The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on March 11, 2021, Judge Christopher N. Patterson sentenced Scott William Thomas to 15 years in the Department of Corrections for Kidnapping, Aggravated Fleeing to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer, Grand Theft Auto, and Driving While License Suspended – Habitual Offender.  On January 26, 2019, this Defendant stole a vehicle from the Texaco Gas Station located at 1736 St. Andrews Blvd.  An infant was inside the back seat when the Defendant stole the vehicle.  A countywide manhunt was immediately conducted by all local agencies.  The Defendant later fled the area in the vehicle, dropping the infant child off at the Taco Bell on Back Beach Road.  The Defendant later bailed from the vehicle and was apprehended.  This plea met the approval of the victim.  This case was prosecuted by ASA Peter Overstreet.

 

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on March 11, 2021, Judge Christopher N. Patterson sentenced Ardarreyus Walton to 10 years in the Department of Corrections with a 10 year minimum mandatory sentence pursuant to 10/20/LIFE.  On November 30, 2020, this defendant entered the Dollar General located at 4335 Highway 231 and robbed a cashier at gunpoint.  The Bay County Sheriff’s Office later was able to identify Mr. Walton and apprehend him.  The Defendant later gave a full confession to the armed robbery. This case was prosecuted by ASA Peter Overstreet.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on March 11, 2021, a Bay County jury found Vincent Joseph Nuzzo guilty of Aggravated Battery.

Evidence presented at trial proved that in May of 2020, Nuzzo hit the victim, a homeless man, several times with a large metal pipe. The incident occurred at the foot of the Hathaway Bridge, where Nuzzo and victim had been living.

The case was investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.   It was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Frank Sullivan and Ian Gray.  Sentencing is tentatively set for March 30, 2021, before Circuit Judge Dustin Stephenson.

For additional information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, Christopher Benjamin Lafollette, age 31, of Altha, Florida, pled no contest to the following charges:

Trafficking in Methamphetamine (28 grams or more)

Possession of Hydrocodone

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

Circuit Judge Shonna Gay sentenced Lafollette to a minimum mandatory 7 years in prison and a mandatory $100,000 fine.  The case was investigated by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.  A search warrant was obtained based upon prior drug sales and officers found the drugs, firearm, and paraphernalia during the search.  Lafollette also pled guilty to the other felony charges and stolen property charges.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney William Wright.

For additional information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.

The office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that Camerin Dixon-Hatcher has joined the office as an Assistant State Attorney in the Holmes County office, assigned to handle misdemeanor cases.  Ms. Dixon-Hatcher is a Holmes County native who graduated from Chipola State College and Florida State University.  She started law school at Samford University and transferred to Florida State University Law, where she graduated in May 2020.  She was sworn in as a member of the Florida Bar in November, 2020. We welcome Ms. Dixon-Hatcher to our team!

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on March 9, 2021, a Bay County jury found Jhon Albert Carrizales Pretell guilty as charged of Sexual Battery upon a Person Less Than 12 Years of Age.  The victim testified that between August and October 2018, she was sexually assaulted by the Defendant.  She testified that she did not tell anyone until March of 2019 when she felt safe enough to disclose the incident to a friend.  Police were notified almost immediately, and a Child Protection Team Interview was conducted the next day. After the interview, Bay County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jesse Cieslik interviewed the Defendant, where he confessed to the allegations.

The jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes before finding the Defendant guilty as charged. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Nicole Reed and Ian Gray.  Sentencing is scheduled for March 30, 2021 before the Honorable Dustin Stephenson, where the Defendant faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

For additional information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on March 2, 2021, Judge Ana Garcia sentenced 27 year old Sidney Taylor to 14 years in prison after she entered an open plea to Manslaughter.  The maximum sentence for Manslaughter is 15 years in prison.  Taylor delivered a deadly combination of Heroin and Carfentanil to the victim, 32 year old Justin Peters.  Mr. Peters died within moments after ingesting Taylor’s drugs.  Instead of calling 911, Taylor attempted to revive Mr. Peters by shoving Methamphetamine into his mouth.  She fled the scene and avoided law enforcement for several months.  Assistant State Attorney Bob Sombathy advised the Court that Carfentanil is used primarily by veterinarians on large animals such as horses and elephants.  Carfentanil is not approved for use on humans in any dosage.

The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Special Investigation Divisions of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the case agent was Sgt. Christian Williams.

State Attorney Larry Basford said that this is a tragic case and he hopes that it will serve as a reminder that ingesting just a little bit of an illegal substance can sometimes be lethal.

For additional information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.

 

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on February 24, 2021, a Jackson County jury found Lisette Lee Taylor guilty as charged of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child in the death of her infant daughter in 2017.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated a pattern of conduct whereby the Defendant neglected the infant after ingesting a large amount of methamphetamine, staying up for 24 hours, and then co-sleeping with the 19-day old infant for over 10 hours in a post-methamphetamine crash, resulting in the child’s death.

The case was investigated by the Graceville Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Mark Graham and Benjamin Keown.  Sentencing is set for April 23, 2021 before Circuit Judge James J. Goodman, Jr.

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that Lawrence Gill has returned to the State Attorney’s Office as an Assistant State Attorney in the Jackson County office, assigned to handle felony cases. Mr. Gill previously served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Bay County office from 2016 to 2019, handling both misdemeanor and felony cases. He most recently worked as an Assistant General Counsel at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee. We welcome Mr. Gill back to our team!

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that John Pettis has joined the State Attorney’s Office as an Investigator in the Holmes and Washington County offices.  Inv. Pettis comes to us from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, where he was most recently the supervisor of court house security.  He previously worked at the Walton Academy Charter School, where he was in charge of transportation, cafeteria, custodial, and security operations.  Prior to that, he worked at the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the DeFuniak Springs Police Department, and was a corrections officer for the Department of Corrections.  He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Business Administration and Management.  We welcome Inv. Pettis to our team!