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State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today thatAmaury Fernandez, a competitive bodybuilder, was sentenced Wednesday, April 16, 2025, to 30 years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation, for the charges of Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment, and Tampering with a Witness.  The Defendant, age 30, was tried in October of last year, and was convicted by a jury after a weeklong trial in front of Circuit Court Judge Donna Padar.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Padar reflected on the testimony given by the victim at trial, noting that the victim’s testimony was so powerful, the jury could have convicted the Defendant on her words alone. The Judge also commented about the severe injuries caused by the Defendant including beating the victim “to a pulp”, and that the beating was so bad that in the neighbor’s 911 call, you could actually hear the thuds as the victim was being thrown against the wall.  Judge Padar also remarked that this was “one of the worst cases of domestic violence (she has) seen”, noting the victim having two black eyes, and bruising all over her entire body.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Joshua Wertheim commented, “The Victim in this case did the right thing, and left the Defendant when she realized his aggressive behavior and tendencies.  Unfortunately, leaving him wasn’t enough, and even after being broken up, the Defendant still chose to exercise his violence and control over the Victim.  The terror that she suffered while she was a captive in her own home are unimaginable.  Her life was forever changed that day.  The Victim and her family finally have justice, and the Community is a safer place knowing that the Defendant has been punished for his senseless actions against the mother of his child. 

If you, or someone you know is a Victim of Domestic Violence, it is never too late to get help.  Speak with someone today through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.  Locally, the Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) offers help to Victims with domestic injunctions, shelter, counseling, and support.  SPARCC has a 24-hour hotline at 941-365-1976. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Joshua Wertheim in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Deandre Sanders was convicted after jury trial of Murder In The Second Degree With A Firearm and  Domestic Battery By Strangulation.  The crimes were committed on 04/18/2021 and investigated by Manatee County Sheriff’S Office.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse from April 21 to April 24, 2025.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Suzanne O’Donnell and Rebecca Freel.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of Life in prison without parole. The minimum mandatory sentence is 25 years.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Victim Frank Green had just begun a new romantic relationship with a woman he worked with.  On the night of the murder, he was doing nothing more than sitting in her car when the Defendant, her ex-boyfriend, became enraged, opened the car door, and shot him 16 times.  After the shooting he turned on the woman.  He beat her and choked her while berating her for being with Mr. Green.  

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell commented, “This was an incredibly traumatic event for the surviving victim.  Yet, while still fighting through the trauma, she bravely faced her ex-boyfriend in court and testified against him.

Mr. Green was an innocent victim in all of this and his family has been understandably devastated.   Over the years, they have appeared at every court date and were present for every minute of the trial.  Nothing will ever bring him back but hopefully this verdict brings them some sense of justice.

We thank the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Investigative Unit for their tireless efforts and attention to detail in this case.  We also thank the jury for their attention during a very difficult week.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell in the Manatee County office at 941-747-3077.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Nicholas Lee Shermer was convicted after jury trial of Murder In The Second Degree With A Firearm.  The crime was committed on 08/27/2023 and investigated by the Bradenton Police Department.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse on April 21^st through April 23^rd, 2025.

The crime carries a maximum possible sentence of LIFE in prison.

The minimum mandatory sentence is 25 years to Life.

Sentencing date is yet to be determined.

On August 27, 2023, the defendant shot and killed his then-girlfriend, Amanda Shoaf, in their apartment at Carlton Arms. The defendant shot the victim four times, and she was killed almost instantly by the fourth shot. The defendant called 911 sometime after killing Amanda and admitted, “I shot my girlfriend.” This day the victim was killed, August 27^th, 2023, was her 27^th birthday.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney (ASA) Garrett Franzen commented, “We are very pleased with the jury’s verdict and thankful that the family of Amanda Shoaf can begin to feel some closure after losing Amanda to a senseless act of domestic violence. A special thanks goes out to the men and women of the Bradenton Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and all others who investigated this crime and assisted in obtaining this verdict.“

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Garrett Franzen in the Manatee County office at 941-747-3077.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced on 4/17/2025 that Michael Luis Villanueva was convicted after jury trial of Armed Trafficking in Fentanyl, Armed Trafficking of Cocaine, Possession of Cannabis with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of Controlled Substance and Reckless Driving.  The crimes were committed on September 29, 2021, and investigated by the Sarasota Police Department.  The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse on April 14-16, 2025.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of Life in Prison.

The minimum mandatory sentences are 25 Years in Prison for Armed Trafficking in Fentanyl and 10 Years in Prison for Armed Trafficking in Cocaine.

Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

On September 29, 2021, Sarasota Police Officers were dispatched to a report of an aggravated assault in the Applegate Apartments, shortly after the report was made officers observed the defendant driving recklessly away from the scene and initiated a traffic stop. A search of the vehicle was conducted yielding the following: a loaded Glock 27 handgun, 146.495 grams of powder cocaine, 315.897 grams of marijuana, 259 pressed Fentanyl pills, scales and baggies. According to law enforcement the pills located in the defendant’s possession were disguised as Oxycodone. The defendant admitted to law enforcement that he had been conducting sales of both the marijuana and cocaine for at least one month prior to this incident.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Alexandra Church commented, “This verdict sends a clear message that narcotics trafficking will not be tolerated in our community. We are committed to holding offenders accountable and ensuring that justice is served. This case reflects the tireless work of the Sarasota Police Department in ensuring that dangerous narcotics stay off our streets. The jury rendered a verdict that the evidence in this case demanded, and justice required. It is always a good day when someone choosing to profit from poison is held accountable.”   

If you have any questions or would like further information please contact Assistant State Attorney Alexandra Church in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Jason Kelly Vanaelst was convicted after jury trial of Trafficking In Methamphetamine (14 – 28 Grams); Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia; Resisting, Obstructing Or Opposing An Officer Without Violence; and Possession Of Fentanyl.  The crimes were committed on 08/12/2024 and investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse on 04/14/2025- 04/15/2025. Judge Matt Whyte also found the defendant to have violated his probation which he was serving at the time he committed these offenses.

The minimum mandatory sentence is 3 years for Trafficking in Methamphetamine (14-28 Grams).

The defendant was sentenced immediately following the trial to 9 years in the Department of Corrections for his violation of probation, followed consecutively by 10 years in the Department of Corrections, for Trafficking in Methamphetamine (for a total of 19 years in the Department of Corrections), all of which will be followed by 5 years of drug offender probation.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Tanner Woods commented, “This was a defendant who has previously been convicted of offenses involving drugs, firearms, and violence, both in Federal and in State court.  I would like to thank the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for their diligent work in bringing this dangerous individual to justice.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Tanner Woods in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Douglas Mark Selbeewas convicted after a jury trial of 14 charges: 3 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Child Under 12; 2 counts of Sexual Battery on a Child 12-18 by a Person in Familial/Custodial Authority; 3 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Child 12-16; 4 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Conduct Upon a Child Under 16; 2 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition Upon a Child Under 16. The crimes were investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.  The three-day trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse from April 9-11, 2025.  The Honorable Judge Thomas Krug presided over the trial.

The Defendant’s sexual abuse spanned multiple years, involved two children, and took place in his home in North Port.  For the oldest child, the abuse spanned approximately 8 years and took place not just at the Defendant’s home, but in the child’s own home and in vehicles.  In November of 2022, she came forward to her parents to protect her younger sister.  After an investigation by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and further interviews of the children at the Child Protection Center in Sarasota, the Defendant was arrested and charged with the crimes of which he was convicted by the jury.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn, said: “This Defendant should have been someone these children could trust – instead, he used his position of authority to victimize the most vulnerable members of our society.  Thankfully, this behavior was bravely brought to light by the oldest child to put a stop to the abuse.  Her courage, the investigation by members of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Child Protection Center, and the support of her family helped protect her younger sibling from further abuse.  Their courage to testify and face their abuser was nothing short of heroic.  They were able to take back the power their abuser took from them, and the community is now a safer place thanks to the jury’s verdict.”

Three of the crimes carry a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 25 years in prison.  A sentencing date is pending.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced on 04/11/25 that Howard China Smith III was convicted after jury trial of murder in the second degree with a firearm and attempted robbery with a firearm.  The crimes were committed on January 20, 2018, and investigated by the Sarasota Police Department.  The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse between April 7, 2025, and April 11, 2025.

The crimes carried a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

The minimum mandatory sentence was 25 years.

The defendant was sentenced to life in prison following the verdict.

Todd Reaves had just returned to his parents’ home on January 20, 2018, when figures emerged from the brush and darkness and fatally shot Mr. Reaves. Two months later detectives at the Sarasota Police Department recovered the murder weapon during the execution of an unrelated search warrant at the defendant’s house. It would take many more years, however, for someone to come forward with an explanation for the murder – “I had to shoot him because he tried to buck the jack.” It was the defendant’s own statement made to a confidant but overheard by a witness that provided the answers detectives had been seeking: the defendant attempted to rob Mr. Reaves, and when he resisted, the defendant fatally shot him. When questioned, the defendant, caught off guard, sealed his own fate by denying undeniable facts that only someone involved in the murder would need to deny. In the end, the murder weapon had been found in the defendant’s home, ammunition matching the physical evidence at the scene was on his bed, and the vehicle used to flee the scene was in his driveway. After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for five hours before returning a verdict of guilty as charged on all counts.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers commented, “Seven years, two months, and 22 days after the killing of Todd Reaves, a Sarasota jury and the Honorable Judge Haworth delivered the justice the Reaves family has been waiting for. Our community owes a thanks to the teamwork of the Sarasota Police Department, and the dedicated pursuit of answers by Detectives DeFrancisco and Llovio, as they brought light to the unsolved murder of Mr. Reaves as he stood by his parents’ driveway. It is my hope that this verdict brings some peace to the Reaves family and provides comfort to his friends and neighbors traumatized by the defendant’s indifference to human life.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers or Karen Fraivillig in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Saladine Monroe was convicted after jury trial of Murder in The Second Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence.  The crimes were committed on 04/09/22 and investigated by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse on 04/02/25 and presided over by Judge Dana Moss.

The crimes committed carry a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 2025

On April 9, 2022, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting and deputies found the victim James Tuten with two gunshot wounds to his abdomen. The defendant  arrived at his ex-wife’s house and became angry and violent when he found Mr. Tuten in the residence.  After verbally confronting Mr. Tuten,  Monroe pulled a gun from his waistband in the presence of his  his 14 year old son and his ex-wife, Danielle Mgogo.  Ms Mgogo grabbed her son and  fled to a nearby bedroom, where she & her son concealed themselves in a closet and placed a 7-minute phone call to 911, in which she described the incident in graphic detail. 

Immediately afterward, the defendant fled from the residence with the murder weapon.  He then drove to a family member’s home, where he fully confessed his crime to his brother-in-law.  The defendant then remained at large for twenty-four hours.  During that time he concealed his car, his cellphone and the clothing he wore during the shooting.  The murder weapon was never recovered.  

 Karen Fraivillig, the lead prosecutor in the case commented:   “This was a case of uncontrolled rage and jealousy.  The defendant, who is a convicted felon, admitted to his  brother-in-law that he shot the victim because he felt “disrespected” that another man had taken the his place in the home where he formerly lived with his ex-wife and children.  The Sarasota Sheriff’s Office is to be commended for their diligence and in locating the defendant with in 24 hours of the crime.    

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Mario Roberto Alba-Reyes was convicted after jury trial of Murder In The Second Degree with a Firearm.  The crime was committed on 10/29/2022 and investigated by the Bradenton Police Department and members of the Manatee County Homicide Investigative Unit.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Judicial Center March 31, 2025 though April 2, 2025.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of LIFE in prison.

The minimum mandatory sentence is 25 years in prison pursuant to Florida’s 10/20/LIFE firearm enhancement statute.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

On October 29, 2022, the victim Domingo Mendez became involved in an argument with the defendant in the parking lot of La Barkania bar in Bradenton. During the argument, the defendant retrieved a .380 handgun from his SUV and subsequently shot Domingo Mendez in the head which caused his death. The defendant fled in his SUV, striking a stop sign along the way. Evidence obtained from the crash, as well as from witnesses on scene, led to the shooter being identified as Mario Roberto Alba-Reyes.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Dickey Hough, commented, “thanks to a witness’s presence of mind to capture what turned out to be extremely valuable evidence of the defendant’s SUV as it left the scene of the shooting, and the quick response by law enforcement to identify the individual responsible, justice will be served on Mario Alba-Reyes for the murder of Domingo Mendez. “

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Dickey Hough in the Manatee County State Attorney’s office at 941-747-3077.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Demetrius Gabriel was convicted after jury trial of Murder In The First Degree.  The crime was committed on 12/15/2017 and investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse 3/24/25-3/26/25.

The homicide occurred at Spot 26 nightclub at 4307 26^th Street West just off of Cortez Road in Bradenton.  For reasons that are still unknown, the defendant, already inside the club, waited near the front door for the victim to enter.  He stood near the front door watching for some time and when the victim started to enter, he drew a gun from his waistband, walked up to the victim, and shot him in the face.  After the victim fell to the floor, the defendant walked calmly out of the club still holding the murder weapon.

Most of the incident was captured on surveillance video but the identity of the shooter was still unknown.  Ultimately police were able to identify a possible suspect but needed to confirm his identity.  They were able to do this through fingerprints that Gabriel left on a cup he was drinking from at the bar.  An arrest warrant was issued, but the defendant remained on-the-run for close to 5 years while using another identity.  He was ultimately found after he was arrested in Miami on unrelated charges using this false identity.  The defendant was released from Federal prison less than 2 years prior to this shooting and was still on probation at the time of this shooting. 

The defendant was sentenced to Life in prison without parole.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell, commented,

“Thanks to the keen eye of law enforcement this case was solved.  Both lead detective, Benjamin Main, and crime scene technician, Abby Schmitt, from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office noticed from the surveillance video that the shooter left a cup on the bar.  They protected, preserved, and processed this evidence which led to a confirmation of the defendant’s identity.  The family of the deceased victim, Jarvis Isom, has waited a very long time for justice in this case, and we are relieved that they finally received it.  We thank the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work, and we thank the jury for their attention and consideration of this extremely important case.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney (ASA) in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.