TILDEN LAW – Orlando Criminal Attorney

According to the Florida Department of Health, a Tampa, Florida psychologist stands accused of improperly billing a patient’s insurance company $1,400 for multiple sex “sessions.”

The accused psychologist, Dr. Daniel Lerom, 49, allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 37 year old patient for three months in 2009. The affair ended only after Dr. Lermon’s wife became aware of the relationship. Also alleged is Lerom asking his patient on numerous occasions to provide him with her prescription medication to medicated his own back pain.

Lerom’s license has been suspended and the patient is suing him, claiming malpractice, gross negligence, breach of duty of care and infliction of emotional distress, among other things. She claims in the lawsuit she suffered a “complete emotional collapse” and was institutionalized after being rejected personally and professionally by Lerom.

As part of the allegations, Lerom communicated with his patient via text message, writing messages including: “falling in love with her”; “U r sooo hot!!! i worry that i m holding u back from a younger stud who can really meet your needs!! lol!!” Lerom often referred to himself as RHL” or “red hot lover.”

Even though Lerom stopped treating his patient last February, records show, he billed her Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida insurance company on several occasions.

Two Jacksonville, Florida Burger King employees have been fired after accusations they intentionally drugged food sold to customers. Jacksonville police say 20-year-old Woody Bernard Duclos was arrested Saturday on charges of poisoning food and possession of a controlled substance. Another employee, 32-year-old Bryant Keith Jone , was also arrested on possession of a controlled substance and accessory after the fact.

Police say a woman spit out a blue pill from a chicken sandwich on Feb. 10, and a man found a blue pill inside his fish sandwich. The pills were found to contain hydrocodone a highly controlled pain killer only available through prescription. Police say Duclos made the sandwiches, and Jones sold Duclos the pills.

Attorney Todd Macaluso has resigned from the defense team defending Casey Anthony on charges of murder citing issues with the California Bar. According to the Orlando Sentinel, attorney Jose Baez made the announcement Sunday. According to the California State Bar Association, Macaluso is accused of misappropriating approximately $145,000 and misusing almost $61,000 in client money. These allegations are considered actions of “moral turpitude, dishonesty or corruption” as related to several client’s trust accounts.

In connection with this allegation, Macaluso has entered an alternative discipline program in California. Macaluso has denied any intentional Bar violations and is shifting the blame for his Bar troubles to his staff.

Former Altamonte Springs Police officer, Ashley Rowe, faces charges in Orange County of Felony DUI and careless driving stemming from a crash she was involved in on December 15, 2009. 

Rowe, 24, was driving on Lotus Landing near Gateway Drive just before 3 a.m. when she lost control of her 2002 Chevrolet and hit a tree, state troopers said. Rowe suffered minor injuries, but her 28-year-old passenger, Michael Kroohs of Altamonte Springs, was seriously hurt.

According to police reports, blood tests results taken from Rowe as part of hospital medical treatment showed she was intoxicated when she was involved in a crash while off-duty.  In Florida, the legal limit for blood alcohol level is 0.08.  Blood test results showed her blood-alcohol level was 0.15, nearly double the legal limit.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Lake County, Florida attorney Bruce Duncan surrendered Friday to jail authorities after the Florida Highway Patrol charged him with DUI-manslaughter in the traffic death of a retired postal worker after a October 17, 2009 accident.  Duncan, 46, is President of the Leesburg land development company, Family Dynamics.  Prior to his current position, Duncan was previously employed as an Assistant Public Defender in Lake County.

Duncan has been a visible community booster. He is chairman of the executive board of Life Stream Behavioral Center, which provides mental-health and substance-abuse services for Lake and Sumter counties, according to the agency’s Web site.

FHP Sgt. Kim Montes said Duncan – who was returning home from Gainesville after attending the Florida Gator football game against Arkansas – had a half-empty bottle of vodka in an ice chest on the truck seat.  Montes said troopers drew blood from Duncan at the crash scene that measured his blood-alcohol content at 0.16 percent, double the state’s threshold at which a motorist is presumed to be impaired by alcohol.

In an affidavit, FHP traffic-homicide investigators cited Duncan’s blood-alcohol level, his unsteady appearance at the crash scene and statements by motorists who observed his driving pattern before the crash.

Terms of his pretrial release forbid Duncan to drink or drive, said Bill Gladson, division chief for the State Attorney’s Office in Lake County. After his arrest, Duncan was released after posting $50,000 bail.  A court date has not been set.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Winter Springs Police stopped a marked city of Windermere patrol car shortly before 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning for suspicion of DUI.   According to agency reports, Officer Kristie Fink, a reserve officer still in training with the city of Windermere, was spotted by a Winter Springs officer driving a silver Windermere police vehicle on Winter Springs Boulevard and followed it after seeing it turn abruptly into the George Towne neighborhood.  After the stop, Fink smelled of alcohol and admitted she had been drinking but passed a field sobriety test, which did not require a breath test, a report states. 

Windermere supervisor, Cpl. Carl Head, informed Winter Springs police that she had been pounding on the door of another Windermere officer’s home. Head said she appeared to be intoxicated and was driving a patrol car, a report stated.  Fink also explained why she had been pounding on a fellow Windermere officer’s door: He was her boyfriend and they had been arguing, the report states.  

“During my conversation with Fink she stated that she turned into the area because she was afraid that a police officer was behind her and she knew she had been drinking,” the report states. “I asked Ms. Fink how much she had to drink and she replied, ‘I had three beers and I know I should not have been driving.’”  Fink told Winter Springs police officers that “she would do anything if we would let her go. Ms. Fink reported that she could lose her [law-enforcement] certification for this.” 

Windermere Police Chief Dan Saylor said Fink, 33, had been suspended pending the outcome of an administrative investigation. Officially, you don’t drink and drive,” said Saylor, referring to statewide policies for police and municipal agencies which prohibit public employees from driving a publicly owned vehicle after consuming any amount of alcohol. “No matter if it was one hour ago or 10 hours ago.”

By the time Windermere supervisors reached the scene, Fink had passed a field sobriety test.  Head told police, “I can’t believe she passed the exercises, she had been drinking since 9 o’clock last night,” the report states.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Former Orange County Florida deputy sheriff, Belinda Mills, was arrested on suspission of burglary and battery domestic violence earlier today.  According to police reports, Karen Cerezo and Belinda Mills broke into the home of  the alleged victim, Richard Cerezo, who is reported to be the ex husband of Karen Cerezo.  Upon gaining entry to the residence, both Mills and Cerezo began beating her ex husband until 911 was called.  According to the 911 caller, the two women appeared drunk.  After taking statements from all parties in the residence at the time of the event, police decided to arrest both women.

In September 2009,  Mills called authorities to report an attempted rape claiming a man was in her apartment when she arrived home. She fired two shots from her agency weapon in the incident, setting off a massive manhunt. The case is not active because there were no leads. It’s not known if she filed a false report.

TILDEN LAW was recently hired by a client charged in Seminole County, Florida with a 4th offense DUI.  Additionally, our client was facing charges of refusal to submit to a breath test and driving on a suspended license. Our

According to the police report, our client was driving his vehicle recklessly, failing to maintain a single lane and entering a intersection at a red light causing oncoming cars to swerve to keep from hitting our client’s car.   Our client was facing a lifetime driver license revocation if convicted along with mandatory jail.  Prior to trial, our office filed pre trial motions and conducted depositions.  During the depositions, plea negotiations were conducted with the State Attorney.  We were able to present several mitigating factors to the State including independent counseling.   We were able to resolve our client’s case at the trial date with a dismissal of the Felony DUI and a  plea to the lesser included misdemeanor reckless  driving.  As a result, our client was not sentenced to jail/prison and avoided the DUI lifetime driver license revocation.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer turned “Inside The NFL” analyst Warren Sapp was arrested Saturday, February 6, 2010 on the allegation of battery domestic violence in Miami, Florida.  Sapp, who was in Miami covering Super Bowl XLIV for the NFL network, was suspended by the network pending a complete investigation. 

Sapp is also known from his appearance in the seventh season of “Dancing with the Stars” with professional dance partner Kym Johnson.  Sapp and Johnson ultimately finished second in the competition. 

The arrest occurred as a result of allegations made by his girlfriend of two years who was allegedly staying overnight with Sapp in his hotel room in Miami.  According to the alleged victim, Warren Sapp came into her room early in the morning and dragged her out of bed, starting an argument about some guys she had been hanging around earlier the previous evening. He then “grabbed her and began to choke her” and threw her out of the room, she claims.  

Sapp tells a different story. He told  Miami iBeach Police that he had originally allowed the alleged victim to stay in his room but had changed his mind. He said that he was “expecting company” and wanted her to leave. He said that he was trying to help her do just that and she fell.  Sapp was released Sunday morning (Feb. 7) on a $1500 bond.

If you or someone you know has een arrested or charged with a Battery or Domestic Violence charge in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution for Domestic Violence in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida,  contact the attorneys at TILDEN LAW for an initial and confidential free consultation, 407-599-1234.

Trooper Paul C. Lawence has been accused of attempting to artificially increase the number of citations issued to his credit by issuing several hundred bogus tickets.  Lawrence, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper based in South Florida has been arrested on charges of official misconduct, after authorities said he wrote hundreds of fake citations to drivers.  The official esimate is more than 200 traffic tickets have been issued since November have been by Lewis.  South Florida Courts have been dismissing these tickets but believe there may be more.

Authorities grew suspicious when the ticketed motorists began complaining they knew nothing about the citations. Prosecutors said Lawrence had used information from drivers he previously stopped to draft new tickets.  Believing there may be more victims, FHP has created a hotline.  Those who believe they received a false citation from Lawrence can call 305-470-2525.

It has long been speculated that law enforcement agencies have monthy and annual “ticket quotas”.   A spokesman for the FHP said they don’t operate on a quota system.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Orlando or are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida,  contact the experienced attorneys at TILDEN LAW for a free initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.