and that he, his parents and their entities own more than two dozen properties in west Hernando.

When he was arrested in January 2008, a judge set his bail at $330,000. He was out within hours.

It is not in dispute that David was the driver in the Christmas Day crash, but the evidence against him left room for reasonable doubt about the charges he faced.

Investigators said his blood-alcohol level was 0.045 — well below the 0.08 limit at which the law presumes that a driver is impaired. He had cocaine metabolites in his body, prosecutors said, which indicated that he had used the drug. But it could have been difficult to prove he was still impaired by it. Because of that, his attorneys had filed a motion, which was still pending, to preclude any mention of cocaine use during the trial. And the Xanax in his body was at a therapeutic level.

Prosecutors said they discussed the strengths and the weaknesses of the case with the victims’ family, who agreed to the plea deal.

“There was some disagreement between the experts (about) things that we thought cut right to the heart of the case,” said Pinellas-Pasco Assistant State Attorney Chris Labruzzo.

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You only have 10 days from the date of your DUI arrest to request a formal administrative review hearing regarding the retention of your driving privileges (keeping your drivers license). Failure to request a hearing will result in an automatic suspension of your drivers license.

Failure to request a formal administrative review hearing will result in an automatic six month suspension of your Florida drivers license for failing a breathalyzer test, and a one year suspension of your Florida drivers license for refusing to submit to a test.

In addition, any evidence obtained at the administrative review hearing may be used against you at your criminal DUI trial. Likewise, favorable evidence can be used in your favor.

For this reason, it is advisable to engage us to represent you in both the formal administrative review hearing and the criminal DUI trial.

Contact our Pasco DUI attorneys today at 727-480-9675 to discuss the retention of your driver’s license.

Pasco County Deputy Ashley G. will serve a five-day suspension without pay after an internal affairs investigation finds she violated policy.

Ashley had DUI suspect Brittany M. handcuffed in the back of her patrol car back in May.

Investigators say as another deputy questioned Brittany, Ashley put the rear window down. It was put back up twice. But after a 3rd discussion, they say Ashley did not roll that window up again.

Brittany was able to get free from the handcuffs, reach through the window and unlock the door. She got back in her truck and raced off. Deputy Ashley tried to stop her, but was thrown off the truck onto the street, left bruised and with a broken leg.

“Our mistake here was having the window down, and that’s where I think we will learn from it. And we will make sure our deputies realize during these types of investigations make sure you have full custody of your prisoner,” said Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Deputies pursued Brittany up US 19 and eventually caught up with her but not before they say she ran a red light and crashed into a Spring Hill man on his motorcycle. Henry McCain was killed.

The Sheriff says the high speed chase was justified.

“I will say this.  It always goes back to Brittany M. She’s the one that decided to jump out of that window. She’s the one that decided to get in that vehicle. She’s the one that decided to take prescription pills. And she’s the one that decided to go down that road recklessly,” said Nocco.

An attempt was made to talk to Brittany to find out how she escaped. But her attorney refused to allow that interview to take place.

I would say it’s pointless to evade police and especially so if they already have identified you. Instead, call 727-480-9675 to schedule a free consultation with a Pasco County DUI attorney at Musca Law.

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A Spring Hill woman was arrested for DUI, after deputies say she told them she’d drank half a pitcher of Bud Light and one “Leg Spreader” shot.

At 2 a.m. Monday, deputies noticed a white Oldsmobile Cutlass miss a turn and drive partially onto the grassy shoulder on the wrong side of the road.

It happened on the 2200 block of Commercial Way.

The driver, 55-year-old Anita L., smelled of alcohol, had red eyes, a flushed face, extremely blurry speech and nearly fell several times, according to the arrest affidavit.

She failed field sobriety exercises and was arrested for driving under the influence and driving with a revoked license, among other charges.

From a legal standpoint, it would never be wise to tell a police officer during a traffic stop that you’ve been drinking. Instead, stay quiet and contact a DUI defense  if you are charged with DUI. Furthermore, Anita was not obligated for take the field sobriety tests. DUI suspects in Florida all have the choice of whether or not to participate in Field Sobriety Tests, there is no penalty for refusal.

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Deputies said they had to use a Taser to deal with a drunk, naked man who was first seen driving north in the southbound lanes of U.S. 19 in Levy County.

The man was later found to have a blood alcohol level at more than four ties the legal limit, deputies said.

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office sent Deputy Britton Drew to check out a report Tuesday about a wrong-way driver in a Dodge Intrepid with a North Dakota license plate on U.S. 19 south of Chiefland.

Drew said he found the vehicle in the Rosewood area, off State Road 24 and west of U.S. 19.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the Dodge was on the shoulder of the highway and occupied by a naked man who refused to get out. The man also refused to put his hands where Drew could see them so he would know the man did not have a weapon, said sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Evan Sullivan. Once back-up deputies arrived, a Taser was used to jolt the man into compliance, according to Sullivan.

The man was identified as Kelly B., 43, of New Port Richey. He was arrested for DUI and for driving with an expired North Dakota driver’s license.

Sullivan said that during breath tests, Kelly registered .334 and .315, so he was taken to an area hospital to be medically cleared before being booked into the Levy County jail. At the hospital, Sullivan said a blood test showed Kelly’s blood alcohol level was .390.

Under Florida law, any driver with a breath test of .08 or higher is presumed to be DUI.

Although Kelly registered at well over the legal limit, there’s no certainty he’ll be convicted of DUI; many things must be shown that prove the machine used to take his BAC was working properly. Kelly would be well advised in contacting a DUI lawyer in New Port Richey ASAP.

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A 21-year-old man involved in a fatal crash last month was arrested this weekend on unrelated charges of DUI and using a firearm under the influence of a controlled substance.

Logan F. of Land O’Lakes was pulled over about 3 a.m. Sunday near State Road 54, where authorities say he was driving about 20 mph over the speed limit.

The deputy noticed Logan’s eyes were bloodshot and dilated and that he was slurring his words, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office report. Logan also had a loaded rifle lying between the driver’s seat and the center console, authorities said.

After Logan failed a field sobriety test, the deputy arrested him and took him to Land O’Lakes jail. He was later released on his own recognizance.

The Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the June 14 crash in which Logan’s truck veered onto the shoulder of Interstate 75 near Brandon, crushing a warning sign, striking another truck and hitting Robert A., a 19-year-old road crew worker. Robert died.

Troopers are awaiting toxicology results to determine whether alcohol played a role in that crash.

RIP Robert

Updates as they are available.

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