Box of Chocolates

Our primary focus is domestic violence, sexual assault & child abuse. However, going to Court on any given day is a lot like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.

This morning I had 2 young ladies from Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity at UCF come to court for their on-the-job training as volunteers. We happened upon a bond motion in Judge Davis' courtroom for a defendant named John Pavao (case 2008CF19171). He is charged with RICO, Racketeering, Fraud & Theft (12 counts combined). The judge assigned the public defender to represent him on a Bond Reduction Motion because he was found to be indigent. The public defender, William Hancock, was given 5-10 minutes to prepare (having never seen the case before), and did a commendable job. The defendant is accused of having stolen $6M in real estate from people. He was in custody on a $1.5M bond. One charge relates to his having an 80+ year old victim sign some papers that deeded her paid-for house over to him. She had turned to him for a small loan to pay the taxes. Her house is now being foreclosed on because he allegedly "skimmed the equity" she had.

The judge granted the bond reduction to $21K (barely more than 1% of the original bond amount!), ordered that he surrender his passports, be put on GPS monitoring and prohibited him from engaging in the buying or selling of real estate while this case is pending. So he goes home to his house in Windermere (which is being foreclosed on) to await trial. The case is very complex and will likely take 2 weeks to try (and it'll likely be several months before it gets to trial). His wife, daughter, and two other individuals are co-defendants.

After I heard the details on this one victim, I was angry that this (alleged) thief will be out soon. In spite of the compelling testimony presented by the State's investigator, the judge is granting what I think is a ludicrously low bond amount. The defendant is also wanted in Massachusetts and has ties to Portugal. Maybe the fact that his wife ($1.5M bond) & 22-yr old daughter ($1.5M bond) are still in jail will keep him in town. I hope the victim(s) in this case get their day in court.

3/31/09 Update: http://www.wftv.com/news/19047449/detail.html

Pavao's daughter has a bond motion scheduled for 4/1 at 10:30am in front of the same judge. Pavao posted bond on Friday 3/27 but is being held on a warrant from Massachusetts.

More Pavao family members get bond

Shastine Pavao (daughter) was granted bond in the amount of $31K. She posted it yesterday. Debra Pavao (wife) also posted a $25k bond yesterday. For background on this case, see our blog dated March 26th.

4/4/09 added info: Our volunteer who monitored the case advised that Debra had no idea how many properties she owned. Nor did she have any idea how her "small" children (ages 12 & 15) were being fed. Co-defendant Shastine (age 22) owns approximately 17 properties & she believed all were in foreclosure. Her 15-yr old sister has been collecting rent on two properties (now in foreclosure) from people who were "renting to own." Appalling. That's the only word that is suitable to express our outrage at what these people are doing.

Whatever happened to. . . ? #25

Danzelski A Hester
2009-CF-016233-A-O

Attempted 1st Degree Murder; Aggravated Battery Great Bodily Harm

This was a drug related assault that the defendant allegedly commited just after Judge Michael Murphy gave Hester the option to do 1 year of home confinement instead of 6 months jail for violating probation in 2007-MM-5357-A-O (which was a DV Battery case).

Count 1 was nolle prossed. Defendant pled to Count 2, was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 24 months DOC with credit for 210 days time served.

William Randle Richardson
2010-CF-001082-A-O

Intercept Wire/Oral Communications; Video Voyeurism; Loitering or Prowling

Defendant allegedly videotaped under the skirt of his victim as she was shopping for wedding rings at the Mall at Millenia with her fiance

Defendant pled no contest to Video Voyeurism and was sentenced to 4 days jail w/credit for 4 days time served, placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to complete 25 hours of community service.

Celeste Roberta Meyer
2009-CF-009583-A-O
Lewd/Lascivious Molestation
Defendant allegedly molested a 7-yr old girl she was babysitting.
Defendant was acquitted by a jury.

Jermie Nakai Nez

2010-CF-007792-A-O
Burglary of Dwelling w/ Assault or Battery; Resist Officer w/o Violence; Tamper w/Witness Hinder Comm w/LEO; Assault; Misues Public Sexual Predator Info; Battery; Threaten Public Servant
Defendant allegedly attacked a registered sex offender (having located him using the web), threatened to kill him, and subsequently threatened to sexually assault the officer's daughter while en route to the jail

Defendant pled no contest to counts 2, 4, & 5, was sentenced to 6 months jail and ordered to have no contact with the victim. The remaining counts were nolle prossed.

Robert Acosta

2008-CF-018275-A-O

Attempted Murder, Sexual Battery; Battery on Person>65yrs old; Burglary

Defendant allegedly assaulted a friend's elderly mother who lived down the street from his friend.

Defendant was found guilty by a jury of all counts and sentenced to LIFE in the Department of Corrections.  Sentinel report here.

Tyrone Tarmae Dukes

2009-CF-017067-A-O

Sexual Battery WDW; Battery; Kidnap w/Intent Commit Felony

Defendant allegedly used a gun to assault victim at 3:15am as she was walking in downtown Orlando - defendant had previously pled in Volusia to Attempted Sexual Battery and sentenced to probation.
Defendant was acquitted by a jury.

Jonathan E Osberry

2010-CF-007112-A-O

Kidnap w/Intent to Commit Felony; Aggravated Assault w/Deadly Weapon; Possess Firearm by Minor

Defendant (age 17) allegedly attempted to rape a 40-yr old woman at a hotel in Winter Park.

Case was nolle prossed.

James Lanzer

2010-CF-008359-A-O

Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition

Defendant allegedly exposed himself & performed a sex act in front of children on a Lynx bus.

Defendant is deceased.

Jasmine Clairzimon

2009-CF-005035-A-O

2nd Degree Murder

Defendant allegedly shot a man in the chest while he was sitting in the backseat of a car.

Defendant was acquitted by a jury.

Christopher James Henson
2009-CF-011441-A-O
Lewd/Lascivous Battery; Impregnating Child <16 yrs old
Defendant (age 28) failed to return to his trial on 4/14/10 after the Court recessed for lunch.

Defendant pled no contest to Count 2 and was sentenced to 5 years DOC with credit for 113 days time served.  Count 1 was nolle prossed.

Lakisha Elaine Pickett

2010-CF-006124-A-O

Aggravated Battery w/Deadly Weapon (DV); Criminal Mischief

Defendant allegedly backed a car into her boyfriend during an argument (both were allegedly intoxicated).

Defendant pled to Count 2, adjudication was withheld. Defendant was sentenced to 3 years probation, ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation, and to have no contact with the victim.

Shastine Pavao

2008-CF-019171-B-O

(not DV) RICO; Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering; Fraud; Theft (8cts)

See our previous blogs about this case.

Defendant pled guilty to Count 2 and was given a suspended sentence of 72 months DOC with credit for 112 days time served. Sentence was suspended on condition that she successfully complete 12 years of probation, pay resitution.
John Pavao pled guilty to RICO & is scheduled for sentencing 11/5/10.
Debra Pavao's passport was returned to her 10/4. No new date yet.

Pavao Update

Have a look at WFTV's report on the Pavao case (about which I blogged on 3/26 & 4/2). Kudos to Judge Jenifer Davis for not cutting him any slack while out on bond. And thank you to WFTV for staying with this story.
http://www.wftv.com/news/19443201/detail.html