Florida Man

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Florida is tied with Texas for having the most people facing charges linked to the Capitol riot, report says

Florida is tied with Texas for having the most individuals facing charges linked to the Capitol riot, according to a database compiled by USA Today.

Since supporters of then-President Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol building on January 6 — an attack that resulted in the deaths of five people — federal investigators have been ramping up their arrests.

According to a USA Today database, 47 out of the 484 rioters facing charges related to the riot are from Florida and 47 are from Texas.: https://www.businessinsider.com/flor...-report-2021-6

Update: Florida wins

Florida leads nation with more than 50 Capitol Riot arrests: https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborou...-riot-arrests/

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'All hail Donald Trump': Florida man goes berserk following hit-and-run crash on his wedding day

A newlywed hailed Donald Trump before scuffling with Florida jailers during a violent arrest for suspected driving under the influence.

Nicholas Ruthenberg struck a vehicle late Monday afternoon while driving the wrong way on a Vero Beach street and then fled on foot, while the other driver was hospitalized with neck, back and leg pain, but he was arrested a short distance away and police immediately suspected he was under the influence of an unknown substance, reported The Smoking Gun.

"All hail Donald Trump," said Ruthenberg, a registered Democrat, at the county jail as police said he failed a series of sobriety tests.

His blood-alcohol registered at 0.0, so police asked him to provide a urine sample to test for drugs, but Ruthenberg at that point took off his pants, spread his buttocks and stuck two fingers into his anus, so police placed him back in handcuffs.

The 25-year-old Ruthenberg was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident causing serious bodily injury, and he was released from jail Wednesday on $2,000 bond.

Facebook photos show Ruthenberg was arrested the same day he was married, on his wife's 20th birthday, at the Indian River County Courthouse a few blocks from the crash scene.: https://www.rawstory.com/nicholas-ruthenberg/ - http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documen...ewlywed-375892

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Some Florida Boys

• Teens accused of threatening SWFL school face judge

The two teens accused of plotting a school shooting in Lee County appeared in front of a judge Sunday morning after they were taken into custody on Saturday.

Conner Pruett, 13, and Phillip Byrd, 14, will be held for 21 days in secure juvenile detention.

The two teens were detained on Thursday and held for a mental health evaluation after a school resource officer at Harns Marsh Middle School was notified a student had a gun in his backpack.

While the deputy did not find a gun, the deputy uncovered Pruitt and Byrd spoke to each other during lunch about a school shooting plot.

Witnesses were questioned and a map of the school was found that included the locations of surveillance cameras. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the two were plotting a school shooting that would mirror that of Columbine in Colorado and Parkland in Florida.

A judge on Sunday said he believed the two teens committed a juvenile act.

Byrd’s mother Carrie Tuller was present in court and defended her son.

“He’s just a little boy,” Tuller said. “He didn’t think this was really serious. He didn’t think they were serious.”

She said she will be changing Byrd’s schools.

Both Pruett and Byrd were ordered to have no contact with staff at the school and to stay away from the school.

Their next court date is Sept. 27 at 9 a.m.: https://www.winknews.com/2021/09/12/...ol-face-judge/

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Florida GOP official (Gregg Prentice) who wanted to 'end Faucism' dies from COVID-19

An official from Florida's Hillsborough County Republican Party — which has been busy mobilizing members to protest coronavirus restrictions such as school mask mandates — has died from COVID-19.: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florid...ems-for-party/

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sobbed in court

An accused white supremacist who called for a race-based civil war online to thousands of his followers was sentenced Tuesday to nearly three and a half years in prison on multiple firearms offenses.

Paul Nicholas Miller, 33, sobbed in court as a judge sentenced him to 41 months in prison.

His imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2018, possessing ammunition as a convicted felon in 2021, and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle in 2021, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said.

Earlier this year, feds raided Miller's Fort Lauderdale home and discovered an unregistered short-barreled rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside.

"Miller admitted that he had bought the ammunition and that he had tried to build his own rifle in part to learn about firearms manufacturing in preparation for a coming civil war," prosecutors said in a news release. "In the months immediately before his arrest, Miller had made hundreds of internet posts publicizing his animosity towards various minority groups and his support for the initiation of a race-based civil war in the United States.": https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/...enses/2561876/

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Florida man captures gator using trash bin

Later it was let go in a pond

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Trump supporter arrested after allegedly casting multiple ballots in Florida

A registered Republican and apparent supporter of former president Donald Trump has been arrested and charged with casting more than one ballot in an election.

Joan Halstead, a 72-year-old resident of the Villages, was booked into the Sumter County jail on Monday evening, according to Villages-News.com. She was released a few hours later after posting $2,000 bond.

In Florida, casting more than one ballot in an election is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years on prison.

According to Halstead's Facebook page, she is a Trump supporter.

Villages-News.com reports that Halstead filed paperwork in October indicating that she planned to run for Sumter County School Board.

"However, Halstead, a former special education teacher in the Scranton (Pennsylvania) Public School District, later withdrew her candidacy in the non-partisan school board race," the site reported. "Sumter County voter records indicated she registered as a Republican on June 29, 2020.": https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-2655894381/ - https://www.villages-news.com/2021/1...ection-ballot/

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Florida man kicked off United flight for using underwear as mask in protest

A Florida man was kicked off a United flight for using a thong as a mask to protest the airline's mask mandate.

The passenger, Adam Jenne, told local news outlet NBC2 that he believes he was in compliance with the airline's mask mandate, as the thong covered both his nose and mouth on the Dec 15. flight between Ft. Lauderdale and Washington, D.C.

Airline staff, however, disagreed — and removed him from the flight.

Jenne — who compared himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks — said that he had previously worn a thong as a mask on several previous flights, with varied responses from crew members.

"Every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew," Jenne told NBC2. "Some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational."

In a statement, United said that it stands behind its staff's decision to remove Jenne. The airline said that "the customer clearly wasn't in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to takeoff, avoiding any potential disruptions on the air."

United did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.

Jenne has been banned from the airline until his case is reviewed by the Passenger Incident Review Committee, according to local outlet WTFX, which also spoke with Jenne.: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...ear-as-mask-in

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Vandals set fire to Key West’s most famous landmark, causing ‘extensive damage’

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, two people vandalized Key West’s famous Southernmost Point buoy landmark by setting a fire right beside it.

The blaze left a large part of the colorful giant buoy — right where it reads “90 miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point, Continental U.S.A.” — charred.

There was “extensive damage” to the buoy after the fire set between 3 and 3:30 a.m., police spokeswoman Alyson Crean said in a statement early Saturday morning.

Police already have clues: a webcam run by the local marketing company Two Oceans Digital captured the scene of two males apparently placing a discarded Christmas tree in front of the buoy and setting it on fire.

The webcam has an online archive that stores footage from the past 24 hours.

Screenshots of the act were widely circulated on Facebook early Saturday in posts where people expressed outrage.

“Hope they find them and torch them too,” one person commented. “Need jail time,” another said.

Many noted the actions were documented by screenshots from the webcam that were posted all over social media on Saturday.

“That’s disgusting,” a woman said in a comment. “Fortunately they were stupid enough to post pictures of themselves so hopefully they will be caught.”

Police ask anyone with information to call them at 305-809-1000. https://nordot.app/85014568883619430...22757532812385

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Florida man charged with filing false COVID-19 relief claims totaling $4.2M

A 27-year-old Florida man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with authorities accusing him of using the money to buy luxury cars, watches and clothing.

According to prosecutors, Valesky Barosy of Fort Lauderdale (Party Affiliation: Republican Party) submitted PPP loan applications for more than $4.2 million, providing documents with falsified prior year-end expenses, net profit, payroll and IRS tax forms.

Barosy and his accomplices ended up receiving about half of what they applied for and spent the money on a Lamborghini Huracan EVO, watches from Rolex and Hublot, and designer clothing from Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

Barosy faces five counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Barosy faces up to 132 years in prison. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...laims-totaling - https://voterrecords.com/voter/10585215/valesky-barosy

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MURDER SUICIDE: Bernie Madoff’s Sister Dead In Boynton Beach

The sister of disgraced financier Bernie Madoff was killed in a murder-suicide in Valencia Lakes, West of Boynton Beach. Her husband, Marvin Weiner, is also dead.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to BocaNewsNow.com that a murder-suicide investigation is underway, but would not confirm the names of the deceased. Sources, however, tell BocaNewsNow.com that the Weiners’ bodies were found Thursday in their home on Barca Boulevard, and an internal email sent to homeowners in Valencia Lakes confirms that the Weiners are the dead.

Wrote a community leader in a private email obtained by BocaNewsNow.com: “Let me start off by stating that as many of you have heard, we had a tragic situation on Barca Boulevard regarding the passing of Sondra and Marvin Weiner. Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family. There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community.”

Sondra Weiner, according to public records, was 87. Marvin Weiner was 90. It was not immediately clear which one allegedly killed the other before killing themself. It was also not clear how they died.

The two were sued in 2010 in a suit filed by the trustee representing Madoff’s victims, alleging that Sondra and Marvin “received at least $1,715,000 of other people’s money,” wrote the Sun Sentinel in 2010. The outcome of that specific claim could not be immediately determined. New York Magazine reported in 2009 that Sondra Weiner lost $3,000,000 as part of her brother’s scam, and was forced to sell her Palm Beach estate. Sondra and Marvin’s home — where they died — was purchased for $315,000 in 2009.

The Medical Examiner’s Office personnel arrived on scene and took possession of both Marvin and Sondra. The cause of death will be determined by the ME.

ED NOTE: The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office subsequently stated that the family of Marvin Weiner invoked “Marsy’s Law” which prevents a law enforcement agency from releasing the name of a victim. We are not removing Mr. Weiner’s name from our article.: https://bocanewsnow.com/2022/02/19/m...boynton-beach/

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Married Couple Slashed to Death While Cycling Home From Florida Concert

A middle-aged couple in Daytona Beach, Florida were stabbed to death, their throats slashed, as they rode their bicycles home from a Bike Week event over the weekend. On Tuesday, police announced they have a person of interest in the double homicide, and are asking for the public’s help in identifying him.

The pair, 48-year-old Terry Aultman and 55-year-old Brenda Aultman, were locals, Daytona Beach Police Department Chief Jakari Young said in an impromptu news conference, describing the slaying as “probably one of the most vicious and gruesome incidents that I’ve witnessed in my 20 years” on the job.

Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, cops responded to a 911 call from a man who found the Aultmans lying in a grassy area next to the sidewalk, covered in blood, according to a news release from the City of Daytona Beach.

“We found two people possibly dead,” the caller told the dispatcher. “And there's blood everywhere.”

Asked why he thought the two were dead, the unidentified caller said, “I mean, they are not moving. I don’t really want to get too close to the situation…It’s a man and a female. Neither one of them are moving. There’s a puddle of blood.”

Paramedics on the scene declared both Aultmans dead “within minutes of the initial 911 call,” the city said.

Young told reporters that officers first thought they were dealing with a hit-and-run accident.

“Upon arrival, once we observed the injuries, we quickly realized this was anything but a hit-and-run and we noticed the multiple stab wounds and that their throats had been slashed,” he explained.

The brutal attack did not appear to be the result of a robbery, since police found “valuables that were left in their possession,” Young explained, adding, “We can’t make heads or tails of it at this time.”

Investigators have had little to go on thus far, as, “No one saw anything, no one heard anything.”

However, a snippet of surveillance video obtained by detectives may hold a clue. In the footage, released Tuesday, a “man of unknown race” wearing light-colored jeans, work boots, red gloves, a gray tank-top, a dark boonie-style hat, and carrying a backpack can be seen walking in the area.

Young said his officers “will leave no stone unturned until we figure out the nexus as to why this happened.”

Daytona Beach's annual Bike Week, the self-described “world’s largest motorcycle event,” began on Friday and will run through March 13.

Three-and-a-half hours before they were killed, the Aultmans posted a cheerful message on Facebook from the Main Street Station, an event venue that was once a working NASCAR garage.

“Omg Robin is so awesome,” Brenda Aultman wrote. “We look forward to seeing her EVERY event!! Music is wonderful at Main Street. It’s the best!!”

Three bands were performing that night as part of the Bike Week festivities, according to Main Street Station’s events calendar: Throwdown Jones, a North Carolina “rock n’ roll party band,” Skin Deep, a five-piece group from Orlando, and Afterlife, an alt-metal outfit from West Palm Beach.

Omg Robin is so awesome. We look forward to seeing her EVERY event!! Music is wonderful at Main Street. It’s the best!!

A man who lives next door to the couple told local NBC affiliate WESH that they had been living in their home for about six months.

“They walked to the beach every day,” he said. “It was like their dream house. They bought bicycles. They just bought a Jeep… He was a responsible guy. They even took bicycles because he was drinking. He left his car, left his motorcycle here. Left their car, left their truck here. It is a real shame what happened to them, you know.”

Susanne Odena, who lives down the street from the Aultmans, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that detectives reviewed video from a security camera on her property but that it hadn’t captured footage of the killings.

The Volusia County Medical Examiner’s office will perform autopsies to determine the precise causes of death. Authorities are asking anyone with any information about the incident to contact Detective Collin Howell at (386) 671-5257 or [email protected], regarding Case 220003866. https://www.thedailybeast.com/marrie...orida?ref=home

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South Florida visitor spends night in stranger’s home thinking it was his Airbnb

A visitor to South Florida was sound asleep when he got a rude awakening. He was inside a house he thought he had rented, but it turned out there was a major mix up.

“This is the best possible outcome of breaking into someone’s home and spending the night in their bed,” said visitor Paul Drecksler.

Drecksler made an honest mistake after spending the night in what he thought was his Airbnb and turned out it wasn’t.

“I had accidentally got the address wrong going from the Airbnb app into the Google maps; the address became the house right next door,” said Drecksler.

He had just arrived in Miami to officiate a friend’s wedding. After a long day of traveling, he got to what he thought was his unlocked room, around 2 a.m.

Even following the instructions his Airbnb left behind.

“In the bedroom, the bed was made and ready to go, and there were two clean folded towels waiting for me,” said Drecksler.

He fell asleep and woke up the next morning to a very confused homeowner.

“The next morning, I get woken up by a knock on the door. I was surprised the guy even knocked on his own door. He goes, ‘Hey, can I help you? This is my house,’ and I’m like, ‘Um, no, this is an Airbnb that I rented.’ He goes, ‘No, this is my house,'” said Drecksler. “I could’ve been woken up to an angry homeowner. Really bad things could’ve happened.”

The homeowner showed him out and Drecksler found his actual Airbnb next door.

“In hindsight, now, I look back, all the clues were there. This is not the right Airbnb, but at 2 o’clock, your brain is like, this is it. This is the one,” said Drecksler.

He says now it’s a funny story to tell after spending the night in a stranger’s home in Miami.

“I’ve stayed in hundreds of Airbnbs, and never had this happen before,” said Drecksler.

He said, after this experience, he’ll double, even triple check the address the next time he stays at an Airbnb. https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-da...as-his-airbnb/

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“The next morning, I get woken up by a knock on the door. I was surprised the guy even knocked on his own door. He goes, ‘Hey, can I help you? This is my house,’ and I’m like, ‘Um, no, this is an Airbnb that I rented.’ He goes, ‘No, this is my house,'” said Drecksler. “I could’ve been woken up to an angry homeowner. Really bad things could’ve happened.”

The homeowner showed him out and Drecksler found his actual Airbnb next door.

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Bodycam Shows Police Tasing Armed Woman in Florida Walmart