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.

Man Convicted of Firing 7 Shots at Spring Break Crowd Gets 36-Month Sentence

Posted on August 14, 2026August 14, 2026 by Admin SA

Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore, center, listens as Bay County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Jason Daffin, right, speaks at the sentencing for Zyion Robinson.

Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez speaks at sentencing Friday.

A 19-year-old Georgia man facing up to 15 years in prison for firing 7 shots at a Spring Break crowd last year was sentenced to 3 years in prison Friday.

A jury found Zyion Christopher Robinson guilty July 30 of Attempted Manslaughter with a Firearm, Discharging a Firearm in Public, and Improper Display of a Firearm. The first charge, because it involved the discharge of a firearm, is a Second-Degree Felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore asked for a 10-year sentence.

The testimony and evidence proved Robinson retrieved his gun after he came out on the losing end of a scuffle on April 11, 2025. He spotted members of the group and opened fire from a fast-food drive through toward a crowd of people. While no one was injured, it created chaos and panic on the Beach. Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez and Bay County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Jason Daffin both addressed the court seeking a stiff sentence both as punishment and as a deterrent to keep the beaches safer.

“The fact that our officers did not find blood on the ground when they arrived does not represent that our community did not bleed severely that night,” Talamantez said to the judge. “The fact that we did not find a body on the ground was luck. I can’t run a police department on luck.”

The defendant with a social media post showing off the firearm.

Talamantez, Daffin, and a witness from trial – she was at the drive-through with her young son in a car only feet away when Zyion fired – said the shooting left the community scared and in shock.

“People who come here for the beach should be able to go out on it … and I think our community deserves better,” Daffin said. “I ask that we send a message to anyone else who comes into our community and commits violence.”

A key witness at trial was at the drive-through with her 10-year-old son in the backseat when the defendant opened fire from feet away. She said in a victim impact statement that their lives are forever changed. She said her son slept in her bed for months out of fear, does not feel safe in traffic. They rarely eat out anymore and stay home during Spring Break.

“I am angry that my son has had to carry the consequences of someone else’s inability to manage his emotions,” she wrote. “I am angry that a gun was brought into a public place and used without regard for the lives of the people who happened to be there. I am angry that someone felt entitled to change the lives of strangers in such a profound and permanent way.”

She wrote that she hopes to one day return to a safe and peaceful feeling about her community.

“I am not asking the Court to see him only as the worst thing he has ever done,” she wrote. “But I am asking the Court to understand that what happened to us was real, that it mattered, and that the consequences did not end when the shooting stopped. There is a difference between having empathy for someone and excusing their actions.”

Moore, addressing the judge, said, “These are adult actions, it deserves an adult sentence.”

“What do you think he deserves?” Judge Register asked.

“Ten years,” Moore replied. “I think a 10-year-sentence is more than appropriate.”

Judge Register said that taking everything into consideration – from the defendant’s age and lack of criminal history to the impact on the community and people like the witness at the drive through – that a 36-month sentence was appropriate.

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

Man Guilty of Opening Fire on Vehicle, Shooting 1 Occupant

Posted on July 29, 2026July 29, 2026 by Admin SA

A Panama City man who followed a car full of young adults for 5 miles after an argument in a parking lot and opened fire on their car was found guilty as charged Wednesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Martae Lemon Coleman, 29, was found guilty of 4 Counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder and 1 count of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register set sentencing for Aug. 14. The first four charges are First-Degree Felonies with up to Life sentences under Florida’s 10-20-Life law.

“The verbal altercation was over, there’s only one person in this whole crowd that it wasn’t over for and that’s Mr. Coleman,” Moore said. “He’s the only person that didn’t let it go. Making bad decisions is how crimes are committed.”

Testimony and evidence from traffic cameras showed the defendant and a friend ended up at the Gold Nugget that night while celebrating Coleman’s birthday. The victims and other friends also were celebrating a birthday and ended up at the Gold Nugget.

All were leaving at closing time when a comment about wanting to see a nice car do a “burnout” turned into an argument between the defendant and the victims. The victims said the defendant lifted his shirt at one point to show he had a pistol stuck in his waistband, so they decided to leave.

Video surveillance showed the defendant leaving in a vehicle driven by a friend, followed by the victims. The defendant’s friend testified he drove the defendant away to prevent any more arguing, circled the block to make sure the victims were not following him, then dropped his friend back off at his car at the Gold Nugget.

Traffic cameras showed Coleman then headed west, as the victims had, but was not headed home. His friend was behind him, concerned that Coleman was going after the younger group. The friend following Coleman was on the phone with him, pleading with him to go home and leave the first group alone.

Instead, Coleman continued to drive faster and told his friend, who was following further behind, “I’m going to follow them home and I’m going to beat these kids’ ass,” the friend testified. The friend testified that at some point in the phone conversation Coleman changed from saying he was going to beat them to he was going to shoot them.

“He was basically like saying he was going to follow them home and beat them up, over and over,” the friend testified. “And I was just like, hey, don’t do that, we should go home. Bad idea. There’s nothing good going to come out of this.

“Toward the end of the conversation he said he was going to shoot them and I heard gunshots rattle off over the phone.”

The victims, from the Greenwood area, had no idea they were being followed and were trying to find a hotel room when they pulled up to Back Beach Road on Allison Avenue and hit the red light. There, the defendant’s car pulled beside them and opened fire without warning.

The driver was struck in the hip; other bullets hit the driver’s and passenger’s doors before the defendant fled.

Coleman took the stand and testified on his own behalf, claiming the other group had flashed a gun at him at the club and he was only following them so he could get their tag number. He claimed when he pulled up to them at the light on the beach they shot at him, but there was no evidence found of that.

Moore pointed out that if Coleman was truly scared he would not have chased the vehicle, he would have called the police. He also noted that Coleman could have gotten their tag number at any point along Front Beach Road or Allison Avenue or even taken a picture of it.

“He wasn’t done after everyone left the parking lot,” Moore said. “If he was done and he was worried about his safety, he would’ve called the police. They were shot because he was so mad at them over the words that were exchanged and he wasn’t going to let it go.”

Coleman was tracked to his home the next morning.

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

Woman Who Shot Boyfriend with High-Powered Rifle given 20 Years

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Admin SA

A woman found guilty of shooting her boyfriend in the upper thigh with a high-powered rifle and then telling him to take responsibility has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Misti Nunery, 41, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty Friday of Felony Battery and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia sentenced Nunery to 15 years on the firearms charge and 5 years on the Felony Battery charge and ordered the sentences run consecutively, or one after the other. Nunery was released from prison in 2022 on a drug trafficking conviction.

In this case, the defendant shot the victim as he was walking away from an argument in their bedroom. She then called 911 and asked for an ambulance, saying she had just arrived home and found the victim laying on the floor already shot.

“This was a high-powered rifle and easily could have killed the victim,” Prosecutor Morgan McAfee said. “The defendant showed a total disregard for the victim and his well-being, lied to investigators about what happened, and tried to make the victim say he had shot himself.

“We are glad the jury saw the truth in the evidence and that the victim saw some measure of justice.”

McAfee, along with Prosecutor Morgan Morrell, called 7 witnesses including the victim, to prove it was Nunery who shot the victim.

The testimony and evidence showed the defendant and victim were living together when they went out Sept. 25, 2022. The victim said they returned home and his girlfriend became verbally abusive and argumentative to the point that he went back out by himself.

He returned home later that evening and found that someone had knocked over his motorcycle, which he had built himself. He said another argument ensued in the bedroom because he believed his girlfriend was involved in damaging the motorcycle.

The victim said he had gotten his rifle out, thinking there might be someone on his property. He said the defendant continued to yell at him so he started to leave the room. When he turned, he saw her pointing the rifle at him. He said she fired a shot without saying a word, knocking him to the ground, and then fired a second shot that missed.

He said she pushed the rifle across the floor toward him and told him, “You shot yourself.”

The victim was losing consciousness as the first Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived and applied a tourniquet. The defendant, who on the 911 call said she came home to find the victim already shot, changed that and said she was home in bed when she heard a shot and saw her boyfriend on the floor.

Basford thanked the BCSO for its investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

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

Man Convicted of Beating, Choking, Threatening Girlfriend Sentenced to 15 years

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Admin SA

A man found guilty of three charges related to attacking his girlfriend was sentenced to a combined 15 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Alfredo Julio Baguer Villa, 29, of Lynn Haven, was found guilty as charged June 30 of Domestic Battery by Strangulation, Aggravated Assault (Deadly Weapon), and False Imprisonment. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson Friday sentenced him to 5 years on each count, ordering that they be served consecutively, or one after the other.

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

At trial, Lynn Haven Police Department Officer Tyler 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.”

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.

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.

30-Year Sentence for Man With 700+ Grams of Cocaine

Posted on July 27, 2026July 27, 2026 by Admin SA

A man who picked up a package containing more than 700 grams of cocaine while under surveillance was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday after being found guilty of Trafficking in Cocaine (More than 400 Grams), State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Naiym Muhammad, 33, of Panama City, was also found guilty of Tampering with Evidence Friday. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison, with the first 15 years being minimum-mandatory.

Prosecutor Jada Watkins called 5 witnesses – 3 Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives agent, and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst – to prove her case.

“This was a large amount of cocaine and the collaboration between the different agencies involved not only stopped these drugs from making it to the street, it held the defendant accountable,” Watkins said. “The US Postal Inspection Service did a great job by identifying the package as suspicious and notifying law enforcement.”

The evidence showed that in early February 2023, the US Postal Inspection Service notified the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that it had flagged a suspicious package sent from Brownsville, Texas, to an address on E. 7^th Plaza here. Their investigation showed the sender of the package was using a fictitious name and was also using a fictitious name for the recipient at the Panama City address.

As part of an undercover operation the package was delivered to the address while members of the BCSO Special Investigation Division maintained surveillance on the residence. Shortly after the package was delivered Feb. 9, 2023, a man later identified as the defendant pulled into the driveway. He approached the front porch, looked in both directions, picked up the package and returned to his car.

He drove away and investigators followed as they saw him run a stop sign and make an illegal U-turn on 11^th Street. They initiated a traffic stop and saw the defendant throw a phone out of his window before pulling over.

A drug-detecting K-9 alerted for the presence of drugs in the vehicle and investigators saw the package. When they opened it they found the cocaine in vacuum-sealed packaging.

Basford thanked the U.S. Postal Service, BCSO, and all involved for their work that kept the drugs from being sold and led to a successful outcome.

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

Life Sentence for Drug Trafficker, Repeat Offender

Posted on July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 by Admin SA

A conviction for Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 14 grams) coupled with a lengthy criminal history combined to land Alphanso Frederick Hall a Life sentence Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Hall, 40, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty of the trafficking charge and Unlawful Use of a 2-Way Communication Device June 30. That trafficking charge is a First-Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

But Prosecutor Frank Sullivan successfully argued to have Hall sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender based on previous convictions of Trafficking in Cocaine (2007 and 2013), Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle (2007 and 2013) and other charges. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark agreed, which under Florida law upgraded the maximum punishment to a Life felony.

The defendant most recently served a 54-month prison sentence on drug charges. He was released April 1, 2024. The current Trafficking offense occurred Feb. 18, 2025, less than a year later.

“The defendant has shown no interest in following the law while continuing to deliver drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine onto our streets over the last 20 years,” Sullivan said. “His criminal history shows that when he is released from prison he eventually gets caught poisoning our community again.

“There will be no more chances for Mr. Hall.”

In the latest case, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division had the defendant under surveillance as part of an undercover operation. Sullivan presented witnesses and evidence proving investigators used a confidential informant to set up a controlled drug buy for Feb. 18, 2025.

When investigators arrested the defendant he was in possession of 5 separate baggies of methamphetamine. Each of the baggies held just over 3 grams of meth – often sold as an “8-ball.”

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 Facing Meth Trafficking Trial Enters Plea, Receives 15-year Sentence

Posted on July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 by Admin SA

A Panama City man set to go to trial Thursday for Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28) grams instead entered an open plea Wednesday and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Lajarvis Santez Allen, 40, of Panama City, entered an open plea to the charge, meaning Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay would decide the sentence without an arranged agreement. The charge carries a minimum-mandatory 7 years in prison and up to 30 years.

After hearing from Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke, the defendant, and family members of the defendant, Gay handed down a sentence of 15 years.

“The State would say this isn’t the kind of person we want out on the streets of Florida, and that you sentence him to at least 15 years in the Department of Corrections,” VanDyke said.

VanDyke was prepared to call witnesses and present evidence that Panama City Beach Police Department detectives developed information the defendant was delivering a large amount of methamphetamine to a location on the beach on Feb. 15, 2024.

The defendant was under surveillance and was detained after pulling into a driveway in the area where the transaction was supposed to occur. Detectives said the defendant was moving “furtively” and appeared to be concealing an item in his pants while still in the car.

A drug-detecting K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, which was searched without success. But the defendant was found to have about 2 ounces of methamphetamine hidden in his boxer shorts.

Basford thanked the Panama City Beach Police Department for its pre-emptive work that kept the methamphetamine from reaching the streets.

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

JURY: Pittman Stabbed Boyfriend to Death

Posted on July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 by Admin SA

A Panama City man was found guilty as charged Wednesday of Second-Degree Murder in the July 18, 2023 stabbing death of his boyfriend at a Springfield convenience store, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Calvin Lovelle Pittman, 47, of Panama City, was found guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Destruction or Tampering with Physical Evidence after about 45 minutes of deliberation. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay set sentencing for Sept. 11. The murder charge is a First-Degree Felony punishable by up to Life in prison.

Prosecutor Peter Overstreet called about a dozen witnesses and presented physical evidence in the 2-day trial proving Pittman stabbed Phillip S. Harvey, 20, in the side while the two were arguing in Harvey’s car July 18, 2023. The victim suffered a large, 4-inch-deep gash to his lower left abdomen before exiting the car and stumbling about 20 feet where he collapsed.

A key piece of evidence came from the victim himself. As hospital workers tried to stabilize him for emergency surgery that day, he told two nurses that he was stabbed by Pittman during an argument.

“Mr. Harvey did nothing wrong to deserve this, but as he fought for his life on the way to surgery that day, he did something very right: he was able to identify his attacker by name,” Overstreet said. “He knew his life was in danger and he made very sure that the authorities would know it was Calvin Pittman who did this. He played a large part in bringing his killer to justice.”

“We are grateful the jurors saw this case for what it was, looked at the evidence, and concluded Mr. Harvey was telling the truth.”

Two nurses on duty that day testified the victim identified his attacker. They both also testified he asked them if he was “going to see his mom,” who passed away two years earlier.

One said the victim, suffering from a deep stab wound that went through his spleen and kidney, also asked her if he was going to see his mom as she helped get him ready for surgery.

“He said his boyfriend Calvin Pittman stabbed him during an argument,” she testified. “He told me he knew he was going to see his momma now. They put him under for the surgery and he bled out.”

Prosecutor Morgan Morrell, far left, questions a witness.

Overstreet said the victim’s identification of the killer came with no doubt.

“I submit to you when a man is dying … I don’t think he’s going to somehow fantasize and misrepresent something,” Overstreet said. “He was afraid he was going to die and he wanted his killer caught.”

Surveillance video showed the victim’s car pull up to the gas pumps of a Springfield convenience store the evening of July 18, 2023. Witnesses said there was no disturbance or shouting that drew their attention at first. But 39 seconds after arriving the defendant gets out, and 2 seconds after that the driver gets out clutching his side. He can be seen stumbling away but after 9 seconds collapses.

The passenger, identified as Calvin Pittman, is seen leaving the car and going to the victim, bending over him for a brief period. Seconds after the clerk arrived and began administering first aid, the defendant calmly walked back to the car and 20 seconds later was driving away.

“The defense would have you believe he was rendering aid, he was not,” Overstreet said. “He was essentially covering up what he had done. He didn’t do anything, he didn’t say anything, and when all eyes were on the victim what did Calvin Pittman do? He calmly walked away, shut the passenger’s door … and fled because he did not want to get caught for what he had done.”

Pittman was caught the next day in Panama City by police following “pings” emitted by a T-Mobile device in the vehicle. The defendant had parked it among some other cars hidden by houses and a fence, not visible from the roadway.

Basford thanked the Springfield Police Department, Panama City Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their work on the investigation.

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

60 Months in Prison for Contractor in Hurricane Michael Theft Case

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Admin SA

A Tampa-area contractor found guilty last month of taking tens of thousands of dollars from an 87-year-old man for work that never took place after Hurricane Michael was sentenced to 5 years in prison Thursday.

State Attorney Larry Basford said Mark Eugene Stargardt, 66, of Stargardt and Associates, LLC in Valrico, was found guilty June 16 of Grand Theft (more than $20,000). He has been in custody since. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay Thursday also ordered the defendant to make $46,606.33 in restitution.

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

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.

As the victim’s frustration with the lack of progress mounted, he repeatedly contacted the company and its representatives. But at trial he testified 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.