Timothy Craig Jolloff, 48, and Lisa Ann Jolloff, 58, of Fort Myers have been sentenced to eight years and one month, and three years, respectively, in federal prison for wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions connected to a COVID relief fraud case.U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Barber handed down the sentences Friday.

Seth Miller visited his client at North Florida’s Jackson Correctional Institution in February of 2019 with some good news. The client, Thomas Gilbert, was serving a life sentence for a 1973 murder in North Miami Beach he always said he didn’t commit.That afternoon, Miller, the executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, informed Gilbert they had discovered powerful new evidence of his innocence that included police files from 1977 containing an entire reinvestigation of his case with multiple witness statements saying Gilbert was not present, the results of a polygraph Gilbert took “exculpating” him, and a confession from a man who said he was the one who actually committed the murder.

Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, FL, K9 Zoe has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Zoe’s vest was sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Copper, Charlotte County, EOW 8/13/23”.

The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are warning against a dangerous ransomware scheme.In an advisory posted earlier this week, government officials warned that a ransomware-as-a-service software called Medusa, which has launched ransomware attacks since 2021, has recently affected hundreds of people. Medusa uses phishing campaigns as its main method for stealing victims’ credentials, according to CISA.

An investigation into an auto theft ring started in Southwest Florida in 2022 culminated this week with the arrests of six people in TampaThe Florida Department of Law Enforcement and representatives from the Tampa International Airport Police Department (TPAPD), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the arrests as part of an investigation into an auto theft ring.

The first good night's sleep in years for the daughter of a murdered couple came the night Florida executed her parents' killer earlier this month, she says in a new interview.“There’s a weight that’s been lifted off of us,” said Maranda Malnory, 29, of Cape Coral, in a phone conversation from her home. “We can move forward. We’re never going to move past it, but it’s not looming there all the time.”Malnory, 29, was less than one month away from her 2nd birthday when James Ford murdered her parents, Greg and Kim Malnory, in rural Charlotte County in southwest Florida. Malnory was left to the elements in a car seat in her father’s blue pickup after her parents’ murders, and police found her and her parents’ bodies the next morning.

SunPass officials say they are aware of a phishing scam involving use of the prepaid toll program's name.The scam uses text messages requesting prompt payment to avoid fees. The messages also contain a link to a fraudulent website in an attempt to collect information. Officials said SunPass does not send these messages.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by Florida Death Row inmate James Ford, setting the stage for his execution Thursday in the 1997 murders of a couple in Charlotte County.The Supreme Court declined to issue a stay of execution or to take up an appeal by Ford. As is common, the Supreme Court did not explain its reasons.

A federal grand jury indictment names Michel Serrano of Lehigh Acres as one of three men alleged to be part of a major Florida theft ring targeting vehicles including premium pickups, high-end Jeep models and luxury brands such as the Infiniti.The 34-year-old Serrano faces charges of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles and the sale and possession of stolen motor vehicles, as well as two counts of interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. If convicted on all counts, Serrano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment described Serrano as registered agent, president and treasurer of Serrano Trucks Corp. of Lehigh Acres. The Florida Division of Corporations lists the company as inactive.