23-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 8 Years for Holmes County Burglary

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Admin SA

BONIFAY – A man who was first spotted breaking into a truck by its owner and then identified by motion-detector game camera pictures on the property has been sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by 5 years of probation, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

William Junior Bryan Jr., 49, of Freeport, was found guilty by a Holmes County jury after deliberating for 20 minutes on Wednesday of Burglary of a Dwelling and Attempted Burglary of a Conveyance. Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts presided over the one-day trial and sentencing.

Chief Holmes County Prosecutor Jake Cook called three witnesses, including the resident who was awakened during the burglary.

“For lifelong criminals, just like we had in this case, we will continue to seek the maximum penalty under Florida Law,” Cook said. “Hopefully this Defendant thinks twice before he goes out and commits his 26th felony.”

The testimony and evidence showed that the resident of the home was awakened by his barking dog around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 20. He went to the back porch of the residence and saw a man wearing short and white socks – no shirt or shoes – getting out of his truck.

The resident called 911; he then noticed some items inside his home had been stolen. He checked his deer camera, and it showed a bald white male wearing shorts and socks with no shoes. Deputies spotted the defendant a short distance away and said the man immediately turned around, placed his hands on his head and dropped to his knees.

Basford thanked the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its fast response to the call and quick arrest.

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

JURY: Man Guilty of Molesting Child

Posted on September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 by Admin SA

CHIPLEY – A Washington County jury found Ronald Gene Hawkins guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation on a child less than 12 years of age following a trial involving the molestation of a child during summer visits.

Chief Circuit Court Judge Christopher Patterson set sentencing for Nov. 3. The defendant, 69, faces up to Life in prison.

The victim bravely testified to what had occurred in the home several summers ago. Years later, the prospect of returning to the area prompted her to disclose what had happened.

The jury also heard testimony from another witness concerning a separate incident involving the defendant. The court instructed jurors on how they could consider that evidence.

“We are grateful to the victims for their courage in testifying and to the jury for its careful attention to the evidence,” said Washington County Chief Prosecutor Megan Ford.

The jury deliberated for 90 minutes before returning its verdict.

Basford thanked the Washington 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.

Man Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Teen After Providing Alcohol and Drugs

Posted on September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 by Admin SA

A man who drove a 15-year-old girl from Tallahassee, and then sexually assaulted her after he provided her with alcohol and methamphetamine, was found guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Battery Thursday.

State Attorney Larry Basford said Roger Dale Ledbetter Jr., 57, of Tallahassee, will be sentenced Nov. 3 by Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay who presided over the trial.

Prosecutor Morgan McAfee only needed two witnesses: the victim and lead investigator Carl Fondren of the BCSO. The victim testified the defendant got permission to take her to Panama City Beach in 2024. She said along the way they stopped and the defendant bought alcohol for mixed drinks, which they both drank.

She said the defendant also had some methamphetamine, which he used. He told her where it was and that she could try it if she wanted. He then showed her how to prepare and smoke it. Later that night he sexually assaulted her and the following day they returned to Tallahassee.

The victim said she did not report it immediately because she was ashamed.

“I didn’t know what people would think of me,” she testified. “I didn’t want to share my whole story with the adults around. I was unsure if it went to court, how it would work out.”

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for the work put into the investigation that helped lead to a guilty verdict.

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

Fountain Man Guilty of Trafficking in Meth

Posted on September 18, 2026September 18, 2026 by Admin SA

A Fountain man was found guilty Thursday of Trafficking in Methamphetamine after an investigation and an “alert” from a drug-detecting K-9 led to the discovery of 58 grams of the drug he dumped in the vehicle, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Armando Cavazos, 44, is being held without bond pending his sentencing, which Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson set for Oct. 6. Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28 grams but less than 200 grams) is a First-Degree Felony punishable by a minimum-mandatory 7 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years.

“These dealers keep bringing these deadly drugs into our community, and we will continue to take them to trial as our law enforcement partners continue to put them in jail,” Prosecutor Christopher Walters said. “The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division and Sgt. Jeremy Head did another good job of getting to this defendant before he got his drugs onto our streets.”

Walters and Prosecutor Ben Bollinger called 5 witnesses – including two co-defendants who were in the vehicle when it was stopped – proving the methamphetamine found in the truck belonged to the defendant.

According to testimony, a co-defendant said he was going to install a radio in the defendant’s vehicle in exchange for some meth. While at the defendant’s property, he had to run home for some electrical tape and gave the defendant and another man a ride so they could stop at a nearby store.

They were under surveillance by members of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office SID. When the driver failed to stop at a stop sign, they were pulled over. Inv. Dwight Cummings deployed his K-9 for a “free-air” sniff around the car and it alerted to the presence of drugs.

Attorneys confer with Judge Dustin Stephenson

Investigators testified a baggie containing a white substance was visible on the back floorboard. When the car was searched investigators found the baggie contained 58 grams of what turned out to be methamphetamine.

The driver of the vehicle testified that when deputies turned on their emergency lights to pull them over, he watched Cavazos, in the passenger’s seat, pull out a baggie filled with white powder and stuff it behind him onto the back floorboard.

The defendant was also found guilty of Tampering with a Witness. After his arrest, a recorded jail call showed he was trying to conspire with one of the co-defendants to blame the driver.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office and SID for another investigation targeting a major dealer that concluded before the drugs could be sold on the street.

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

20 Years For Fleeing While On Probation For Vehicular Homicide

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Admin SA

A man who had been out of prison less than a year for Vehicular Homicide was sentenced to 20 years Wednesday after violating his probation by fleeing from police after he was spotted racing another vehicle.

State Attorney Larry Basford said Javonte Terrell Davis, 21, for violating his probation, was given the maximum sentence of 15 years the State originally sought when he was sentenced in 2022. He was given an addition 5-year sentence to be served consecutively for Fleeing and Attempting to Elude.

Prosecutor Peter Overstreet said Davis’ original offense was July 30, 2021, when the black Dodge Charger he was driving ran two stop signs and hit the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle. The defendant, a juvenile at the time, was going 65 mph at the time of collision. The driver of the second car, a 16-year-old girl, died in the violent collision.

On Jan. 5, 2023, Davis entered an open plea to Vehicular Homicide Jan. 5, 2023, meaning the judge would decide the sentence. He was facing up to 15 years in prison. Overstreet asked for that maximum, however the court sentenced Davis as a Youthful Offender to 3 years in prison to be followed by 3 years’ probation. Part of his sentence was a lifetime driver’s license revocation. He was released from prison July 22, 2025.

Defendant’s car in 2022 Vehicular Homicide

On April 17, 2026, he was arrested or Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, and Racing. He was driving a 2021 Dodge Charger when Lynn Haven police saw him going about 45 mph beside a Ford Mustang. “Both vehicles then accelerated to a top speed of 72 mph in a 45 mph zone,” the arresting officer said.

The officer caught the Mustang; the Charger fled. That driver said it was his brother, Javonte Davis, driving the Charger. The car and defendant were located a short time later. A Violation of Probation charge was added.

“In 2022 I prosecuted this case and asked for the maximum sentence,” Overstreet said. “It was decided this defendant deserved a second chance. And what did he do with that chance? He’s out of prison less than a year driving another Dodge Charger, racing other vehicles and recklessly fleeing from police. He is out of chances.”

In addition, Overstreet noted the defendant’s license was permanently revoked in 2022.

Basford thanked the Parker Police Department for its work on the original case and the Lynn Haven Police Department for its proactive street enforcement. For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Stepp Guilty of Trafficking in 200+ Grams of Meth

Posted on September 16, 2026September 16, 2026 by Admin SA

A man found laying on a bed near a bowl of methamphetamine and a larger baggie of the drug was found guilty as charged Tuesday with Trafficking in 200+ grams of Methamphetamine, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

A jury deliberated for an hour and a half before returning the verdict against Christian Samuel Stepp. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson set sentencing for Sept. 28. Under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes, the charge is a First-Degree Felony punishable by a minimum-mandatory 15 years in prison and up to 30 years.

“This is a significant amount of methamphetamine that the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division got to before it hit the streets,” said lead Prosecutor Christopher Walters. “It is extremely harmful and the people bringing it into Bay County will continue to learn that sooner or later they will get caught and prosecuted.”

Walters, with Prosecutor Ryan Phillips, called five witnesses and presented evidence that included the drugs, text messages between the defendant and others, and bodycam of the search warrant being served.

The Sheriff’s Office’s Special SID team had been investigating the owner of the camper, and now a co-defendant, for drug trafficking before obtaining a search warrant that was served March 14, 2025, near Southport.

Four people were found inside. The defendant was the only person in the bedroom with the drugs. Although he told investigators he only smoked marijuana, a meth pipe with meth residue was recovered from the saddlebag of his motorcycle.

Two of the co-defendants – the owner of the camper included – testified against the defendant. The camper’s owner said he was out of town working that day and the defendant arrived with the drugs before he returned home. He described himself as a “low-level” dealer being supplied by the defendant.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its proactive investigative work that stopped the methamphetamine from being sold on the street level.

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

Pittman sentenced to Life in stabbing death

Posted on September 11, 2026September 11, 2026 by Admin SA

Calvin Lovelle Pittman was sentenced to Life in prison Friday for stabbing and killing a man in a convenience store parking lot in 2023, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Six jurors found Pittman, 47, of Panama City, guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Destruction or Tampering with Physical Evidence in the July 18, 2023 stabbing death of Phillip S. Harvey, 20. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay presided over the trial and sentencing.

At sentencing, Prosecutor Peter Overstreet outlined Pittman’s criminal history – which includes 12 prior felony convictions – and asked for the maximum sentence of Life.

“Mr. Pittman has shown over and over again that he has no respect for the law or the safety of others,” Overstreet said after sentencing. “He has now taken a young man from his family, his loved ones, his community, in a vicious manner. Our community is safer with him in prison, which is where he will die.”

At sentencing, Harvey’s godmother described him as an advanced student who graduated from a Tallahassee high school IB program and was pursuing a better life. He was “loving, intelligent, caring and worthy … and he deserved so much better than the fate that was forced on him.”

“What makes this even harder to accept is that he did absolutely nothing to deserve what happened to him,” she said to Judge Gay. “He deserved the chance to continue chasing his dreams. He deserved the chance to grow old … instead his family and everyone who loved him has been sentenced to a lifetime of grief.”

During the defendant’s 2-day trial that began July 21, Overstreet proved to jurors that Pittman stabbed the victim in the side while the two were arguing in the victim’s car July 18, 2023. The victim stumbled about 20 feet from the car before collapsing.

At the hospital, Harvey told two nurses that he was stabbed by Pittman during an argument.

Basford thanked @SpringfieldPoliceDepartment and @PanamaCityPoliceDepartment for their collaborative efforts that led to a successful outcome.

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

2 Life sentences + 145 years for Ranglin in 2024 Beach Murder

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by Admin SA

Andre Ranglin Tuesday was given two Life sentences plus 145 years in prison for 10 convictions stemming from the ambush murder of O’Neil Augustus McDonald in a Beach apartment parking lot in 2024.

Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay imposed the jury’s recommendation of Life without parole for First Degree Murder, and also sentenced Ranglin to life for Attempted First Degree Premeditated Murder. Gay gave the defendant 20 years each for Attempted Burglary with Discharge of a Firearm, Attempted Felony Murder with a Firearm, and three counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Finally, she sentenced him to 15 years on each of his two convictions of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. A 12-person jury found Ranglin guilty as charged Aug. 31 after a six-day trial.

Lead Prosecutor Peter Overstreet, who along with Prosecutor Frank Sullivan presented the case, said that without the defendant’s lifelong incarceration, no one here would be safe.

Overstreet shows jurors the murder weapon

“We’d like to thank the jury for their time and attention to this case,” Overstreet said. “The verdict speaks for itself.

“Andre Ranglin will die in prison for the shooting, killing, and death of O’Neil Augustus McDonald,” he continued. “And it will be a lesson to all of those who come and want to commit crimes in our part of the world here that we will prosecute you and hold you to the highest and stiffest penalties that we can.”

The charges stemmed from an Aug. 6, 2024, shooting at a Beach apartment complex. The defendant hunted down victim O’Neil Augustus McDonald that night, walked up behind the group he was talking to, opened fire, chased the victim across the parking lot while shooting, and then put two shots into the victim’s head as he lay on the ground gravely wounded. McDonald was shot 11 times. Three shots were fired at a second victim who was struck once but survived.

During the trial, Overstreet and Sullivan called 28 witnesses and presented evidence showing the defendant and victim had worked together at a Beach restaurant. On Aug. 1, 2024, the two argued and Ranglin displayed a firearm. He was fired.

On Aug. 6 Ranglin returned and after another altercation with McDonald, Ranglin told the owner to close the business the next day because “bullets were gonna fly.”

About an hour later a Ring camera captured Ranglin walking through a foyer at the victim’s apartment complex headed toward the victim and the people he was talking to outside. A few seconds later a rapid series of shots and then screaming is heard on the Ring camera.

“He was just standing outside minding his own business, talking to friends, and they didn’t have a care in the world,” Overstreet told jurors. “But Andre Ranglin couldn’t let those last events go. When he started shooting that gun he did not care where any of those bullets went, he wanted revenge.”

Ranglin continued shooting as he chased McDonald across the parking lot. McDonald’s injuries included shots through the lungs, his pelvis, his shoulder, both hands, and his ankle before collapsing next to a retention pond.

A witness said Ranglin walked up to the victim, who was laying helpless, and fired two final shots into the top of his skull.

“The defendant wanted his revenge and he got it,” Overstreet told jurors. “The victim’s lungs had been hit, were filling with blood and he collapsed, his ankle shattered and broken with multiple gunshot wounds. But Andre Ranglin was not done. He was not satisfied. As McDonald lay helpless on the ground Ranglin kept coming and put two in his head.”

The defendant then turned his attention to the witness, who was screaming at him. She fled toward her apartment with Ranglin in pursuit and shooting at her – hitting her once – before she got inside her apartment.

He tried to force his way in as she fought to shut and lock the door. He fired a final shot through the door before fleeing.

The defendant was captured later the next day at a Dothan, Ala., motel.

State Attorney Larry Basford thanked the Panama City Beach Police Department for its handling of a chaotic crime scene and an investigation involving multiple agencies that led to a quick arrest and successful prosecution.

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

Shoeless Defendant Guilty of Armed Robbery

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Admin SA

A jury took 10 minutes Wednesday to find a Panama City man guilty of the 2023 robbery of a U.S. 98 convenience store.

Nestor Omar Perez, 26, was found guilty as charged of Robbery with a Firearm and Grand Theft (more than $750 but less than $5,000). He was arrested by Panama City Police Department Deputy Chief Kristain Shaw minutes after the Oct. 13, 2023 robbery in the 3000 block of U.S. 98.

Prosecutor Morgan McAfee called 12 witnesses and presented evidence that it was Perez who walked into the store that day, confronted a clerk with a gun, and committed the robbery.

“The jury’s 10-minute decision showed the strength of the evidence in this case,” McAfee said. “Circumstantial cases can be difficult, but the evidence in this one was indisputable.”

The evidence showed that the defendant, wearing a jacket partially concealing his face, confronted an employee inside the store and pointed a gun at him. The defendant grabbed money from the register and fled north on Beck Avenue.

Minutes later, with police saturating the area, Shaw spotted the defendant walking in socks near 18^th Street and Wilmont Ave. When searched, the defendant had the gun used in the robbery which had distinctive tape wrapped around the handle. They also found cash in his pocket.

Lt. Richard Thore was searching the area as well and noticed a home near 17^th Street and Chestnut Avenue that had a tall wooden fence blocking the view of the yard from the street. He decided to check the yard and saw a large city trash container by the house. He looked inside and found a pair of green shoes – and other clothing – that matched the ones the suspect was wearing on video when he fled the store.

Officers also found several hundred dollars nearby on the ground. The amount found on the ground combined with the amount found in the defendant’s pocket matched the amount missing from the store’s register.

The defendant’s car was found parked a short distance away.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 18.

State Attorney Larry Basford thanked the Panama City Police Department for its fast response and thorough investigation that helped lead to a quick resolution.

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

85-year Sentence for Man Guilty of Chasing, Firing into Car

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Admin SA

A Panama City man convicted of opening fire on a vehicle with four occupants, striking one, was sentenced to a total of 85 years in prison Friday.

Martae Lemon Coleman, 29, was found guilty July 29 of four Counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder – with one count involving serious bodily. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register sentenced the defendant to 25 years on the first charge, and 20 years each of the other three. He also was found guilty of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle.

State Attorney Larry Basford said that under Florida’s 10-20-Life law, those are minimum-mandatory sentences and they must be served consecutively and day-for-day over 85 years.

Prosecutors Jeff Moore and Morgan Morrell called 9 witnesses, including the victims, to prove that there was a verbal disturbance involving the defendant and a friend with the shooting victim and his friends in the parking lot of the Gold Nugget on U.S. 98 on Sept. 29, 2024. But it had ended and the victims had no idea the defendant was following their vehicle until he pulled beside them and opened fire at a Panama City Beach intersection 5 miles away.

The driver was struck in the hip before the defendant fled. He was found and arrested the next day.

The victim’s father said he was sound asleep that morning when his phone rang around 4 a.m.

“Imagine getting a phone call like that at 4 in the morning,” he said. “That’s my baby son. That was devastating. It’s going to affect him for the rest of his life. And it could’ve been worse and we might not have a son today.”

The victim’s mother said they made the drive here not knowing the exact details, which was it’s own kind of horror.

“No one knew,” she said. “All we knew was there was blood and he’d been shot.”

She also referenced the defense’s request that the court note the defendant’s military service. The victim’s mother said she is from a military family as well.

“We are held to a higher standard in everything we do,” she said. “You must think about your actions before you make dumb decisions. He chased my son for 5 miles and in 5 miles he didn’t think about what he was doing was wrong. We could’ve lost our son.”

Basford thanked the collaborative work that night between the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Police Department and Panama City Beach Police Department in identifying the defendant through traffic cameras and getting him into custody.

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