BONIFAY – A jury took about 25 minutes Wednesday to find a registered sex offender guilty of failing to report a chance in vehicle registration, State Attorney Larry Basford announced
Brian T. Wise, 44, of Bonifay, was found guilty as charged of Failure of a Sex Offender to Report Change in Vehicles Owned. Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts set sentencing for April 17.
Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Cook is seeing to have the defendant sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender, which would double the maximum penalty from 5 years in prison to 10 years. Cook provided the court records of previous convictions for escape and burglary of a structure. The defendant has served prison time for a number of offenses included Lewd and Lascivious Indecent Assault on a Child Under the age of 16, Possession of Methamphetamine and felony Littering (more than 500 pounds).
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Wise was last released from prison Oct. 5, 2022 on a burglary charge. He was arrested on the latest charge in March, 2023, by the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.
During the one-day trial, Cook called two witnesses and entered evidence proving that when Holmes County sheriff’s deputies encountered him on March 13, 2023, he had a vehicle that had was not registered as required.
Florida law requires sex offenders to meet a number of conditions for public safety, including notifying law enforcement within 48 hours of changing addresses, email addresses, home and cellphone numbers and any changes in vehicles registered in their name.
Basford thanked the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its work on the case.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.