Accused Bitcoin Scammer Arrested
(DeLand, FL) --A woman accused of running a bitcoin scam is facing charges in Volusia County. Georgia's Christina Rimes arrived in the county yesterday to face fraud charges. The sheriff's office says she stole 17-thousand dollars from a Daytona Beach resident by convincing him there was a warrant out for his arrest. Rimes allegedly transferred the money into the commissary account of her boyfriend, who's a Georgia prison inmate. Sheriff Mike Chitwood greeted Rimes as she arrived in the county. In a Facebook video, he said if someone comes after one of his residents, he'll go after them.
DCF Investigations Cleared Regina Hill Of Wrongdoing
(Orlando, FL) --Two investigations may help the case of a former Orlando official accused of fraud. Former City Commissioner Regina Hill is accused of exploiting a 96-year-old woman. Hill assumed power of attorney and made purchases in the woman's name. Channel 9 reported yesterday the Department of Children and Families investigated twice a couple years ago, and both investigations cleared Hill of wrongdoing. One investigator wrote they did not believe Hill coerced or exploited the woman, and they concluded the woman can make her own decisions. Another investigator found there's no credible evidence to support the allegations against Hill. The FDLE's investigation reached different conclusions, though. They say the woman told them she wanted her money to go to her church instead of Hill, and she didn't know she and Hill owned a house together. No trial date has been set yet. In the meantime, Hill is running to regain her District Five seat on the city commission.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Discusses Safety For Upcoming Events
(Miami, FL) --This weekend promises to be a busy one for the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. Anti-ICE protests are planned across the county, and Hard Rock Stadium is hosting a FIFA Club World Cup soccer match Saturday. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told CBS News Miami yesterday deputies will be focused on safety, not illegal immigration. She warns, though, that a new state law could lead to felony charges against those who disrupt the soccer match.
Six Men Detained By Immigration Agents In Monroe County
(Marathon, FL) --A Monroe County business owner says he's in shock after immigration agents detained six of his employees. Vincent Scardina talked recently about last month's incident in the Lower Keys. Six men who work at his roofing company were stopped by immigration agents in Sugarloaf Key and sent to a detention facility to be deported. The men are from Nicaragua, but their lawyer says they're here legally and have valid work permits. Three of the men are being held at Krome Detention Center, and the others are in Texas and California. The men represent a third of Scardina's workforce, and he says finding replacements won't be easy in the Keys. He also says the situation affects him on a personal level. Scardina tells NBC 6 the men aren't just employees but friends who have families, and they don't deserve what happened to them.
Man Complains About Strip Club Services
(Clearwater, FL) --A Florida man is facing charges after he allegedly called 9-1-1, claiming to lose money at a local strip club. Twenty-one-year-old Sultan Alnofaie told dispatchers he paid a worker at OZ Gentleman's Club in Clearwater 300 dollars for sex and did not receive his "services." Deputies say the man reeked of booze when they arrested him early Sunday morning. He was charged with misuse of a 9-1-1 system. Prostitution is illegal in Florida.
Today in History
2021, a U.S. lobsterman survived being swallowed by a humpback whale off the Massachusetts coast.
2002, "American Idol" premiered on Fox.
1793, the first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick.