It didn't work!!!

Kenney was arrested Friday at a substance abuse program office on Little Road in New Port Richey, according to the St. Pete Times.

Her friend and roommate, 26-year-old Amber Tobeck, was also arrested at the same office for giving her son's urine to Kenny, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Both women are on Felony Probation - Kenny for Drug Offenses and Tobeck for Fraud and Theft convictions - according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Kenny's two-year drug court probation sentence began Feb. 1st. An arrest report said Kenny had methadone that was not prescribed to her.

Kenny and Tobeck are being held without Bond at the Pasco County jail on charges of Violating their Probations. Kenny is unemployed. Tobeck told authorities she is a waitress at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in New Port Richey. Gotta love their chicken-n-dumplings!

However, by the end of Monday's six-hour roundup, staged at a closed Egg Platter restaurant on U.S. Highway 19 in Pinellas Park, dozens of suspects remained at large. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) and the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) arrested eleven (11) suspects that day, plus nine (9) from the week before.

"Operation Pill Poppers," announced to the public as it was happening, was designed partly to raise awareness of the growing prescription drug problem in the Tampa Bay area (which this author has written extensively about over the last year). But it also highlights how tricky it is to curb such crimes when the addiction is so powerful, the drugs aren't illegal and the law hasn't caught up with the problem.

Law enforcement agencies throughout Florida have been gradually shifting their focus from the "more traditional" drugs like marijuana and cocaine to a completely different animal that bears little resemblance to yesterday's Drug Offenses. During "Operation Pill Poppers" 10-month Pinellas County investigation, narcotics detectives relied heavily on intelligence gathered from pharmacists and doctors.

Putting aside the thousands of lives that have been shattered by this recent wave of prescription drug abuse, the most sobering statistic lies in the number of recent deaths in Pinellas County.

Just last month (January 2010), three (3) women and one (1) man who had cases in Pinellas County's Drug Court died from prescription drug overdoses, said Shannon Loveday, who manages the Drug Court.

A 2008 St. Petersburg Times investigation found that prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs kill about 500 people a year in the Tampa Bay area, triple the number killed by illegal drugs such as Cocaine and Heroin.

Moreover, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) narcotics division has doubled from four (4) detectives to eight (8), with two (2) added supervisors. The hope, according to authorities, is to prevent Pinellas County from turning into Broward County, which is known as a magnet for out-of-state prescription drug buyers.

Because a statewide prescription computer system does not yet exist in Florida, as it does in several other states, Doctor Shopping and prescription fraud is rampant. Doctors still use handwritten paper prescriptions, which are easy to forge, and law enforcement agencies must primarily rely on pharmacists to report suspicious customers.

Last year, Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives wrapped up a 10-month investigation called "Operation Bad Medicine" with more than 100 arrests. A doctor, two (2) nurses and three (3) medical assistants were among them.

After years of debate, the Legislature approved a bill last year creating a database to track prescription drug sales in an effort to curb Doctor Shopping and illegal Drug Trafficking. But the details of the monitoring program still need to be worked out before it is implemented.

Right now, Florida is the largest of sixteen (16) states without such a program.

And, in the eyes of this author, law enforcement will not make major strides in curbing our County's prescription drug abuse problem until such an electronic database is created to notify doctors, pharmacists and law enforcement officers that someone is obtaining and/or filling multiple prescriptions, for the same or a similar drug, in the same month. Until then, we will see more crime, more overdoses and unfortunately - more needless deaths.

Earlier this week, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, Rene Valencia, a 24-year-old entrepreneur (i.e., "drug dealer") charged with Attempting to Sell Heroin and Cocaine near Weston Park allegedly swallowed his drugs rather than face the consequences of getting caught red-handed. However, the police in this small northeastern town (known for being the home of the world's busiest Dunkin' Donuts) one-up'd the hungry suspect when they obtained a Search Warrant for his bowel movements!! How's that taste, Mr. Valencia?

"He did not think that the detectives would go through the difficulty of getting a search warrant to retrieve the drugs from his bowel movement," Lt. Rick Fuller said on Feb. 3. "He was wrong."

Fuller said that detectives recovered seven (7) bags of heroin, eleven (11) bags of cocaine, and two (2) bags of crack cocaine from Rene Valencia, following a surveillance operation on Washington Street in Weymouth.

Valencia was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Feb. 3rd for Possession of Heroin with Intent to Sell, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell, Conspiracy to Violate Massachusett's drug laws, and committing drug violations near a park.

According to Lt. Fuller, Valencia arrived near Weston Park to sell the drugs at 11:50 a.m., when undercover detectives approached him. "Upon approaching his vehicle, the suspected drug dealer began swallowing several small bags of drugs," Fuller said.

Detectives arrested Valencia and took him to South Shore Hospital where the drug contents were recovered.

Valencia later told the detectives that he has swallowed drugs on many occasions when pulled over by the police. According to police, this case shows the extent that drug dealers will go to not get caught. It also shows the extent that creative police officers will go to in order to make a case against them.

Joshua Malone's prison term will be followed by twenty-four (24) months of community control (aka: "house arrest").

Last December, Joshua Malone pleaded guilty to Driving a Motor Vehicle Without a License - Involving Death. Earlier this week, he was sentenced at the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center.

An unrelated case involving the Sale and Possession of Cocaine was also resolved and included in Malone's 42-month prison sentence.

Malone, who was only eighteen (18) years-old at the time of the Feb. 9, 2008 wreck, was sentenced as a "Youthful Offender," which limited/reduced his maximum exposure to six (6) years in prison.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), Malone was driving a Ford Focus east on the Treasure Island Causeway when a Lexus turned in front of him to go south on Paradise Boulevard. Malone's Ford Focus T-boned the Lexus.

Because Malone was under 21-years of age at the time of his Sentencing Hearing, along with the fact that he had never been previously sentenced as a "Youthful Offender," it was within the Court's discretion to "depart" from the sentencing guidelines.

Martin, 33, pleaded guilty to Transmitting Pornographic Images through an Electronic Device and Transmitting Material Harmful to a Minor. In exchange for her guilty plea, she was sentenced to probation, will have to register as a Sex Offender, wear an electronic monitor and undergo therapy.

The charges stem from Martin's relationship with an eighth-grade boy. According to authorities, they called each other "husband" and "wife," kissed each other and sent each other cell phone photos of their private parts.

They did not have sex and did not see each other outside of school, according to information contained in a search warrant related to the case.

"I realize how wrong I was," Martin said in court Tuesday, wearing a pale pink sweater, hair pulled into a ponytail. "I accept full responsibility for my behavior.... I am extremely ashamed and remorseful for my actions."

Martin was arrested in March and had been out of jail on bond.

According to the search warrant, the boy, then 14, said he took two photos of himself on his silver Samsung Messenger cell phone, and the teacher admitted taking three photos of herself on her red Sprint cell phone.

The boy sent his photos to Martin, and Martin acknowledged receiving them. She also admitted sending the photos of herself, but officials deleted the name of the recipient. Photos of a woman's genitals did appear on the boy's cell phone.

Martin did not admit to calling the boy her husband but did say she threatened him with "divorce," because he had "too many little girlfriends."

The document also says the boy touched Martin on her buttocks outside her clothing, but that she did not touch him in that way.

"You done messed up my son's life," the victim's mother told Martin in court Tuesday. "He thinks it's OK to go with the wrong kind of women.... You destroyed my son, you destroyed my family. I don't feel sorry for you one bit. If it was up to me, you'd get life. I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

At Azalea Middle, Martin taught five computer classes and one "life choices" course, which involved teaching students about positive relationships, self-esteem building and conflict resolution. The boy was not a student of her's this year. Martin has been placed on administrative leave.

As a condition of her probation, Martin can no longer work anywhere with children, including daycare centers, malls, theme parks and schools. Martin said she was working toward a master's degree.

She asked Judge Cynthia Newton if she could have permission to transport her two children to school. As a single mother, Martin said she had no one else to take them.

"I'm going to allow you to take the kids to school and pick them up from school," Newton said.

But she could do nothing else on school property.

Police arrested Cynthia E. Bettis-Ware, 52, on a charge of First-Degree Attempted Murder of her boyfriend Kevin Johnson, 47.

It happened at 11:22 p.m. at the infamous Empress Motel, 1501 Martin Luther King St. N, which the couple listed as their "permanent address," said police spokeswoman Jennifer Dawkins.

The couple were watching American Idol when they began arguing over something that happened on the show, Dawkins said. He changed the channel to stop the argument, Dawkins said, but she kept arguing so "he decided, 'Well, I'll go to bed.'''

He awoke to Bettis-Ware wielding a 10-inch butcher knife. She stabbed him five (5) times in the back and two (2) times in the chest, an arrest affidavit states. Police said she also severely burned Johnson with hot cocoa.

Johnson took the knife from her and ran to the motel parking lot, Dawkins said. Bettis-Ware chased after him with another knife, she said.

Soon a crowd formed and someone called police, who arrested Bettis-Ware in her motel room. She was being held without bail in the Pinellas County jail Wednesday.

According to a report on BayNews9, Johnson is still in the hospital with non life-threatening injuries

The Pinellas County State Attorney's Office is reviewing his application and should know within a few weeks if Talib will be accepted into the program.

The State's Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program is usually reserved for first-time, non-violent offenders. If accepted into the State of Florida's PTI program, Talib will most likely be ordered to attend an anger management class and/or perform some community service hours. However, if Talib successfully completes the twelve (12) month program, the State Attorney's Office will dismiss the criminal charge against him.

Talib was arrested August 19th after the Florida Highway Patrol said he hit cab driver David Duggan in the neck and ear with a closed fist while riding from a St. Petersburg club to a Tampa hotel. For more information on this case, please check out the initial TBCDLB post from October 22, 2009.

The 6 p.m. attack in the fast food restaurant's kitchen at 2454 McMullen Booth Road, in Safety Harbor, left Marcus Grahm with a cut under his right eye, a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy wrote.

Earl Cockerham, 19, was charged with Aggravated Battery just before midnight. He was promply booked into the Pinellas County Jail where he remained before he was released on his own recognizance (ROR'd).

More than fifty-five (55) marijuana plants averaging four (4) to five (5) feet tall were found in the home at 11313 Hollyglen Drive, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies also found lighting and growing equipment which will probably lead to a Felony charge of Cultivation of Marijuana.

On Sunday evening, deputies were in the process of dismantling the equipment and seizing the marijuana plants and growing paraphernalia.

A 60-year-old man was taken into custody at the home, the Sheriff's Office said.

He was not immediately identified.

For those of you that are not familiar with the signs of a "Grow House," check out the diagram above to see if you recognize any in your community.

Texts such as "I'll kill you" and "take 'em to your grave" were sent to the victim, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.

The woman and her mother may have even been the target of a "drive-by shooting" last month, though no one has been arrested in connection with that.

Jared Borgesto Murray was arrested and charged Monday with Aggravated Stalking (a very serious Felony).

According to his arrest warrant, Murray is accused of harassing the victim between November 20th and December 20th. The victim and her mother called the police in November and told them that Murray had been calling both of them and leaving threatening messages.

As they spoke to an officer the morning of Nov. 20th, the arrest warrant said, the victim's cell phone received two (2) text messages from Murray threatening to hurt her and the police if they "get in my way."

On Dec. 15th, according to the arrest warrant, the woman told the police that she was still receiving threats even after changing her cell phone number. That month, she also obtained a Domestic Violence Injunction (DVI) against Murray.

Two (2) days later, the woman's mother told the police that she heard a "loud bang" around 12:25 a.m. Police found bullet holes in the Mazda parked outside and a hole in the front of their house. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The arrest warrant also detailed a number of threatening text messages:

"Immna kill you. An then I'm gonna kill myself."

"U hurt me now its time for u to hurt exclusively lol watch thank god."

"Anybody ... even look at me crazy your jeopardizing ya whole family an dats on my life."

Sprint was able to connect the two (2) cell phone numbers that the police said were being used to harass the victim to Murray. Murray was also arrested last year in a separate Domestic Battery incident involving the same victim, according to the police.

Murray, of 2500 14th Street South, posted $100,000 bail and was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Monday.

For a solid year, Stephen Hulgin knew he could not sneak a drink without getting locked up.

The reason was strapped around his ankle: an alcohol monitoring device he wore 24 hours a day, as part of his sentence for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) conviction. If he took a drink, the device would know it.

"I knew it was there; I knew I couldn't beat it," Hulgin said. And he knew what the judge had told him: One more drink and "I go to prison for four (4) years."

Hulgin, 44, who lives in a Clearwater rehab center and has a paving company, recently had his electronic monitor removed after an alcohol-free year. He says the device helped him and was a "big component of me getting out of jail."

It also is becoming part of the anti-alcohol strategy for the criminal justice system in the Tampa Bay area. Judges are increasingly requiring monitoring devices for Defendants who need to prove they're not drinking.

"I think it can be a very effective tool in protecting the public," said Pinellas County Judge Donald E. Horrox, who has ordered Defendants to wear them.

Week after week, judges sentence people for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and other alcohol-related offenses. While some get jail time, probation usually follows. Others are released on bail as they await their trial.

Judges almost always order these people to stop drinking alcohol while they are on probation or awaiting their trial. But how do you make sure someone doesn't drink?

There are ways, such as random urine samples, mandatory AA meetings, and visits to probation officers -- all with the threat of more jail time looming overhead.

But it can still be possible to cheat, partly because traces of alcohol disappear from the body more quickly than other drugs. Alcohol monitors are designed to take away that possibility.

The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor, or "SCRAM" brand alcohol bracelet, which has been used in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, is strapped to a Defendant's leg above his or her ankle and can be hidden under a pants cuff.

It samples sweat on the skin every thirty (30) minutes, and detects the presence of alcohol. It records the data and sends results back to a central computer and, eventually, on to the court system.

"It's a Breathalyzer for your ankle," said Kathleen Brown, spokeswoman for the Denver-based company that makes them, Alcohol Monitoring Systems.

It also contains anti-tampering technology designed to detect when someone is trying to fool the device -- such as the person who wedged a piece of baloney in between his ankle and the bracelet. (Baloney may feel roughly like skin, but it's cold and doesn't sweat.)

About fifty (50) of the SCRAM bracelets are in use at any one time in the Tampa Bay area, said local representative and bail bondsman Frank Kopczynski. More than 10,000 are in use nationwide, Brown said.

Pinellas County Judge Paul Levine said he became intrigued with the alcohol bracelets when he realized they provide a good way to continuously check on serious alcohol offenders, such as repeat drunken drivers. They're also good for Domestic Violence offenders who get violent when drunk; take away the alcohol, and you often take away the violence, he said.

But over time, he said he heard from Defendants who say "they can't believe they actually went ninety (90) days without drinking, and it helps their recovery."

"It's a tool now to help break the cycle of drinking," he said.

Hulgin agrees. He said when he was sentenced in Pasco County to wear the bracelet for a full year, the judge told him "If I drank, I'd be in prison. He made sure I understood that if I failed ... I'm going away."

He wore it 24 hours a day, even in the shower. After about three (3) sober months, he said he felt his alcohol cravings subside. Now that he is off the bracelet, he is optimistic that he will also be able to stay off alcohol, with help from his family and the Christian recovery center where he lives, called Center of Hope.

"It helped me," Hulgin said. And he added, "it's nice to be able to prove to the Court system and society that I haven't drank a drop."

But he does have a reason to be happy to get off of it. It costs $10 a day, and he's the one who had to pay it.

That $300 a month is a burden that not everyone can afford. But Kopczynski, the Tampa Bay representative for SCRAM monitors, said $10 a day is less than some people spend at bars. He also has a question for people who have been released from jail but are complaining about the cost of the bracelet:

"How much money are you making in jail?"

With the support of all of our friends, family and clients, 2009 was another excellent year for the SLAVIN LAW FIRM. And for that, we have much to be thankful for this Holiday Season.

To our family and friends, thank you for your patience and understanding when it was necessary to work late nights and/or weekends.

To our business colleagues and our outstanding network of fellow attorneys, thank you for not only your referrals but for the trust that you have placed in the SLAVIN LAW FIRM to provide an experienced and aggressive representation to those that you've sent our way.

And to both our former and present clients, thank you for the trust that you have placed in the SLAVIN LAW FIRM to protect your rights and to handle your important criminal and/or traffic-related matters.

On behalf of the entire SLAVIN LAW FIRM team, have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Holiday Season.

Jose Walle, 15, was one of three men accused in a string of attacks throughout the Bay area in the summer of 2008.

He and two others are facing charges in connection with an Armed Robbery and Armed Sexual Battery at The Table in downtown St. Petersburg. Investigators said the trio also attacked women in Gibsonton and Apollo Beach.

Investigators said that, while Walle himself did not commit any of the rapes, he helped make the crimes happen. In one case, investigators said he pointed a gun at a duct-taped kitchen worker while one of the other, Rigoberto Moron Martinez, raped another employee on the kitchen floor.

According to the St. Pete Times, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Joseph A. Bulone remarked at Walle's sentencing that: "Quite frankly, the facts of this case are amazingly aggravated; they are very, very serious."

From 7:00 at night until 4:30 in the morning, 6 days a week, for 29 years, Jean Desir has driven a taxi on the streets of Miami.

Despite two Robberies, one at gunpoint, and countless riders who've stiffed him on fares, this past year has been toughest of all economically.

"This year has been really really hard," the 54 year-old said, "really hard."

That's what makes the story of Desir's fellow taxi-driver so tough to swallow this holiday season.

Police say Miami resident Luciolo Perez convinced a cabbie from Flamingo Taxis to drive him to Memphis, Tennessee. That's a 20-hour cab ride to the middle of the country.

Then police say Perez stiffed the driver of $3,000 in cab fare, plus expenses such as gas and meals, which the cabbie paid with his own credit card.

CBS4 spoke by phone with the cab driver, who drove his taxi halfway across the country and back.

His name is Lelis Almeira.

Almeira refused CBS4's request for an on-camera interview, saying he was tired, frustrated and angry and "I just want to put this incident behind me."

Now, in addition to trying to find $3,000 in cab fare, Perez must find enough money to bond out of jail on his Grand Theft charge.

Michael David Barrett pleaded guilty to Interstate Stalking after Andrews urged the judge to give him a harsh sentence and not allow him out on bail.

"His actions have had a devastating impact on me and family," said Andrews, who attended the hearing with her father and attorney.

She said she is constantly reminded that Barrett's videos appeared online and subjected her to cruel taunts from sports fans while working as a sideline reporter.

"I don't know him," she said. "I haven't met him. I hope he never sees the light of day."

U.S. District Judge Manuel Real allowed Barrett to remain free pending sentencing on Feb. 22.

According to a plea deal filed last week, Federal prosecutors and Barrett agreed to a 27-month prison sentence. But the judge will decide how long he serves and how much restitution he will have to pay Andrews.

Barrett has admitted renting hotel rooms next to Andrews three (3) times and shooting two (2) videos of her while she was naked. He was accused of posting the videos online and trying to sell them to the Los Angeles-based celebrity gossip site TMZ this year.

Andrews was poised as she addressed the court. She looked down at times as Real read the allegations against Barrett, which included details of him traveling to follow Andrews. She shook her head when Real read about Barrett buying information about Andrews online, and dabbed tears after Barrett entered his guilty plea.

Barrett stood at a podium for the nearly ten (10) minutes it took to read the allegations against him. He repeatedly answered, "Yes, your Honor" when Real asked him to waive his rights and confirm the truthfulness of the allegations.

Federal Prosecutors in Los Angeles have agreed not to pursue further charges against Barrett. However, he could face criminal action in other states stemming from other videos he allegedly shot of unsuspecting nude women through peepholes.