Stephen Moretto was found guilty as charged of two counts of Second Degree Murder. Moretto killed 70-year-old Janice Bianchi and 39-year-old Jason Erichowsky in late 2009.
After killing them he buried their bodies in the backyard of Bianchi’s duplex in San Carlos Park in Lee County.
It was a gruesome murder. Bianchi was beat with a hammer and stabbed numerous times. Erichowsky was also beat with a hammer and stabbed more than a dozen times.
Assistant State Attorneys Marie Doerr of our Homicide Unit and Nicole Mirra handled the case. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16th.  Moretto faces two life sentences.

62-year-old Terrell Beckwith was sentenced to life in prison for the sexual assault of a woman in her Cape Coral home. He threatened her with a hunting knife as he violently attacked her and only ran away after the woman’s husband came home and intervened.
Beckwith has a lengthy criminal history of serious violent crimes in other states. He was found guilty in this case of Sexual Battery, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Kidnapping with a Firearm, Sexual Battery – Possessing a Firearm, and Attempted Sexual Battery with a Deadly Weapon.
Assistant State Attorneys Denise Kiser and Amanda Hutchison handled the case.   

Matthew Gullett was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation for Manslaughter and Grand Theft Auto.

Gullett killed his girlfriend in a Cape Coral apartment. Assistant State Attorney Marie Doerr of our Homicide Unit handled the case.

James Sims was sentenced to 17 years in prison after being found guilty of the shooting death of Roy Radabaugh outside of a Fort Myers strip club 30 years ago. 67-year-old Sims was caught last year after being on the run for all of those years.
After the killing, he fled the state and assumed the identity of a man who died in a car accident. Assistant State Attorneys Cynthia Ross and Bryan Kaufman handled the case.

Wayne Sakker was found guilty of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation on a Child Under 12 by a jury in Punta Gorda. The defendant was 42-years-old when he molested a 5-year-old child.
Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Garczewski and Molly Tandy handled the case. Sakker faces a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 5th.         

Defendant Richard McDade was found guilty of two counts of Sexual Battery on a Child Under 12, two counts of Sexual Activity with a Child and one count of Soliciation of Sexual Activity with a Child by a Fort Myers jury.

McDade was sentenced to life in prison. Assistant State Attorneys Denise Kiser and Amanda Hutchison handled the case. 

In another Punta Gorda case, 15-year-old Chase Panem was given his disposition in juvenile court for Sexual Battery on a Child.

Panem was put into a high-risk juvenile commitment program designed for sex offenders and was designated a sex offender by the court. Pursuant to the court order, he will also be required to register as a sex offender. Assistant State Attorney Richard T. Simpson handled the case. 

Brandon Murph was sentenced to life in prison immediately after being found guilty of Home Invasion Robbery – Possessing a Firearm by a Fort Myers jury. Assistant State Attorneys Claudia Stewart and Connie Serrano handled the case.

Curtis Williams Jr., a defendant at the Charlotte Correctional Insitution was sentenced to 5 more years in prison after being found guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Exhibition in the Presence of an Employee.

Williams propped himself up in the window of his cell door and masturbated in front of a female corrections officer. The jury only needed 15 minutes to find him guilty.

Williams is already serving time in prison for Lewd and Lascivious Molestation on a Victim Under 12 and two counts of Sexual Battery on a Victim Under 12. Assistant State Attorney Scott Patterson handled this new case.

Peter-John Andrew Perry was sentenced to 5 years in prison followed by 5 years of state probation for Battery and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The defendant was sentenced as a Violent Felony Offender, Habitual Violent Felony Offender, Habitual Felony Offender and Prison Releasee Re-Offender.
As a part of his sentencing, Perry also had to provide a DNA sample, pay court costs, cost of prosecution and undergo a psychological evaluation.
The incident happened when Perry starting yelling at a family about their child being in the road. Things quickly got out of control and that led to a Good Samaritan being hit with a baseball bat.
Assistant State Attorneys Geraldo Olivo and Abraham Thornburg from our Fort Myers office handled the case.

Brian Devine was found guilty of Burglary of a Dwelling after a Naples jury deliberated for only 21 minutes. The defendant qualifies as a Prison Releasee Reoffender and Habitual Felony Offender.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 15th. Assistant State Attorneys James Stewart and Mara Marzano handled the case.

Wesley Dorvil was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years probation after being found  guilty of Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Resisting Arrest without Violence and Robbery with a Firearm.

Dorvil was located a short distance away from the crime and claimed that a ski mask in his pocket was a “fashion accessory.” Assistant State Attorneys Lisa Mead and Deborah Cunningham from our Naples office handled the case.

Daniel Vilca was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of 454 counts of Child Pornography following a 4 day trial in Naples. The 24-year old had hundreds of pornographic photos of children on his home computer. The videos showed young boys engaged in sex acts with adults and other childen.  
Assistant State Attorney Steven Maresca, Deborah Cunningham and James Molenaar handled the case.  

Pascual Rentas was sentenced to life in prison for the 2009 killing of Eugene Brown in Fort Myers. He was found guilty at trial in September of Second Degree Murder. Assistant State Attorneys Kelly Worcester and Devin George handled the case. 

 Joseph Repetti was found guilty of Battery and Trespassing following a one day trial in Fort Myers.
Repetti went into the house of his ex-girlfriend and attacked her new boyfriend who was sleeping in bed next to her.

The defendant took a clothes iron and smashed the victim in the face. The man now has permanent scarring and reduced feeling in his face.

Repetti was sentenced to one year in jail. Assistant State Attorney Abe Thornburg handled the case.

 Jarrett Mundle was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 5 years probation for his involvement in a 2009 shooting in Cape Coral.He was found guilty of Attempted Home Invasion Robbery, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Armed Buglary in July.
One co-defendant, Patrick Nelson has already been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Two more co-defendants in the crime are set to go to trial soon.
Assistant State Attorney Marie Doerr of our Homicide Unit is handling all of the cases.

 William Mathias was found guilty of Manufacture of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of a Listed Chemical. This case stems from a traffic stop in Glades County where deputies found a “rolling meth lab.”
There were so many chemical vapors in the car, one deputy even had to get medical assistance. Assistant State Attorneys Jonathan Martin and Justin Chapman handled the case.

 Tyrone Campbell was found guilty of Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. He shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Debrena Walker in North Fort Myers. Campbell was sentenced to life in prison. Assistant State Attorneys Marie Doerr of our Homicide Unit and Denise Kiser handled the case.

Jarrett Javon Irons was found guilty of Attempted Robbery with a Firearm following a trial in Collier County. He tried to rob an undercover law enforcement officer.
Unbeknownst to the defendant and his co-defendant, the SWAT team was in the parking lot ready to do a take-down on their planned drug bust. So, it was a very swift arrest.
Irons was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His co-defendant Patrick Taylor was also sentenced to 30 years in prison. Assistant State Attorneys Mara Marzano and Lisa Mead handled the case.  

Gregory Brock, Jr. whose alias is “Smurf” was sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender to 20 years in prison for Robbery and Aggravated Battery. He also recently received a sentence of 3 years in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Assistant State Attorney Tyler Lovejoy handled the case. 

Twenty-eight year-old Paul Lisowski was sentenced to ten years in prison followed by five years of sex offender probation for Lewd and Lascivious Battery, Solicitation of a Child through a Computer Service and Interference with Custody.

The former Fort Myers youth minister and married father, was targeting a 15-year-old girl. He was arrested for Lewd and Lascivious Battery and while awaiting trial, violated a no contact order.

Just before he was arrested again, he stabbed himself repeatedly in the neck and survived. Assistant State Attorney Amanda Hutchison handled the case.

Ewing Saunders was sentenced to 60 years in prison after being found guilty of 6 counts of DUI Manslaughter. Saunders was driving a truck filled with tons of sand when he plowed through a construction zone and then past a stop sign, demolishing a van carrying six men in 2009. Assistant State Attorneys Ron Smith and Jonathan Martin handled the Glades County case.

Eighteen year-old Riccardo Rivas will spend the next year in jail for a fatal crash that happened in North Naples in 2009. Rivas, who was 16 at the time of the crash, plead guilty to Vehicular Homicide and seven counts of Reckless Driving.

When he is released from jail, he will be on probation for four years. He must also return to jail twice a year during probation. The first day will be on the anniversary of the crash and the second will be the birthday of the victim.

Rivas must also serve 100 hours of community service in the mental health field during each year of probation. His driver’s license will be revoked and can only be given back to him if he passes a medical screening.

The resolution of this case was worked out with the support of the victim’s family. The mother of the woman killed said she wants Rivas to eventually be able to go on with his life. Assistant State Attorneys J.D. Miller and Ron Smith handled the case.

Defendant Marco Amador-Pineda has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for trying to kill his step-son. Amador-Pineda decided to not go forward with trial and plead straight to the court. So instead of a jury deciding the case, after pleading guilty, the judge just had to decide on sentencing.

Assistant State Attorneys Carrie Pollock and Stephanie Russell handled the case.

Reginald Etienne was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 32-year-old Joshua Sands of Cape Coral. Sands died after being stabbed 18 times by Etienne at a New Year’s party on January 1, 2010, following an argument.

In this case there had also been an unsuccessful “stand your ground” motion brought by the defense prior to the trial. Assistant State Attorney Marie Doerr of our Homicide Unit handled the case.

Collier County teacher 53-year-old Robert Hamberg was sentenced to 30 years in prison on 8 counts of Lewd and Lascivious Battery on a student. Hamberg was the girl’s band teacher when the crimes occurred. Hamberg must also serve 15 years on sex offender probation when he gets out of prison.

Assistant State Attorneys Mara Marzano, Deborah Cunningham and Steven Maresca handled the case.

Derek Durant was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a 2009 carjacking in Lee County. Durant was sentenced as a Prison Releasee Re-offender.

Assistant State Attorneys Sara Miller and Danielle Ligouri handled the case.

A Charlotte County man driving drunk with his two young children in his truck with him was found guilty of DUI 2nd or More – Accompanied by a Minor. Raul Mojica had two previous DUI’s in the county.

Mojica was sentenced to one year in jail, a 10-year driver’s license suspension, a one year ignition interlock device, a $2,000 fine, costs of court and prosecution, as well as a 30 day vehicle impoundment.

Assistant State Attorneys Kathryn Horst and Stephen Browning handled the case.

Tyrone Campbell was found guilty as charged for Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Campbell killed North Fort Myers resident Debrena Walker. Walker left behind five children.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 27th. Campbell faces up to life in prison. Assistant State Attorneys Marie Doerr and Denise Kiser handled the case.

Joseph Burgess was found guilty of Robbery with a Deadly Weapon and Resisting an Officer without Violence for the robbery of a liquor store in Fort Myers. The crime was caught on tape.

After robbing the liquor store at knifepoint and forcing the cashier to empty two registers, Burgess ran next door to a grocery store to change clothes. He is caught on video there running with a bag of money. Moments later a deputy is seen in pursuit.

The State sought Prison Releasee Re-offender status on Burgess due to his criminal history which increases the time he faces for the crime. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced on August 8th. Assistant State Attorneys Danielle Ligouri and Anthony Kunasek handled the case.

Damien Stafford will spend the next 10 years in prison for his role in a string of burglaries at Subway restaurants in Lee County.

Stafford was sentenced as an Habitual Felony Offender. Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Russell handled the case.

James LeClaire was found guilty of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, 2 counts of Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment and Battery. The crimes happened in Hendry County in 2005. It was a hostage situation in which all of Harlem was shut down for hours. After the crime, LeClaire went on the run and was eventually caught.

Due to the use of a firearm all of the counts were enhanced with the 10-20-Life statute. LeClaire was sentenced to 58 years in prison. The judge ordered his sentences for his multiple charges to run consecutively so he will serve 27 years in prison.

This includes a case where he pled straight to the court for a child abuse and grand theft case. Assistant State Attorneys Jill Cabai and Stephanie Bendeck handled the cases.

Cape Coral resident Baron Darnell Young was sentenced to life in prison for First Degree Murder after pleading straight to the court. That is an option the defendant has, other than possibly standing trial. It is then left up to a judge to decide the sentence.

Forty-one year-old Young was also sentenced to 144.9 months in prison by Judge Thomas Reese for Robbery with a Deadly Weapon and 144.9 months in prison for Sexual Battery with a Deadly Weapon or Great Force.

Young also received an additional 60 months or Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and 60 months for Grand Theft. All sentences are concurrent and the judge adjudicated him guilty on all counts.

Young killed Tamara Jo Hyatt at a Cape Coral home reportedly over a $175 debt for work he had done on her truck. Assistant State Attorney Bob Lee from our Homicide Unit handled the case. 

Fort Myers teenager Mohammed Roche was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm for shooting another teen in the face in Golden Gate in 2009. The 19-year-old victim survived the shooting. Assistant State Attorneys Mara Marzano and Ashli Gagliano handled the case. 

Scott Huss was sentenced to life in prison for the 2007 murder of his wife Yanna. Huss murdered his wife in their Charlotte County home. Yana was stabbed 11 times. Their 8-year-old son watched his mother die. At the sentencing, Huss continued to not show any remorse nor take any blame for Yanna’s death. Assistant State Attorneys Dan Feinberg and Jennifer Garczewski handled the case.

Robert Anthony Ortiz will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty on all counts for a fatal Charlotte County shooting in 2007. He was found guilty of Second Degree Murder with a Firearm, one count of Attempted Second Degree Murder and one count of Robbery-Discharging a Firearm. 

Ortiz was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years. The State Attorney’s Office added the enhancement to his charges for a prison release reoffender and a habitual violent felony offender.   Prior to this sentencing for the newest case, he was already sentenced to 88 years in prison for prior robberies and probation violations.

Assistant State Attorneys Don Mason and Jennifer Garczewski handled the case. “The citizens of Charlotte County are well served to have this man spend the rest of his life in prison. This is one of the worst people I have ever run across in my career which includes 30 years in law enforcement,” said Mason. 

Jesus Valdes was sentenced to 5 years in prison after being found guilty of marijuana possession, possession of a place for manufacturing marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana. Approximately $189,000 worth of drugs were found in the Golden Gates Estates home of Valdes in 2009. Assistant State Attorney Mary Briede handled the case.

Jody Lovejoy was sentenced to 3 years in prison to be followed by 27 years of probation for grand theft because she stole from her employer, Fish Tale Marina. Lovejoy was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $184,094.88. She will be paying on the amount monthly during her probation. Assistant State Attorney J.D. Miller of our Lee County Economics Crime Unit handled the case.  

James Mathis was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of Tampering with a Witness, a First Degree Felony. It involved tampering with a witness in another Lee County case being handled by our office. Assistant State Attorney David Maijala handled this case.  

Defendant Paulo Rendon pled as charged to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender right after his trial was about to resume following a lunch break. Lee County Circuit Court Judge Mark Steinbeck sentenced Rendon to just over 4 years, 7 months in prison. Assistant State Attorney Carrie Pollock of our Special Victims Unit handled the case.