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State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Zachary Richards plead to the charges of DUI Manslaughter, DUI Causing Serious Bodily Injury, and other related charges, and was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug to nine (9) years in Florida state prison, followed by six (6) years of probation.

On March 30, 2021, Richards consumed alcohol at Linksters for nearly seven hours before driving his work van northbound on U.S. 41 at speeds in excess of 95 MPH with no headlights.   At the same time, a motorcyclist, who also had been drinking, and his passenger, rode south on U.S. 41. As the motorcyclist approached Palm Harbor Drive, he turned left to enter their neighborhood and into the path of Richards. The resulting catastrophic collision took the life the motorcyclist and caused horrific injuries to his passenger.

Nearly five hours after the crash, Richards’ blood alcohol level was .173, still more than double the legal limit in Florida.   The victim motorcyclist’s blood alcohol level was .176.

Neither Richards nor the motorcyclist had any prior criminal history.

Florida law treats impaired drivers whose operation of a motor vehicle contributes to the death or serious bodily injury of a victim the same as if the impaired driver had solely caused the death or serious bodily injury.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Greiner commented,

“That evening, two hard working and well-respected family men each made the terrible decision to drink and drive. One will pay for his decision by being away from his family for nearly a decade in prison. The other, paid with his life.”

The Office of the State Attorney urges members of our community to formulate and follow a plan to safely return to their loved ones if they chose to consume alcohol, and to do before the effects of alcohol begin to impair one’s judgement.

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that John Henry Chase was convicted after jury trial of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (28 grams or More).  The crime was committed on January 3, 2023 and investigated by Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.  The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse on January 13, 2026.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in State prison.

The minimum mandatory sentence is 7 years in State Prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for TBD.

Defendant John Henry Chase was observed by a detective from the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Section in a Fairfield Inn parking lot on Jacaranda Blvd. having a suspicious interaction in a black Mercedes with convicted methamphetamine trafficker Brian Neu.  Officers followed the defendant and later conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle on I-75 around mile marker 210.  A K-9 sniff was conducted by the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit on the vehicle and the K-9 alerted to narcotics being in the vehicle.  At that time the Sheriff’s Office’s TAC Unit (or Tactical Unit) arrived and conducted a search of the vehicle and the defendant. 

Multiple bags containing a trafficking quantity of methamphetamine were located on the defendant. At trial, defense argued that this was temporary possession because the drugs were actually for the female passenger in the vehicle. In second closing, Assistant State Attorney Liana Whipple argued that there was nothing unintentional about this. Defendant bought the drugs, strapped them to his own groin and intended to sell a portion of the drugs. Even if he did provide or intent to provide a portion of the drugs to the passenger, that’s not exculpatory. That is trafficking in methamphetamine!   

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Lata commented, “We are pleased the jury held the defendant accountable and grateful for the incredible work of the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office on this case. They employed three separate units on a moment’s notice to build an excellent case against the defendant.  When trafficking quantities of drugs are on the move, law enforcement does not have long to act before drugs are concealed or transferred again.  We will keep the names of the individual officers and detectives private due to the nature of this case and the undercover work they do, but we are grateful for their hard work protecting this community. We are pleased to see overdose deaths down nearly 50% this year across the country as compared to last year and that progress is only possible due to officers like these working to get these drugs off our streets.”

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Shawn David Conway was convicted after jury trial of Felony Driving Under the Influence  – 4^th or Subsequent Offense.  The crime(s) was committed on July 28, 2024 and investigated by Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.  The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse on January 8, 2026.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of five (5) years in State prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026.

Defendant was found passed out slumped over the steering wheel in his vehicle at the Shell Gas Station located at 6991 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida.  The owner of the gas station called 911 when the gas station was closing. Deputy Kyle Chesney arrived on scene and discovered that the defendant reeked of alcohol and had an alcoholic beverage in his vehicle. While the vehicle was not running, the keys were still in the ignition.  Defendant’s eyes were bloodshot, glassy and watery.  Deputy Chesney contacted Deputy Dustin Bell who is a DUI officer.  Defendant admitted to drinking 3 or 4 alcoholic beverages at the beach that day and said he was heading towards University Parkway.  Deputy Bell conducted field sobriety exercises and determined that the defendant was impaired by alcohol.  Defendant refused to provide a breath test. The jury found the Defendant guilty as charged. 

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Lata commented, “I am pleased with the jury’s verdict and that the defendant will be held accountable.  Florida law prohibits a person to be in actual physical control of a vehicle while impaired.   Defendant has been convicted of four previous counts of Driving Under the Influence in Texas, yet has received probation each time.  Probationary sentences are insufficient to correct the behavior of repeat DUI offenders.  At the end of the trial, Judge Padar took the defendant into custody pending sentencing on this felony DUI charge.  

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

DANIELLE MILLER SENTENCED TO SIXTEEN YEARS

On Monday, Assistant State Attorney Andrew van Sickle announced that Danielle Miller was sentenced to a term of sixteen years by Circuit Court Judge Dana Moss.  Danielle Miller previously pled guilty to thirty-eight counts of Fraudulently Using Personal Identification Information.  The Court ordered that the sentence run consecutively to her previous case in which she was sentenced to a term of five years.      

Recently, Danielle Miller gained notoriety as the subject of an article in New York magazine and several television documentaries. Danielle Miller came to Florida during the pandemic in 2020.  While in Florida, she traveled to Sarasota with Ciera Blas, a co-defendant.  In an elaborate scheme, Ms. Miller used the identification information belonging to other individuals to defraud banks throughout the State. However, an alert manager notified the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office who ultimately arrested Danielle Miller. Detective Carlos Verdoni investigated the case.              

At the sentencing, Detective Verdoni revealed text messages that Ms. Miller communicated with individuals in countries as far away as Nigeria to pay for personal information obtained through mail theft, phishing attacks and social engineering.  Afterwards, Ms. Miller used her extensive criminal network to obtain credit reports, driver’s licenses and credit cards of individuals from all over the United States.  Afterwards, Ms. Miller would drain the accounts or use the credit cards to purchase luxury items.  In one instance, she rented a water side villa in Miami at the cost of $27,000 a month.

In turn, Danielle Miller stated that she had changed her ways.  Several witnesses testified on her behalf that Ms. Miller was simply misguided and a harsh sentence would be unjustified.  However, the State presented a phone call made while she was in jail that outlined another “hustle,” as she termed it, to sell paper coated in bug spray to individuals within the facility suffering from drug addiction.

“This was a ground-breaking case, as the entire crime was derived almost entirely from digital evidence taken from Ms. Miller’s cellphone. Although she was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for fraudulently obtaining a million dollars in pandemic related loans, she was not punished in a manner commensurate with her crime, as she was already sentenced to a term of five years for her previous case.  Thus, the State Attorney’s Office and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office took the responsibility of obtaining justice.  I am grateful for the support of the State Attorney and the Sheriff for this endeavor” said Assistant State Attorney van Sickle.

He continued, “identity theft, itself, represents a loss in the billions. In fact, identity theft is so profitable, state actors employ thousands of individuals to defraud corporations and individuals in the United States. Ms. Miller’s case proves that cryptocurrency was used to pay individuals outside the United States for stolen information.  Thus, social media and documentaries that romanticize these individuals who commit these crimes are reprehensible and do not account for the victims whose lives are shattered as a result.”             

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that William Henry Caldwell IV was convicted after jury trial of Armed Trafficking In Phenethylamines; Possession Of Firearm During Commission Of Felony; and Possession Of A Firearm By A Convicted Felon.  The crimes were committed on January 11, 2024 and investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse on December 18 and 19, 2025.

The crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of life.

The minimum mandatory sentence is 7 years.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2026.

On January 11, 2024, the defendant was stopped by FHP due to illegal tint on his vehicle windows. A search of that vehicle uncovered 219 grams of dimethylpentylone (similar to MDMA), a loaded firearm that had been modified to be fully automatic, and a significant amount of cash.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Candice Bartholomew commented, “Thanks to law enforcement and the jury verdict, another illegal gun and a significant amount of drugs were removed from the streets of our community.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact the Manatee County office at 941-747-3077

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Nicholas Lavern Bassler Jr was convicted after jury trial of Sexual Battery By Person 18 Years Of Age Or Older Upon A Child Less Than 12 Years Of Age; Use Of A Child In A Sexual Performance; and Possession Of Child Pornography.  The crimes were committed between April and September of 2023 and investigated by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.  The trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse on December 8-9, 2025.

Circuit Court Judge Matt Whyte sentenced the defendant following the jury verdict on Tuesday, December 9 to the maximum possible penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 20 years. 

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Ashley Dusnik commented, “Through the diligent efforts of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, specifically Det. Carmine Luper and Det. Steven Luke, these heinous crimes against children were uncovered.  The detectives were able to collect overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt so that this conviction could be secured.”

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Trae Ward was sentenced to fifty (50) years in Florida State Prison for the Second Degree Murder of Reginald Graves.

Graves and Ward were related through family. Ward’s sister was in in a romantic relationship with Graves and the two had a child together.

On May 1, 2025, Graves and Ward’s sister had an argument after which Ward confronted Graves with a firearm as Graves and Graves’ mother sat outside her home. After a brief exchange, Graves retreated inside the home, thereupon Ward followed Graves and fatally shot him.

The case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Had the case gone to trial, Ward faced a sentence of life in prison. Instead, he agreed to accept a negotiated plea of fifty (50) years in prison for the murder and other related charges.

The family of Reginald Graves attended the plea and sentencing and several family members, including the victim’s mother and daughter, spoke of their loss.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney William Greiner commented, “None of us make good decisions when we allow anger to get the best of us. Ward allowed an insignificant disagreement to spin out of control with fatal consequences for the victim, lifelong consequences for the two respective families, and the loss of his own freedom for what will likely be the remainder of his days.”

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Calvin Deleon Turner was sentenced to 50 years in prison following convictions for two counts of Sexual Battery.  The crimes were investigated by the Sarasota Police Department.  The three-day trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse from September 24-26, 2025.  The Honorable Judge Thomas Krug presided over the trial and imposed the sentence after a sentencing hearing on December 4, 2025.

The Defendant, who had a prior conviction for sexually motivated offenses, committed the crimes when the Victim was at the Defendant’s home.  Investigations into the Defendant’s past revealed that there were several instances of the Defendant forcing himself upon women in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, but they were rarely reported. During the trial, one witness came forward and described how the Defendant committed a similar offense against her in the late 1990s. 

After finding the defendant guilty at the trial in September, the jury additionally found the Defendant qualified as a “Dangerous Sexual Felony Offender” under Florida law.  This designation imposed a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in prison and qualified the defendant for a sentence of life in prison.

The State advocated for the maximum sentence of life in prison based on the facts of the case and the Defendant’s lengthy history of prior state and federal criminal convictions – including two (2) prior convictions for impregnating a minor under the age of 16.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn, said: “This Defendant has shown absolutely no remorse for his years of abuse in the community.  While the sentence imposed was the minimum, it will protect the community for a significant period. The courage of the Defendant’s victims to face their abuser and the excellent work of law enforcement, along with the jury’s well-reasoned verdict, helped to make this sentence possible.”

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that George H. Boyd was convicted of Aggravated Animal Cruelty in Case #2025CF002572NC after entering an open plea.  The crime was committed on November 15, 2024 and investigated by Sarasota Police Department.  The sentencing was held at the Sarasota County Circuit Courthouse on November 4, 2025.

The crime carries a maximum possible sentence of 5 Years in Prison.

Defendant alleged that his business was struggling with a feral cat problem in the neighborhood.  In retaliation, he shot and killed what turned out to be his neighbor’s pet cat.  The cat’s owner was naturally devastated by the defendant’s actions.  During the pendency of the case, defense filed a Motion to Discharge the case.  After the State prevailed at the motion, the defendant entered an open plea.  At sentencing, defendant continued to assert that he acted to protect his business. Contrary to his testimony, the cat’s owner testified that she saw the cat on her neighbor’s property before falling dead in the street.  The prosecution noted that there was no evidence whatsoever that the cat was ever even on defendant’s property that day and that even if it was, that would not create a basis for killing it.  Furthermore, the cat’s owner saw the defendant hide the rifle alongside his leg and run away from the scene after he shot the cat, suggesting he clearly knew what he had just done was wrong and illegal.

Judge Donna Padar sentenced the defendant to an adjudication of guilt, making him a convicted felon, with a sentence that included incarceration followed by a period of probation.  At issue in the sentencing was whether defendant would be entitled to receive a Withhold of Adjudication based on him not having any prior criminal history.  The prosecution noted that it was critical he be adjudicated a convicted felon to prevent him from ever possessing a firearm again based on the defendant’s dangerous and egregious conduct in this case.  The Court ultimately agreed.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Lata commented, “Senseless violence towards animals should never be tolerated in Florida.  I am pleased the court recognized the severity of the defendant’s actions and held the defendant accountable.”

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

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Damian Markist Anderson has been convicted of Manslaughter By Culpable Negligence With A Firearm and Possession Of Firearm By Minor. The crimes were committed on July 19, 2022, and investigated by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The sentencing hearing was held at the Manatee County Judicial Center on November 5, 2025.

The crimes carried a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison.

Following the presentation of victim impact statements and other evidence, the Court sentenced the defendant to 15 years in prison followed by 1 year of community control followed by 4 years of probation, with various conditions.

On July 19, 2022, the victim, Damarion “Poohman” Smalls, was at a friend’s house with the defendant and other teens. According to witnesses, the group was smoking marijuana and the defendant was in possession of a firearm. The defendant pulled the trigger and Smalls was struck in his head, resulting in his death.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Dickey Hough commented, “this was yet another avoidable teen death. This is a clear example of why teens and marijuana do not go together, why teens and guns do not go together, and how tragedy happens when they all come together. It is our hope that the Court’s sentence provides some measure of justice for the victim’s family and serves as a warning to the community of these dangers.”

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.