STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Two restaurant owners in Florida have pleaded guilty to harboring undocumented workers, the State Attorney's Office revealed on Wednesday. Originally from China, Tang and Huang are naturalized U.S. citizens who owned and operated Tank’s Sushi Bistro Seafood & Steaks in St. Augustine and Tank’s Sushi Bistro in Ponte Vedra. According to the SAO, the owners housed undocumented workers in their homes near the restaurants and provided daily transportation for them.

Recent reports questioning the residency of Jacksonville sheriff candidate T.K. Waters have some claiming voter fraud.

News4JAX on Friday obtained the incident reports on suspicious letters that were sent to the Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and the Duval County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville this week.

A Florida prosecutor's office has concluded the fatal shooting of an 88-year-old man by a deputy was justified. The State Attorney's Office in Tampa, Florida, said Monday that the fatal shooting of Ronald Ehrich last December by a Hillsborough County deputy was justified because the deputy was in fear for her life or great bodily harm when she fired her weapon. Video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office last December showed the deputy repeatedly trying to de-escalate the situation.

A man was shot and critically wounded by an officer Tuesday night in Northwest Jacksonville, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Four weeks after her arrest on two felony charges, Gov. Ron DeSantis took action Thursday to suspend Destin Councilwoman Prebble Ramswell from office.

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective accused of accessing agency databases to share confidential information with an inmate will be added to the Brady List, News4Jax learned Thursday.

A 14-year-old boy is being charged as an adult in the fatal stabbing of a 13-year-old cheerleader whose body was found in the northeast Florida woods earlier this month. The State Attorney's Office in St. Johns County filed a notice Thursday to transfer Aiden Fucci's case from juvenile to adult court after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge, according to court records. Investigators said that Fucci had also told several friends that he planned to kill someone, though it wasn't clear whether Bailey was his intended target from the beginning, Larizza said.

A Florida teen accused of rigging a homecoming queen election with her mother is being charged as an adult, prosecutors said. Emily Rose Grover was still 17 when she was arrested in March. While employed as an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School in the same county, Carroll accessed the school district’s internal system to cast fraudulent votes for her daughter so that she would win, officials said.

The 4th Circuit State Attorney’s Office has ruled the deadly November 2020 police shooting of a 34-year-old Jacksonville man justified, News4Jax learned on Monday.

After the crash, the video shows JSO Officer B. Ondriezek having a conversation with Dunaway and asking him what happened. It was Ondriezek’s first officer-involved shooting, and the State Attorney’s Office ruled that the shooting was justified but there’s still an internal, use-of-force investigation ongoing. Mandarin police shooting videoThe State Attorney’s Office also released bodycam footage from a police shooting that happened in November 2019. The video then goes black, apparently because the video has been redacted by the State Attorney’s Office. The State Attorney’s Office ruled that the shooting was justified.

“We had been getting in a good area as far as pending felony cases,” Public Defender Charlie Cofer said. State attorneys, lawyers and public defenders worked to resolve cases through plea deals and through virtual court hearings. Besides a growing caseload, the Public Defender’s Office and State Attorney’s Office were required to submit plans to the state in August to show what their operations might look like with significant budget cuts in place. The State Attorney’s Office was asked to detail the impact of an 8.5 percent budget reduction for the next fiscal year. The State Attorney’s Office plans to work with lawmakers and others to preserve current funding levels.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Saying that swift and certain public release of body-camera footage is in the publics best interest, State Attorney Melissa Nelson on Tuesday announced changes to the policies involving videos of police shootings. Nelson said the State Attorneys Office for Duval Clay and Nassau counties will now approve the release of footage from police shootings within 30 days unless the state believes it will hinder a case. I think its a good policy, I think its thoughtful, I think its well researched, Nelson told News4Jax. Im really proud of the work of the assistant state attorneys in the office, whove been working really diligently on putting it together. The release of body camera footage has been a sore spot between the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office and the State Attorneys Office since some JSO officers starting wearing the cameras at the end of 2018.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new policy regarding the release of police-worn body camera video is going to be put into place soon. There have been meetings between JSO, the state attorney and groups like the Northside Coalition to speed up the process of releasing body camera footage. During Monday’s meeting, City Council member Ron Salem told the committee a new policy is coming very soon. The State Attorney’s Office confirmed to News4Jax that it is working on a new plan and will release it soon. Right now, there is no time frame for the release of body camera video in police shootings.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The State Attorneys Office confirms two assistant prosecutors are recovering at home after testing positive for COVID-19. Frustration, definitely, because all they want is justice for their loved one, and the process has really slowed down, Manning said. A spokesperson for the State Attorneys Office confirmed it has rolled back to phase one, meaning its staff went from being 50% back to work in the building to 25%. Her concern is the number of families the pandemic has left in limbo. As the two assistant prosecutors who tested positive for COVID-19 recover from home, hearings continue to happen virtually.

Photos released from State Attorney's Office in investigation of 5-year-old Taylor Williams. The 5-year-old girls remains were found in Alabama, and the cause of her death is undetermined. Williams is charged with aggravated child abuse, tampering with evidence, child neglect and lying to police in connection with Taylors disappearance. (Photos in gallery above)RELATED: Forensic report sheds new light on arrest of Taylor Williams motherPhotos also show the inside of Brianna Williams Southside apartment, as crime scene detectives cased it for clues after she reported her daughter missing. Also, photos show the scene in Alabama, where police discovered Taylors remains on Nov. 11, buried in a shallow grave.

So, I was, like, ‘Well, show me the body video, body camera video.’ And he was, like, ‘No, you know, it’s an ongoing investigation,’” said Austin of her talks with the State Attorney’s Office. A News4Jax I-TEAM analysis of data from JSO’s Open Data page found, under Nelson, the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit is, on average, taking longer to review cases than the previous administration. Data show, under the previous state attorney, Angela Corey, on average, reports were released 226 days after the original incident. In a memo released Tuesday, the State Attorney’s Office admittedly said the process for handling officer-involved shootings changed when Nelson took office, specifically, it added more steps. The multiple levels of review that each OIS receives highlights the importance we attach to thorough, correct, and reliable opinions rendered in these cases,” stated the State Attorney’s Office memo.

Also in Fort Lauderdale, the state attorney's office fired a prosecutor Monday for calling demonstrators animals" at the zoo in a quickly deleted Facebook post. Maglione said Pohorence's actions will be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before an internal investigation is conducted. But he said Pohorence's actions could have added to what was going on," and he commended Officer Krystle Smith who pushed Pohorence away from the woman. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he felt the Pohorences actions were offensive, and hes happy the department has suspended him. ___Associated Press reporters Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; Freida Frisaro Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida; and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed to this report.

Also in Fort Lauderdale, the state attorney's office fired a prosecutor Monday for calling demonstrators animals" at the zoo in a quickly deleted Facebook post. Maglione said Pohorence's actions will be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before an internal investigation is conducted. But he said Pohorence's actions could have added to what was going on," and he commended Officer Krystle Smith who pushed Pohorence away from the woman. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he felt the Pohorences actions were offensive, and hes happy the department has suspended him. ___Associated Press reporters Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; Freida Frisaro Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida; and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed to this report.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville police officer accused of soliciting prostitution tendered his resignation on Thursday, according to a statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Officer Joseph LeGard was the subject of a year-long Internal Affairs investigation. Internal Affairs recommended that Legard be fired and Sheriff Mike Williams agreed. The Sheriff's Office will document the officer's departure from the agency, which will be reviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. News4Jax has requested the Internal Affairs report, which is in the process of being redacted for release.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Two former Bolles School students, originally charged with conspiracy to make, possess, place or discharge a destructive device, will avoid jail time after pleading guilty Thursday to lesser charges. Grant Shirley and Matthew Guey were sentenced to probation after entering guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of interfering with a school function. They were ordered to have no unsupervised internet access, to stay away from firearms and are banned from all Bolles School campuses. The pair were first taken to a mental health facility under Florida's Baker Act before being turned over to law enforcement. Bolles School issued a statement Thursday afternoon on the former students.

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. - A Clay County man has been found guilty of sexual battery on child, among other charges, according to a news release from the State Attorney's Office. A court determined Jason Steven Evans, of Middleburg, raped and impregnated an 11-year-old child. According to the State Attorney's Office, a DNA test confirmed paternity and Evans was arrested. While incarcerated, Evans contacted the victim and tried to get her to change her statement to get himself released from jail, the State Attorney's Office said. In addition to sexual battery, he was found guilty of tampering with a victim in a capital proceeding and lewd or lascivious conduct.

iStock/junialThree months after an arrest was made in the deadly stabbing of a 55-year-old man at a Jacksonville mobile home park, the State Attorney's Office dropped the charges. William Thomas McCoid was rushed to Memorial Hospital with serious injuries on Feb. 24, and he later died at a hospital. The details of what followed were redacted from the document, but the man was initially charged with aggravated battery. In June, the SAO opted to drop the charges, declining to prosecute the case after reviewing the facts, according to court documents. The case was also updated to "exceptionally cleared (justifiable)" on the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide database.

Johnathan Quiles has been in jail since January on a felony sexual battery charge related to a different victim, who is also a relative. Quiles was indicted in July on murder charges in the deaths of Iyana Sawyer, who was five months pregnant when she went missing just before Christmas, and her unborn child. Its unknown who wore the wire and when, but JSO has used jail informants in several high-profile murder investigations, including the Michael Haim case. The Sheriff's Office searched that landfill for weeks, but Sawyers body has not been recovered. According to the murder indictment, Quiles shot Sawyer shortly after she left Terry Parker High School in December.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Charges have been dropped against a Jacksonville corrections officer who was arrested for domestic battery on his pregnant ex-girlfriend, according to court records obtained Monday by News4Jax. Records show the charges were dropped in August. PREVIOUS STORY: Corrections officer accused of domestic violence on pregnant womanNews4Jax has requested comment from the State Attorney's Office as to why the charges were dropped. Brannon, a three-year employee of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, has maintained his innocence. Brannon is asking for an apology from the Sheriff's Office.

Ron DeSantis, asking to recuse her office from any potential criminal investigation into the actions of Matt Shirk, an embattled former Jacksonville public defender. Nelson wrote that in 2013, then-State Attorney Angela Corey requested an investigation into possible misconduct in Shirk's office. A grand jury investigated the case, and prior to becoming elected state attorney, Nelson wrote, she testified in the proceedings held before the grand jury that was investigating Shirk. Among other findings in the state audit, the report found Shirk gave away 14 computers. The audit found Shirk also gave away nine government-owned guns worth nearly $800 to a motorcycle group, which is a private entity, without the proper paperwork.

Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesGAINESVILLE, Fla. - Got unwanted firearms, but you're not sure what to do with them? The department is partnering with the State Attorney's Office to host a gun buyback event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. GPD said the event is designed to collect unwanted firearms and to get guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. Any age can participate in the buyback, and youth turning in guns will be celebrated. You can get either cash or an Xbox (while supplies last) in exchange for the gun.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The State Attorneys Office has ruled the July 2018 fatal shooting of a 52-year-old man by a Jacksonville police officer as justifiable. The report shows Kraai repeatedly yelled at Futch to kill him, and when Kraai was within 10 feet of Futch, Futch fired eight shots, hitting Kraai six times. The State Attorney's Office said Kraai was 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighed 267 pounds and had a history of schizophrenia and suicidal behavior. State Attorney's Office The knife that investigators said Harold Kraai was wielding when he was shot by Officer Futch. (Photo: State Attorney's Office)Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

The State Attorney's Office has ruled the July 2018 fatal shooting of a 52-year-old man by a Jacksonville police officer as justifiable. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The State Attorney's Office has ruled two shootings involving Jacksonville police officers from 2017 justifiable, including a case in which a man hit ran into numerous vehicles on the Wonderwood Bridge. In both cases, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's Response to Resistance Board ruled the officers' use of force was within departmental guidelines. The State Attorney's Office ruled the shooting justifiable on Jan. 16. Michael HarrisOn July 25, 2017, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office got into a pursuit with Michael Harris, an ex-con. The State Attorney's Office ruled the shooting justifiable on February 6.

PALATKA, Fla. - A 62-year-old East Palatka man was sentenced to life without parole on Thursday for a double shooting that killed a man and seriously injured another in 2018. READ MORE: 1 killed, 1 wounded in East Palatka double shootingCharles Edward Price was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, according to the State Attorney's Office. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said the 2018 shooting took place after a dispute outside an East Palatka home. Deputies found Patrick James Nolan, 60, dead and his brother, Michael Francis Nolan, 59, seriously injured. Deputies said Price shot both brothers, killing one.