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Diligent, proactive law enforcement that began with a traffic stop ended with a woman pleading to drug charges and accepting a 25-year mandatory sentence, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Kayla Marie Bellflower, 33, of Panama City Beach, pled No Contest to Trafficking in Fentanyl (28 grams or more) and Sale or Possession with Intent to Sell. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register adjudicated the defendant guilty and gave her the mandatory 25-year prison sentence under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking laws. The defendant was also fined $500,000.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore was prepared to call witnesses and present evidence that Panama City Beach Police caught the defendant in possession of a large quantity of Fentanyl after a traffic stop March 13, 2023.
The evidence would have shown that Panama City Beach Police Officer Michael McDowell stopped the defendant’s Mercedes around 7 p.m. March 13, 2023, for following too closely. During the stop, Cpl. Jeffrey Webber’s narcotics K9 conducted a “free air” search around the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.
A subsequent search turned up about 40 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent and deadly narcotic. Narcotics paraphernalia and about $3,800 were recovered as well.
Arresting officers would have testified that the defendant admitted to buying and selling the narcotics to make money.
Basford complimented the Panama City Beach Police Department, and the officers involved for their proactive work during a time of heavy traffic on the beach.
A traffic stop for not having a working tag light turned into a 15-year prison sentence for a Louisiana resident this week.
Drugs and paraphernalia seized from the defendant’s car (upper left), the defendant, pills containing meth (bottom left), Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke in trial last month.
Casey D. Lanns, 44, of Slaughter, La., was found guilty Aug. 22 of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (28 grams or more). Jurors took less than 15 minutes to return the verdict after Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke presented the case.
Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay sentenced the defendant to 15 years in prison.
VanDyke called five witnesses – including the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Panama City Beach police officers involved in traffic stop – and presented evidence that Lanns was in possession of about 250 pills containing methamphetamine.
The evidence showed the defendant was driving a Toyota Camry near Pier Park when he was stopped by a Holmes County sheriff’s deputy for having a burned out tag light. The deputy could smell marijuana and a gun was seen under the driver’s seat.
The defendant told law enforcement officers there were pills in the car. A “free air sniff” was performed by PCBPD K-9 Hana, with an indication that drugs were present. Authorities found three medicine bottles inside a black bag in the back seat. Each bottle contained a number of blue, pink and white pills.
The defendant admitted the pills were his. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysis showed they contained methamphetamine.
Basford thanked the Holmes County officers and Panama City Beach police for their work and collaborative efforts during Spring Break that resulted in the arrest.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 27 for an Alabama man found guilty of trafficking in hundreds of grams of methamphetamine, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Chase Zeller Steverson, 35, of Daleville, Ala., was found guilty of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 200 grams), Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Prosecutor Josh James addresses jurors during the trial.
Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson ordered the defendant held without bond until his sentencing.
“Thanks to the dedication and efforts of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division, another drug trafficker is locked up and off of our streets,” Prosecutor Josh James said. “This was a large amount of methamphetamine that never had a chance to get into the users’ hands.”
James called three witnesses – the 2 Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators on the case and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst – to prove the State’s case.
Witness testimony and evidence showed that during a phone call, the defendant agreed to sell 16 ounces of methamphetamine at a predetermined location.
When the defendant arrived, he was advised of his rights and a used hypodermic needle was found in his pants pocket. It tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
The defendant told investigators the methamphetamine he brought to sell was hidden in the bottom of a fake bleach bottle in the trunk. Investigators found nearly 450 grams of methamphetamine there. The defendant told them there was more in the car and investigators found about 4 more ounces of the drug in a grocery bag in the back seat.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for being able to proactively seize the large amount of methamphetamine before it could be sold on the streets.
A Callaway man found guilty Wednesday of sexually battering a young girl was sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Defendant John Armstrong, top, and Prosecutor Barbara Beasley, bottom.
John Michael Armstrong, 53, was found guilty of Sexual Battery on a Person Less Than 12 Years of Age. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay then designated the defendant as a Sexual Predator and sentenced him to the mandatory Life in prison.
Prosecutor Barbara Beasley called seven witnesses, including the victim, and presented evidence proving the defendant sexually battered a young girl in May 2023. The jury deliberated about 30 minutes before returning its verdict.
The victim reported the attack, which was investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and included a forensics interview at the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.
Basford credited the victim’s courage in both reporting the attack and testifying, along with the investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and GCCAC with bringing the case to a successful conclusion.
MARIANNA – The man deemed most responsible for the murder of Sonny Richard two years ago was sentenced to Life in prison today after pleading guilty, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. A second defendant was sentenced to 50 years in prison, and a new sentencing date was set for the third.
Gabriel Dewayne Clemons, 41, of Marianna, was sentenced to Life in prison after he entered an open plea to Second-Degree Murder, meaning there was no agreed-upon sentence. He was charged in the Jan. 13, 2022, beating death of Richard, 23, in the defendant’s yard.
Devin Michael Knight, 24, of DeFuniak Springs, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading No Contest to Second-Degree Murder. Knight’s statements to Jackson County Sheriff’s Office investigators the day after the murder and his cooperation helped lead to the arrests.
Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia, top left, as defendant Gabriel Clemons testifies. Left and bottom center are defendants Devin Michael Knight and Ramaryia Keys. Prosecutor Peter Overstreet, bottom right, during an earlier Jackson County murder trial.
Ramaryia Keys, 17 at the time of the crime, is set for sentencing in October on charges of Accessory After the Fact to Murder and Tampering with Evidence.
Richard was beaten to death by Clemons, who repeatedly struck him in the back of the head with a metal pipe that had cement on one end. Prosecutor Peter Overstreet said the motive was to rob the victim and get money for methamphetamine. The body was pulled to a burn pit and set on fire after the victim died.
Overstreet called witnesses – including Jackson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and the co-defendants – to show Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia what happened that night and each defendant’s actions. The defendant also testified.
“Mr. Clemons received exactly what he deserves for the heinous murder of Sonny Richard,” Overstreet said after the 3-hour-long sentencing hearing.
During that hearing, Overstreet told Judge Garcia it was the Prosecution’s job to present all the evidence, good and bad, and in this case it pointed to Clemons as the catalyst.
“We talk about the good. the bad. and the ugly,” Overstreet said. “We say the good things defendants have done in aiding law enforcement, and also the horror of their actions. And it’s the court’s job here to mete out the appropriate punishment.
“It is State’s belief, law enforcement’s belief, that the man sitting right there is the man most responsible for Sonny Richard’s death.”
Left to right: Gabriel Dewayne Clemons, 41, was sentenced to Life in prison; Devin Michael Knight, 24, of DeFuniak Springs, was sentenced to 50 years in prison; and Ramaryia Keys, 17 at the time of the crime, is set for sentencing in October on charges of Accessory After the Fact to Murder and Tampering with Evidence.
The victim was reported missing by his family Jan. 13. Deputies following a lead went to the defendant’s residence and found the victim’s remains in a burn pit.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jeremy Pelfry testified he was leaving the scene when he saw Knight walking down the road. He stopped to talk to him and ultimately took him in for questioning.
Knight told investigators Key called the victim to come to the residence to repay her some money. He said Clemons attacked the victim with the metal pipe after deciding to rob him. The blows to the victim’s head were fatal.
The victim’s father, Randall Richard, wrote a statement to the court that he asked Overstreet to read aloud for the judge.
“Sonny was my baby boy, he was 23 years old at the time of his death,” Mr. Richard wrote. “He had his whole life ahead of him. Sonny was a very trusting young man. He thought the defendants were his friends.
“He trusted them and he lost his life because of that trust,” the statement continued. “I will forever have a hole in my hard that cannot be filled.”
Basford thanked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for its thorough investigation which led to a quick resolution of the homicide.
A Southport man accused of befriending a young teen, providing her with alcohol and ultimately sexually abusing her was found guilty Tuesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Benjamin Patrick Walsh, 54, was found guilty of Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson set sentencing for Sept. 24.
Evidence and witnesses called by Prosecutor Dustin Miller proved Walsh was about 51 and the victim was about 16 the first time he attacked her in his home in 2021. The victim testified the defendant treated her special until one night when he sexually battered her.
Prosecutor Dustin Miller addresses jurors. The defendant is above.
“I was scared, I told him to stop, I didn’t expect that to happen,” she said.
Miller praised the victim for her courage in testifying.
“It was an honor to seek justice on behalf of the victim in this case,” he said. “I must commend her, because it took tremendous bravery to tell her story.”
Miller said the evidence showed the defendant “groomed” the victim over time, a tactic seen in many child sexual abuse cases.
“Our community will not tolerate the grooming of our youth nor preying on their innocence for sexual gratification,” Miller said.
The jury took about an hour to reach its verdict.
Prosecutors Dustin Miller and Josh James, front, stand with Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson as the jury returns to the courtroom.
The case began in 2022 with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office receiving a report that the victim had been sexually abused. Several agencies collaborated to gather evidence that led to the charges and conviction.
“I would like to thank the jury for rendering a just verdict, along with the BCSO and especially case agent Patrick Crawford for all his hard work,” Miller said. “The work done by victim advocate Maria Wilson at the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and her professionalism, was invaluable.”
“No prosecution would be successful without the work that goes on behind the scenes.”
A man charged with shooting his father in the head while he lay in bed pled No Contest to Second-Degree Murder Monday and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Prosecutor Peter Overstreet, right, in a murder trial in April. Defendant Tyler Davis, upper left.
Tyler Moore Davis, 29, was charged with the Sept. 22, 2022, murder of his father, Julian Clifton Davis, Jr., 54. The victim was shot in his bed inside his Panama City Beach home. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register adjudicated the defendant guilty and sentenced him to 45 years in prison. The first 25 years are minimum-mandatory.
Prosecutor Peter Overstreet was prepared to present evidence and witnesses in the case made by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators that the defendant shot the victim in his bed and then fled.
“It’s hard to imagine the emotions the family has endured in this case,” Overstreet said. “This outcome gave the family, which approved the plea, the justice they sought without the additional burden of a trial. I hope it helps them find some peace.”
He was captured later that day by the Forsyth County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. The defendant, who had been living in Forsyth County, admitted to shooting his father. He also told investigators he had hidden the murder weapon, a 9mm Glock, in his Georgia home. Investigators retrieved it.
Testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement showed it was the gun that fired a spent casing found at the scene of the crime. Also in the defendant’s home, investigators found ammun
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and authorities in Forsyth County for their work on the case.
A Callaway man convicted of Sexual Battery on a Child Under the Age of 12 Friday was sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Marcus Stewart, 49, was found guilty as charged Friday after a one-day trial. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark followed by sentencing him to Life in prison.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan, left, in court last week. Upper right, defendant Marcus Stewart.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan called five witnesses and presented evidence proving the defendant sexually battered the child on Christmas Eve, 2021. The victim also testified.
“Life in prison is the proper sentence to protect our community from this defendant,” Sullivan said. “His unspeakable acts forever changed the life of the victim. We appreciate the continued collaborative work of the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Bay County Sheriff’s Office in helping us hold these criminals accountable.”
The defendant was arrested Dec. 30, 2021, by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Evidence showed the victim disclosed the attacks during an interview with the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.
Basford thanked the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Bay County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the case.
A man found guilty Wednesday of trafficking in a large amount of fentanyl was sentenced to 30 years in prison following the verdict, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
The jury that heard the evidence and testimony presented by Prosecutor Frank Sullivan took less than an hour to return its verdict against Jamie Laiquan Frazier, 43, of Panama City.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan in court earlier this week.Jamie Frazier
After the verdict, Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison. Under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes, the defendant will have to serve a minimum-mandatory 25 years of that sentence. He was also fined $500,000.
Sullivan called three witnesses – including Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators Trevor Lee and Thomas LaRoche – to prove the defendant set up a deal to sell Fentanyl on July 26, 2023.
Evidence showed the defendant set up the deal over the phone. He then arrived at the agreed upon location in Southport at the agreed upon time. Deputies made a probable cause traffic stop on the defendant, who did not have a valid driver’s license, and found about 67 grams of Fentanyl in his clothing.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, dealers often mix the powerful and less expensive Fentanyl with other drugs, increasing the likelihood of an overdose because potency levels vary. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. A DEA analysis has found 42 percent of the counterfeit pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of the drug.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its proactive work in getting a large amount of the deadly drug off the streets before it could be sold.
Tracy Smith, the State Attorney’s Office Chief Prosecutor for Gulf County, has been selected to fill an open Bay County judgeship.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Smith will fill the Bay County opening created with the recent retirement of County Judge Joe Grammer. Grammer, also a former prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office, retired after 15 years on the bench.
Gulf County Chief Prosecutor Tracy Smith
“I am very humbled and honored by this appointment,” Smith said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Bay County as their next judge.”
Larry Basford, State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit that covers Bay, Gulf, Jackson, Washington, Holmes and Calhoun counties, said it was more evidence that good work is rewarded.
“Ms. Smith’s experience as a prosecutor and as a civil litigator has prepared her to be an excellent judge,” Basford said.
Basford noted Smith is the third prosecutor in 3 years from the circuit to be appointed to a judgeship by the governor.
Circuit Court Judge Devin Collier was appointed in 2022, and Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young was appointed in 2021.
Smith was one of four candidates whose names were submitted to the governor by the Florida Bar’s Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the position.
The JNC found all 4 to be “highly qualified and more than capable to fill the position available.”
Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore was prepared to call witnesses and present evidence that Panama City Beach Police caught the defendant in possession of a large quantity of Fentanyl after a traffic stop March 13, 2023.
