Press Release

Bill Eddins, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, and Glenn Hess, State
Attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, announced that on Monday,
January 28, 2019, Rocky Ali Beamon was sentenced to death in Jackson County,
Florida, for First Degree Premeditated Murder.

The conviction and sentence arose from the July 5, 2012, murder of Bruce Hunsicker at
the Apalachee Correctional Institution in Sneads, Florida.  Beamon and Hunsicker were
both inmates at the prison, and subsequent confessions by Beamon revealed that the
motive for the murder was primarily Hunsicker’s status as a sex offender.  Hunsicker
also owed Beamon money.

After watching the victim for several days to learn his schedule, Beamon killed
Hunsicker in the shower area of the prison dormitory by approaching him from behind,
choking him, and stabbing him 80 times with a homemade shank.  Beamon then rinsed
himself off and flushed the shank, a towel, and a pair of boxers, after which he
proceeded to dinner.

Beamon entered a guilty plea to First Degree Premeditated Murder and waived his right
to a jury trial for guilt and sentencing.  A Penalty Phase Judge Trial was then held on
December 17, 2018.  The State presented evidence of the heinousness of the killing as
well as details regarding Beamon’s prior criminal history, which included 2005
convictions for Murder, Kidnapping, and Robbery in Hillsborough County for which
Beamon was sentenced to life in prison.

The Honorable Christopher N. Patterson, Circuit Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial
Circuit, determined that the aggravating factors in this case outweighed the mitigating
circumstances applicable to the Defendant and found that death was the appropriate
sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of
Corrections with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Assistant State Attorney Clifton Drake was responsible for the prosecution, with
assistance from Assistant State Attorney Jack Schlechter and Chief Assistant State
Attorney Bill Bishop.  All three attorneys are employed by the First Judicial Circuit but
were cross-designated with the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for the prosecution of this
case.

State Attorney Bill Eddins also indicated that Rocky Beamon is under investigation for
an additional murder that occurred in January of 2017 while Beamon was incarcerated
at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.  The state intends to seek an indictment for
first degree murder in that case and also intends to seek a death sentence.

Any questions may be directed to Mr. Drake at (850) 689-5620.

Please see the following job postings.  Applications are NOT accepted through the PeopleFirst electronic system.  Employment Application and Authorization to Release Information are available on our website at http://sa14.fl.gov/careers-opportunities/.  These should be emailed, along with resume and cover letter, to SA_businessoffice@sa14.fl.gov.

Experienced Attorney, Marianna Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/MARIANNA-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-ASSISTANT-STATE-ATTORNEY-21003637-FL-32446/529548900/

Entry-Level Attorney, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-ASSISTANT-STATE-ATTORNEY-UNDER-MILLION-21000132-FL-32402/529536300

Legal Assistant/Secretary I, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-LEGAL-ASSISTANTSECRETARY-I-21011242-FL-32402/529817600/

Communications/Public Relations Coordinator, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-ADMINISTRATOR-II-21003633-FL-32402/532667400/

Victim Witness Counselor II, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-VICTIM-WITNESS-COUNSELOR-II-21000136-FL-32405/532557400/

 

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on January 25, 2019, Circuit Judge Brantley Clark, Jr., sentenced Todd Sparaga to 16 life sentences plus 15 years in the Department of Corrections.  On January 8, 2019, a six-member Bay County jury found Sparaga guilty as charged of 11 counts of Capital Sexual Battery on a Child under 12 Years of Age, five counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation, and one count of Lewd and Lascivious Battery.

Evidence presented at trial proved that between March or 2013 and January of 2018, Sparaga sexually molested two relatives on multiple occasions while at their family home.  Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Hawkins and Cord Grimes prosecuted the case with the help of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and the victims.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on January 22, 2019, Phillip Stamman joined our Bay County office as an Assistant State Attorney in the Misdemeanor Division.  Mr. Stamman is licensed to practice law in Florida, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  After graduating from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, MN, Mr. Stamman worked as a Diversion Program Coordinator at the District Attorney’s Office of Juneau County, Wisconsin, where he had previously interned while a law student.  He then started a private practice, Southworth and Stamman, LLC, where he was the managing partner and worked primarily in the area of criminal law.  During this time, he also worked as a special prosecutor in cases involving child neglect, abuse, and abandonment. We welcome Mr. Stamman to the team!

 

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on January 16, 2018, Antwain Chapman was found guilty as charged by a Bay County jury of Burglary of a Dwelling.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the victim, who was the Defendant’s former brother-in-law, saw the Defendant on his way to work, and knowing that he had just gotten out of prison, attempted to help the Defendant by providing him clothing, money, and a place to stay for the night. However, after the victim left for work, the Defendant returned to his residence, kicked in the door, and stole some items out of the victim’s home. Surveillance video captured the Defendant walking away from the victim’s residence with a pillowcase stuffed with the victim’s belongings. The jury deliberated for 48 minutes before returning a verdict of guilty as charged.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Peter Overstreet and was investigated by the Panama City Police Department. Circuit Judge Brantley Clark, Jr., will sentence the Defendant on February 26, 2019. The Defendant faces up to 30 years of imprisonment as a habitual felony offender, and faces a 15-year minimum mandatory sentence as a prison releasee reoffender. He faces an additional 15 years for a violation of probation due to being on probation at the time of the offense.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Please see the following job postings.  Applications are not accepted through the PeopleFirst electronic system.  Employment Application and Authorization to Release Information are available on our website at http://sa14.fl.gov/careers-opportunities/.  These should be emailed, along with resume and cover letter, to SA_businessoffice@sa14.fl.gov.

Experienced Attorney, Marianna Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/MARIANNA-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-ASSISTANT-STATE-ATTORNEY-21003637-FL-32446/529548900/

Entry-Level Attorney, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-ASSISTANT-STATE-ATTORNEY-UNDER-MILLION-21000132-FL-32402/529536300/

Legal Assistant/Secretary I, Panama City Office:

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-LEGAL-ASSISTANTSECRETARY-I-21011242-FL-32402/529817600/

Press Release

Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford announced the following information:

On Thursday, January 10, 2019, the Construction Fraud Task Force conducted another sting operation in Marianna and arrested three individuals when they arrived at a damaged home and gave the homeowner estimates to replace the roof.  Contracting without a License is a third degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.  The members of the Construction Fraud Task Force participating in today’s operation included officers from the State Attorney’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Bureau of Insurance Fraud.  The Task Force was formed in November to deter unlicensed contractors from committing fraud and grand theft on unsuspecting homeowners.  Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford said, “We know from past recovery efforts, that unlicensed contractors either took homeowners’ money and ran or took their money and provided substandard work that would not pass building inspections.  The goal of our Task Force is to protect our neighbors from being victimized again.”  To date, over thirty individuals have been arrested for Contracting without a License in Bay, Gulf, and Jackson Counties.  If you have been the victim of contractor fraud, contact the State Attorney’s office at 850-872-4473 or your local Sheriff’s Office.

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact our office at 850-872-4473.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on January 8, 2019, a six-member Bay County jury found Todd Sparaga guilty as charged of eleven counts of Capital Sexual Battery on a Child Under 12 Years of Age, five counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation, and one count of Lewd and Lascivious Battery.

Evidence presented at trial proved that between March of 2013 and January of 2018, Sparaga sexually molested two relatives on multiple occasions while at the family home.  One victim approached her school counselor on or around January 23, 2018, which prompted the investigation into the sexual abuse allegations.  Investigator Chris Williams with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Sparaga after meeting with both victims.  Sparaga confessed to sexually abusing the victims after being read his Miranda rights.

The jury deliberated for fifteen minutes before returning a verdict of guilty as charged on all counts.  Sparaga faces up to 16 consecutive life sentences plus 15 years in the Department of Corrections.  Circuit Judge Brantley Clark, Jr., will sentence Sparaga on January 25, 2019.  Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Hawkins and Cord Grimes prosecuted the case with the help of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and the victims.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Gregory George Joins the State Attorney’s Office

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on January 7, 2019, Gregory George joined our Bay County office as an Assistant State Attorney in the Misdemeanor Division.  Mr. George attended Florida A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a concentration in Economics and Urban Studies.  He then obtained a Juris Doctorate from Florida A&M University School of Law.  Mr. George worked as a Summer Associate at Seibane Law, P.A., as a legal intern at the Office of the General Counsel for the Orange County Public Schools, as a legal intern for Congressman Trey Gowdy, and as a research associate at Florida A&M University College of Law.  After graduating law school, Mr. George worked at the local Navy Base in the Office of Civilian Human Resources.  We welcome Mr. George to the team!

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on November 9th, 2018, the State Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, created a Construction Fraud Task Force.  It consists of a number of law enforcement agencies, building inspectors, and state agencies including building officials from Bay County, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Panama City Police Department, the Lynn Haven Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.

The purpose of the Construction Fraud Task Force is to protect the citizens of the 14th Circuit from the abuse of unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors from fraud, grand theft, and sub-standard construction.  Our primary objective is to deter would-be violators.
The Construction Fraud Task Force has conducted undercover sting operations in Bay County on 5 separate dates and arrested 32 defendants for contracting without a Florida license.  Those arrests were made in Lynn Haven and Panama City when individuals who represented themselves as roofing contractors gave estimates to undercover officers for the cost to roof a home damaged by Hurricane Michael.  Most of the defendants were from Texas or Louisiana and only one was from Bay County.

Additionally, an undercover sting operation was conducted in Gulf County with the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office and Port St. Joe Police Department which resulted in the arrest of 2 defendants representing themselves as licensed roofing contractors.
The Construction Fraud Task Force, as part of its mission to prevent citizens from being “victimized” twice by Hurricane Michael, has attempted to educate the public about construction fraud by publicizing the sting operations, speaking to civic groups, posting signs stating that unlicensed contracting is a felony during a state of emergency, and distributing a brochure which highlights warning signs for homeowners when dealing with contractors.

Please review the Construction Fraud Task Force Brochure at the link below and if you have any questions please contact our office at (850) 872-4473.

Construction Fraud Task Force Brochure