102-Month Sentence for Impaired Man who Seriously Injured 2 Teens in Golf Cart

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Admin SA

A 62-year-old man who was driving impaired when his truck turned into oncoming traffic at Bay Point and hit a golf cart head-on, seriously injuring two teens, was sentenced to 8½ years in prison Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Richard Stanley Barker, who hit the girls near his home on Wahoo Road Feb. 4, 2025, earlier pled no contest to 2 counts of DUI With Seriously Bodily Injury. Each charge was punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Barker’s prison term will be followed by 18 months of probation.

Barker was impaired and driving east in the westbound lane of Wahoo Road near his house when his pickup truck hit a westbound golf cart carrying the two girls – 16 and 15 years old at the time. The golf cart was destroyed, one victim had life-threatening injuries, and both victims suffered lifelong damage to their bodies.

Prosecutor Ryan Phillips asked Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson to consider the deterrent function, the severity of the injuries, and that Florida’s Criminal Justice System is designed to punish offenders. The defense asked the court to consider the defendant’s age, his remorse and that he is recovering from cancer.

“Everyone in this courtroom (the victims, the defendant, and their families) received a life sentence that day,” said Stephenson, adding this was one of the most difficult cases he has handled. “Mr. Barker, you will feel the impact of that decision today, if you haven’t already. This decision was not easy for this court; it was not easy for anyone. But there is no way to erase the events of that night and there is a price to pay for that.”

During the 2½ hour sentencing, emotional testimony came from both sides, including the two young victims.

“I’m 17 now … and nothing will ever feel the same as it did before that night,” one victim testified at Thursday’s sentencing. “I have not been able to enjoy my teenage years like most people; I’ve been struggling to recover.”

Her injuries included two fractured legs, a broken pelvis, broken ribs and multiple injuries to her face. She suffers nightmares, PTSD, and debilitating anxiety. She will never run again and is constant pain.

“These scars are permanent reminders of something I never chose and I’ll never forget,” she said. “No 15-year-old should have to rebuild their life because of someone else’s choice. We have to live with the pain he left us with because of his actions.”

The second victim, also 17 now, suffered fractures to both legs, a broken pelvis and a punctured lung.

“I should not have to be in this much pain as a 17-year-old,” she said. “All I can think about is what it felt like to lay there in the street, like I was nothing. I’ve tried to talk about my trauma to help get through it but some things never go away.”

Family members spoke as well.

“We were drug into hell and Richard Barker brought us there,” said the mother of one of the victims. “I had never heard of him before that night. Now his name is forever attached to the worst day of our lives.”

Before the sentence was imposed, Barker apologized.

“I’m very sorry this happened and the remorse I feel, no one in this courtroom knows,” Barker said. “I’m sorry, it was a terrible accident, I’m so sorry.”

Basford thanked the Florida Highway Patrol for its investigation and reconstruction of the crash. He also credited first responders who were able to stabilize the victims until they reached the hospital.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Hicks Sentenced to 18 Years for Sexual Battery of Teen at Party

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Admin SA

A judge sentenced a 26-year-old Panama City native to 18 years in prison Monday for sexually battering a 17-year-old at a small party in 2019, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Nathaniel Douglas Hicks, who was arrested in 2020 after an investigation by the US Coast Guard and Bay County Sheriff’s Office was found guilty as charged of Sexual Battery May 5. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark, who presided over the trial, handed down the sentence Monday. The judge also designated the defendant as a Sexual Predator.

Prosecutor Frank Sullivan presented evidence at trial proving the defendant sexually assaulted the victim at a get-together on May 18, 2019. Sullivan called six witnesses, including one woman who testified that she was the victim of a similar attack by the defendant.

“The victim was a 17-year-old girl who just wanted to hang out with some friends and instead had the worst thing in the world happened to her,” Sullivan said. “The defendant showed in his statement to the Coast Guard and his testimony at trial that he will lie repeatedly to protect himself. He must be held accountable for all his actions.”

RELATED: Hicks guilty of Sexual Battery

The evidence showed the defendant knew the victim from high school and invited her – she had two friends with her – to a small gathering outside a beach residence. The victim testified the group hung around outside for a while before the defendant invited her inside. She said he took her into a bedroom and had sex with her against her will, pulling off her clothes and hitting her legs as she told him no and asked him to stop repeatedly.

Basford thanked the US Coast Guard and the Bay County Sheriffs Office for their work on the case and the evidence they gathered to bring it to a successful resolution.

For more information contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov or call 850-381-7454.

Man Snared in Undercover Drug Deal Guilty of Trafficking in Meth

Posted on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by Admin SA

A jury needed less than 30 minutes Tuesday to find a man guilty of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 14 grams but less than 28 grams) after he was found with 5 baggies of meth in a beach bar, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Alphanso Frederick Hall Jr., 40, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty as charged of the trafficking offense and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark set sentencing for July 23 at 1 p.m. The trafficking charge is a First-Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a minimum-mandatory 3 years.

Prosecutor Frank Sullivan called 3 witnesses – two of them who were with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division – to prove the defendant was in possession of 5 separate baggies of methamphetamine when he was arrested inside a beach bar. Each of the baggies held just over 3 grams of meth – often sold as an “8-ball.”

“The Bay County Sheriff’s Office did a good job of identifying this defendant as an alleged dealer of various drugs and using a confidential informant to set up a buy,” Sullivan said. “When the defendant was identified and detained inside the bar he was found to be carrying the 5 bags of meth.

“Methamphetamine continues destroy lives and we will continue to vigorously prosecute those traffickers arrested by our law enforcement partners to keep the community safe.”

Former Sheriff’s Office SID Cpl. Phillip Hill said an informant reached out to them in February 2025, about the defendant. A controlled drug buy was set up for Feb. 18, 2025, outside a beach bar. A controlled buy means everything was monitored: the confidential informant was searched, eye contact was maintained during the sale, and marked money was used for the purchase.

Investigators watching the defendant entered the bar and ended up on the floor with him as they attempted to handcuff him. Bodycam showed investigators finding the baggies of meth and pulling them out of the defendant’s pocket.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its investigation that helped bring the case to a successful conclusion.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Man Guilty of Choking, Beating Woman in Home

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Admin SA

A man accused of beating, choking, and threatening his girlfriend while refusing to let her leave was found guilty of multiple charges Tuesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Alfredo Julio Baguer Villa, 29, of Lynn Haven, was found guilty as charged of Domestic Battery by Strangulation, Aggravated Assault (Deadly Weapon), and False Imprisonment. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson set sentencing for July 24.

“This verdict sends a message that victims of domestic violence are taken seriously when they come forward,” Walters said. “With their help we can continue to hold their abusers accountable.”

Prosecutor Christopher Walters needed only 2 witnesses to prove his case: responding Lynn Haven Police Department Officer Tyler Buckalew and the victim.

Buckalew testified he was on duty March 30, 2025, when he was dispatched to a domestic disturbance. He said he found the victim walking some distance from her residence because she had fled in fear after being choked and threatened with a knife.

“She was clearly frightened,” Buckalew testified. “She fled because she wasn’t safe.”

Prosecutor Christopher Walters points toward the defendant

The victim said the defendant got angry in the bathroom that day and punched her in the face. He was initially blocking her from leaving the bathroom but she got out when he showered.

“I was just grabbing my stuff I had to have in the bedroom trying to get out and he came storming in the room and knocked me on the bed,” she said.

The victim said the defendant choked her and used a pocketknife to stab the air mattress near her head twice while threatening her. “I thought he was going to kill me,” she said.

After she escaped, the defendant left. Police arrested him on a warrant three weeks later.

Basford thanked the Lynn Haven Police Department for its handling of the call that night and ensuing investigation.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Contractor Guilty of Cheating 87-year-old Out of Nearly $40,000 Post-Hurricane Michael

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Admin SA

A Tampa-area contractor was found guilty Tuesday of taking tens of thousands of dollars from an 87-year-old man for a reconstruction job that never took place after Hurricane Michael, announced State Attorney Larry Basford.

Mark Eugene Stargardt, 66, of Stargardt and Associates, LLC in Valrico, was found guilty of Grand Theft (more than $20,000) after a jury deliberated about three hours. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay set sentencing for July 16. The charge is a Second-Degree Felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke called witnesses and presented evidence proving Stargardt and his company cashed checks from the victim totaling about $38,000 between February 2019 and May 2019 even though, by August 2019, no work had been done on the property in 6 months. The only permit pulled was for the initial demolition, which was incomplete, done improperly, and had to be redone by another contractor.

“This has been an absolute nightmare for the victim in this case,” VanDyke said. “He did everything right and the defendant took advantage of him and continued to lead him along for months while the victim lived in a hotel. His perseverance and attention to detail – keeping track of all his records – helped make sure this defendant will be held accountable.”

Those records included proof that when the victim’s complaints led to a demolition crew showing up at his home, they arrived without any equipment. The victim went with them to rent heavy equipment. They said they did not have an account at that business and talked the victim into paying for it with his credit card. They said it would be added as a credit on his bill.

The rental was supposed to be for a few days for his demolition. A few days later the victim went by the site, and it was covered in sand and dirt, the home apparently demolished and the equipment gone. He would later learn much of the debris was improperly buried underneath the fresh sand and dirt. It would also be the last work done on the site for 6 months.

“So we have a house that appears to be demoed and the equipment has left,” VanDyke said. “The victim assumes that the equipment has been returned. About a month later he gets an $8,800 bill and finds out his credit card has been used to pay for this equipment for 30 days to do other jobs at other locations.”

As the victim’s frustration with the lack of progress mounted, he repeatedly contacted the company and its representatives. But he testified Tuesday that at every turn there was either an excuse or a promise of how it would be made right.

By August the defendant took his complaints to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated and arrested Stargardt.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its investigation that helped bring the case to a successful conclusion.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Third and Final Defendant in Bonifay ATM Robbery Sentenced to 9 years

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Admin SA

The third and final defendant in the robbery of more than $100,000 from the Wells Fargo Bonifay ATM has pled no contest to his charges and was sentenced to 9 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jake Cook said the three codefendants in the Bonifay case have now been sentenced to a combined 34 years in prison for the crime.

Traveon Ladarren Burnett, 27, of Pasadena, Texas, was adjudicated guilty Wednesday of Grand Theft of More Than $100,000, Robbery, and Criminal Mischief in the Oct. 18, 2024 robbery of a Bonifay ATM. Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts accepted the plea and 9-year prison sentence. Judge Roberts also ordered the sentence to be serve consecutive to “any other prison sentences in any other jurisdiction.”

Cook said Burnett was part of a Houston Texas gang linked to ATM robberies across the country. Earlier this year Marcus McLemore pled to the same charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In December, Jacorey DeShawn Hall, 27, entered an open plea on the day of trial to Grand Theft of More Than $100,000 and Robbery, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 30 years of probation.

“Chief Johnny Whitaker and the Bonifay Police Department put a lot of work into what was a very complicated case involving multiple jurisdictions and states,” Cook said. “This crime was well-planned, sophisticated, and the pieces of evidence were spread out all across the country, and now between the three defendants they have a combined 34 years to think about committing crimes in Florida.”

Cook was prepared to call witnesses and present evidence that the defendants caused the Bonifay ATM to malfunction on Oct. 18, 2024, which resulted in a service call for repairs. Burnett and his co-defendants waited over 4 hours after jamming the ATM, and when the technician arrived, they rushed him, beat him away from the ATM, and stole over 100,000 dollars in cash.

Witnesses and video surveillance helped law enforcement identify the getaway car and its tag, and its path of travel back to Panama City Beach. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office found the abandoned car and items in it – like gloves and receipts –that were linked to the Texas gang.

Basford also thanked the Bonifay Police Department and multiple agencies involved for their collaboration.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Man guilty in drug-related shooting, robbery that paralyzed victim

Posted on June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 by Admin SA

A man who drove to what was supposed to be a small marijuana transaction but instead shot the seller in the back, paralyzing him, was found guilty of the charges against him Wednesday evening, according to State Attorney Larry Basford.

Dexter Owens, 19, was found guilty late Wednesday of Robbery with a Firearm and Aggravated Battery with a Firearm. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark set sentencing for July 23. Under Florida’s 10-20-Life Statute, the defendant faces up to Life in prison.

“The plan was to go and rob the victim of his marijuana and that changed when Dexter Owens saw the victim’s gun and decided he wanted it and made the decision to shoot the victim,” Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said. “And that gun was found hidden in a hole in Owens’ closet.”

There were multiple witnesses who testified about various parts of the evening of Oct. 12, 2024. It started with a ride to the victim’s girlfriend’s house to buy a small amount of marijuana and ended with Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies surrounding the defendant’s home as they awaited a search warrant. Nearly a half dozen people emerged from the residence when the warrant was obtained.

Owens drove a car with two passengers to the victim’s girlfriend’s house to buy $30-$60 worth of marijuana, according to several witnesses. The victim, who is paralyzed from the shooting and arrived in court in a wheelchair, testified he got into the backseat and handed a few grams of marijuana to the front-seat passenger.

He said he was waiting for payment and looking at his phone, “and all I hear is Dexter say, ‘Hey, what’s that?’ When I looked up, I didn’t move, and I have a gun pointed at my chest (by Owens).

“I let him take my phone and everything, I was scared to move,” the victim continued. “We’re sitting there a minute or two or so and nothing’s being said … so I try to run.”

The victim, who said he had a gun tucked into his waistband, said he was trying to get out the back door, “and then I feel him physically hit me in the back with the gun and shoot me.”

The car’s passenger said he knew the victim was carrying a gun but did not threaten anyone with it and did not deserve to be shot by his friend Owens, who was driving.

The victim’s phone was left in the car and his girlfriend was able to use an app to tell deputies exactly where the defendants’ car had parked in Panama City. Deputies went to that address and knocked, but no one would answer the door.

They surrounded the house and when a search warrant was signed about two hours later, they ordered everyone out.

Multiple statements to investigators generated evidence pointing to Owens as being the shooter and instigator. Owens’ version of events that night changed multiple times, ranging from he never touched a gun or shot anyone, to he did shoot the victim but it was in self-defense.

In all statements to deputies the reason for the trip in the first place was to buy marijuana. But on the stand Wednesday, Owens claimed he was driving someone there to buy a gun, something he never said in his previous interviews with investigators.

“He lied again, and again, and again, and again during that interview,” Sullivan said. “When somebody is proven to be a liar, you have to think critically, and you have to analyze everything they say. He has proven he will lie to get out of trouble and to avoid getting into trouble and to protect himself, and then he gets into court and tells you something he’s never told anyone before.”

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and it’s Criminal Investigation Division for their work on the case involving multiple suspects and scenes.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Impaired man in boxers who killed college-bound student sentenced to 15 years

Posted on May 28, 2026May 28, 2026 by Admin SA

A man who testified he “loved” drinking and did so daily was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for DUI-Manslaughter, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Anthony Charles Hill Jr., 49, of Panama City, was found guilty of crossing the centerline and hitting a disabled vehicle that flipped into the air, crushing and killing Javis Whipple. The defendant emerged from his vehicle wearing only his boxer shorts and was estimated to have had a BAC of up to .23 at the time of the April 14, 2023 wreck.

Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay issued the maximum sentence after final statements from Chief Assistant State Attorney Mark Graham and the defense. Four of the 15 years are minimum-mandatory. His driver’s license is permanently revoked.

“The victim in this case was 23 years old; he was headed for college,” Graham told Judge Gay. “The defendant chose to drink and drive recklessly, and he caused the wreck that took Javis Whipple’s life.

“I would submit the defendant has shown no remorse nor accepted any accountability for his actions,” Graham continued. “Even on the stand he lied to avoid the consequences of his actions, and I think that’s significant.”

Graham also noted the defendant had a “significant” prior record that included a half-dozen felony arrests.

At trial, Graham and Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke called 15 witnesses and presented evidence proving the defendant was guilty. The defendant denied being impaired, saying he only started drinking after the wreck.

Under cross-examination, he said he “loved” drinking and did so daily, but testified he only started chugging liquor that day after the wreck because his passenger/paramour was nagging him.

The evidence showed the victim’s car broke down on County 22-A near Cherry Lane on the night of April 14, 2023. A friend came to help and was parked behind the victim. Both vehicles, facing north on the side of the road, had their headlights and hazard lights on.

The defendant was driving south when he crossed the centerline and hit the victim’s Challenger head-on. The Challenger flipped backward, hitting and killing the victim before coming to a rest nearly 50 feet away in a graveyard.

Hill’s car was going 60 mph in the 35-mph zone.

Williams and other witnesses said Hill got out of his car wearing only a red pair of boxer shorts, appeared impaired, and repeatedly said he did not hit the Challenger and did not know what had happened. Hill at that time claimed he had not been drinking.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol for their response that night and the ensuing accident reconstruction.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Man guilty of Aggravated Battery for shooting man he met online

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Admin SA

An Alabama man who unsuccessfully claimed he was expecting to meet a woman he found on a social media app was found guilty Wednesday of shooting the man who showed up at his hotel, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Marques Isaiah Player, of Sylacuaga, Ala., was found guilty of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm (great bodily injury). Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark set sentencing for Dec. 18.

“This case presents a cautionary tale about meeting and ‘hooking up’ with random strangers you meet on dating apps,” Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said. “Not everyone on the internet is who they claim to be, and that can be dangerous for both parties.”

Part of Player’s defense was that he thought he was messaging with a woman on social media apps in the hours before the May 1, 2022 shooting. They agreed to meet at the defendant’s beach motel room. The defendant said it was only when he got in the truck that he realized it was a man, and he fired a shot out of fear when he saw an empty gun holster in the truck.

But Prosecutor Frank Sullivan, who called 5 witnesses, entered evidence gathered by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that proved the defendant knew the victim was a man before the meeting took place.

“At some point in time this defendant realizes he’s not talking to a female, he’s talking to another male,” Sullivan said. “And they continued to converse on Snapchat and Mr. Player ultimately agreed to meet up with the victim.”

Snapchat messages recovered by Sheriff’s Office investigators showed the defendant sent one message to the victim stating, “If u a dude imma kill u.” Another from the defendant, sent before the two met, said, “should’ve told me Ian (I ain’t) gay.” The victim testified he told the defendant in the messages he was a man.

Surveillance video showed that the victim pulled into the hotel parking lot and sat there for several minutes. The defendant is seen leaving his hotel room, pulling a gun from his pants pocket, racking a round into the chamber and then putting the gun back in his pocket before eventually walking over to the victim’s vehicle.

The defendant is seen opening the passenger door of the victim’s truck but only remaining for seconds before shooting the victim and running away on foot. The victim was able to call 911 for assistance while the defendant and a friend fled in the friend’s Jeep. The Sheriff’s Office’s BAYROC monitoring system was used to show it crossed the Hathaway Bridge headed into Panama City minutes after the shooting. At 4:02 a.m. the vehicle, and the suspects, were found and taken into custody at a gas station near 23^rd Street and U.S. 231. The gun used in the shooting was in the vehicle.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its work on the case and the quick arrest.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Hotel shooting earns convicted felon 20-year stay in prison

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Admin SA

A convicted felon found guilty in June of shooting another man twice in the leg was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Christopher Lorenzo Hatcher, 48, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Attempted Manslaughter, 5 years for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and 5 years for Shooting into an Occupied Dwelling. Circuit Court Judge William Henry ordered those sentences be served consecutively, or back-to-back.

Prosecutor Brea Dearing called 8 witnesses, including the victim who was shot twice in the leg and once in the hand, along with evidence like video surveillance gathered by Panama City police to prove her case at the June 19 trial.

“Panama City police did a good job investigating this case so we could prosecute this defendant and get him in prison where he belongs,” Dearing said. “This easily could have ended with someone dying, and Panama City is a safer place today with this sentence.”

The testimony showed that on July 27, 2022, the victim had spoken to Hatcher in the defendant’s room. Later, Hatcher went to the victim’s room, barged inside and fired several shots before fleeing.

The video showed blood on his shirt as he ran. Panama City police captured him about 5 blocks away shirtless, but still wearing the same pants as in the surveillance video.

Basford thanked the Panama City Police Department for its work on the case and the quick identification and capture of the suspect.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.