Joseph Safrany was serving a Florida DUI sentence of life in prison for a 2000 drunk driving accident that took the life of three people. The 45-year-old challenged the sentence with hand written arguments and by filing appeals after spending years behind bars reading law books. Safrany seemed to pull off a major shocker when he got a judge to grant him the opportunity for a new sentence but on Monday Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman sentenced the man to 50 years in prison.
Safrany was driving nearly 30 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph in April of 2007 when his Cadillac crashed with a Honda, which had four men inside including a driver who was drunk himself. Three of the men died including the driver of the Honda who also would have been facing Florida DUI charges had he survived the crash. The three passengers who lost their lives were all between the ages of 19-23 and the group was returning from what TampaBay.com describes as a night out partying in Ybor City. The car was hit so hard by Safrany that it rolled 140 feet after the collision.
Author Archives: fhlawyers-2
Tampa Drug Charges – Felony Marijuana Possession Charges Filed Against Buccaneer Stevens
Former Buccaneer tight end Jeramy Stevens is facing felony drug charges in Tampa for marijuana possession and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Stevens was a member of the Buccaneers up until Monday when he was released from the team following the arrest. Stevens has had a history of run-ins with the law and the latest was the last straw for the Buccaneers who cut the tight end.
Stevens was stopped Saturday night, about 18 hours before he was scheduled to be in uniform at Raymond James Stadium versus the St. Louis Rams. Tampa police pulled the 30-year-old over when there was loud music emanating from his Ford pick-up truck at Westshore Blvd. and Cypress Street. Officers approached the vehicle and reported smelling marijuana coming from the truck. That lead to a search of Steven’s truck. Officers found 38 grams of marijuana which led to felony marijuana charges being filed against the NFL player.
Tampa Assault Charges – Hillsborough County Robbery Leads To Battery And Assault Charges
Three men were arrested and charged with assault and battery in Hillsborough County following a Tampa robbery at Charley’s Steak House on Cypress Street. The three men are in jail for allegedly robbing the steak house with an assault rifle outfitted with a bayonet. The police chase ended with one of the suspects leaping into Old Tampa Bay.
The attempted robbery took place just after midnight and the suspects reportedly escaped the restaurant with a bag full of cash before jumping into a Lexus SUV. Police eventually caught up with the SUV that was reportedly involved in the robbery on the Howard Franklin Bridge. Officers were able to box the SUV in. At that point one of the men inside the silver Lexus got out of the vehicle and jumped off the bridge into the bay. The suspect was fished out of the water by police using a rope and his police cruiser’s rear seat which can be used a floatation device.
Pinellas County Arrest – Sex Offender Caught Shoplifting At Publix Was Wearing Sheriff’s Star
A Pinellas County Sheriff’s detective arrested a sex offender who was shoplifting in Dunedin Publix while wearing a deputy sheriff’s star. The 43-year-old Clearwater resident was stealing Halloween candy and kid’s sticker books while wearing a sheriff’s shield on his waistband. He was spotted at the Publix Supermarket by a member of the sexual predator and offender tracking unit.
The suspect exited the Publix and made his way to a car often driven by law enforcement, a Ford Crown Victoria. Authorities searched the car and found a pellet gun that looked like a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Also found in the car was an electric stun gun. The man was arrested in Pinellas on charges of shoplifting and unlawful use of a police badge.
Hernando County Drug Bust – Oxycodone Trafficking Charges Filed Against Florida Pharmacy Owner
A Hernando County drug bust has led to the arrest of a pharmacy owner from Lutz for violating Florida oxycodone laws according to the St. Petersburg Times. The pharmacy owner was one of three people arrested for allegedly filling fake drug prescriptions out of the Glory Pharmacy in Spring Hill.
The investigation into the Glory Pharmacy was described as months-long and it resulted in the arrest of the owner of the pharmacy, the pharmacist and one other employee. The investigation was conducted by the Florida Department of Health, the D.E.A. and the Hernando County Sheriff’s department. All three were booked into Hernando County jail on charges ranging from trafficking in Oxycodone to conspiracy to illegally dispensing a controlled substance.
Tampa Criminal Attorney Blog – Two Tampa Men Charged With Aggravated Assault On Firefighters
Two Tampa men are under arrest charged with multiple counts including aggravated assault on a firefighter after threatening two Tampa firemen and landing themselves in the Hillsborough County jail. The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Tampa firefighters were called out to a backyard fire when two men threatened them with a dog if they did not leave the property.
The incident took place Saturday afternoon on Plymouth Street in Tampa. The fire was in the backyard and firefighters tried to enter the property in an attempt to get the fire under control. At that point two men with a dog on a long leash told the firefighters to leave the area or they would have the dog attack the firefighters. Things got even uglier at that point according to the on-line story when police arrived. One of the men began to tussle with police.
Manatee Battery Charges – Friends Try To Stop Drunk Driver Who Ends Up Hitting Them With His Car
There is an old advertising slogan that said “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and that is exactly what a pair of friends tried to do in Manatee after a Saturday night out drinking. The only problem is the friend they tried to stop from drunk driving got so mad he hit one of his friends with a car and then beat him up leading to aggravated battery charges among other charges.
According to Bradenton.com, Severiamo Ruiz was at a party and was preparing to drive off at approximately 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Two of his friends, fearing he would be stopped for a DUI, tried to persuade him not to drive. Despite the effort of his friends, one male and one female, Ruiz still got behind the wheel and left the party.
Pinellas County Breath Test News – Want To Go To Homecoming? Better Be Willing To Take A Breathalyzer Test.
If students at Osceola High School in Seminole want to go to homecoming this year they better be ready to take a breathalyzer test in a plan the school hopes will deter underage drinking. The school is issuing forms that students and parents have to sign. The forms say the student will promise not to consume alcohol and if they do they could be subject to having to take a breathalyzer test.
The form is causing some controversy among the students but seems to be supported by the parents interviewed by Bay News 9. Students believe the form is a violation of their rights in the sense that it makes them submit to alcohol breath testing. A few of the students interviewed by Bay News 9 felt that alcohol breath tests were taking things a little too far.
Sarasota DUI News – DUI Wreck Leads To Arrest Of Sarasota County Firefighter
News is just coming out about a Saturday night Sarasota DUI arrest involving a firefighter who was involved in a DUI crash around 1:00 a.m. The Sarasota Herald Tribune is reporting the story of 24-year-old Derek Patrick Maxwell and his drunk driving crash that led to his arrest while in his department gear.
According to the newspaper’s website, Maxwell was on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and University Parkway when he apparently flipped his vehicle striking trees and bushes in the median at approximately 1:00 a.m. He was arrested four hours following the DUI wreck and charged with DUI with property damage.
Pasco Drug Bust – Marijuana Grow House Discovered Near New Port Richey High School
Apparently Pasco Sheriff’s deputies had a hunch there was a marijuana grow house near Gulf High School and after obtaining a search warrant their suspensions were proved correct. According to TBO.com deputies raided a house at 5241 School Road yesterday morning and ended up discovering a grow house operation and arresting 40-year-old Jeff Wagner.
While searching Wagner’s home deputies found nearly 80 marijuana plants being grown hydroponically. There were also more than nine ounces of pot in jars, more than an ounce of loose marijuana, a small amount of pot in a baggie and a joint. Sheriff’s deputies also discovered Xanax along with drug paraphernalia like rolling papers and pipes.