Escambia Man Gets Life Sentence In $2 Million Drug Conspiracy
June 15, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on federal drug conspiracy charges.
Leroy Jamal Lymons, 34, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine in the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere. The testimony at trial established that Lymons was a supervisory-level conspirator in a multi-state drug operation and responsible, along with his co-conspirators, for distributing about 80 kilograms of cocaine between January 1, 2010, and April 21, 2010.
The wholesale value of the cocaine was estimated to be in excess of two million dollars.
The organization was identified and systematically dismantled by a federal task force comprised of federal, state and local officers. The investigation has resulted in multiple federal and state arrests and indictments in Florida and elsewhere, the seizure of additional kilograms of cocaine and thousands of dollars in illegal drug proceeds, and the seizure of vehicles and other assets connected with this conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in Pensacola, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the
Pensacola Police Department, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.
Top Early Childhood Educator Honors For Tate High’s Ralph, Student Honors For Reich
June 15, 2012
Linda Ralph of Tate High School has been recognized as the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Academy Instructor of the Year.
Ralph works with each student to ensure each child can achieve a national industry certification, a Child Development Associate (CDA). In her academy, students train in schools and daycare centers where the students get paid for their work. Ralph also had a group of ECE Academy students who won gold and bronze medals at the state SkillsUSA competition.
“We are very excited for Ms. Ralph and for the students,” said Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “Linda has a great impact on preparing her students to enter the early childhood work force. Many of these students will eventually be teaching in Escambia District classrooms.”
A Tate High ECE on-the-job training student, Shelly Reich, was also honored as an Early Childhood Education Academy Student of the Year.
“She is an excellent student and employee,” Ralph said of Reich, who worked at the Creative School Age Child Care facility. “A real quality young person.”
Nettie Ophelia Chavers
June 15, 2012
Nettie Ophelia Chavers of Molino passed away Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at a local hospital.
Born in Brewton,she will be remembered as a loving mother and a wonderful friend who was always a joy to be around.
She is preceded in death are her parents, Dennis and Bessie Caine and her husband of 51 years, Francis Foy Chavers.
Survivors include her son, Michael Chavers (Amber); three granddaughters, Haleigh, London and Madelyn; a very large family including three sisters, Wilma Chavers, Betty Faye Chavers and Eula Mae Pugh and a loyal friend of many years, Mary Haas.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 15, 2012 at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.
Rick Scott: I’m Not Dead Yet
June 15, 2012
Six years before he made national headlines, Gov. Rick Scott found himself being purged from voter rolls after local election officials thought he was dead.
Collier County election officials on Thursday confirmed that the governor was required to vote with a provisional ballot for the 2006 primary and general election after county officials mistook him for Richard E. Scott, who died in January 2006 and had the exact same birthday — 12/1/1952 — as Florida’s 45th governor.
Election officials said the governor was required to vote provisionally because local election officials had received a Social Security Death Index Death Record showing that Richard E. Scott died Jan. 27, 2006.
The governor, whose full name is Richard Lynn Scott, recounted his voting difficulties in radio interviews on Thursday as the state tangles with the federal government over just that – how likely is it that elections officials might make a mistake and purge the wrong person from the voter rolls?
An election official noted, however, that despite the initial mistake, both of the governor’s votes were counted.
“I’ve been here for more than seven years and it’s the first time I am aware of somebody who was removed for being deceased and it was a mistake,” said Tim Durham, Collier County deputy election supervisor. “It was the exact same name, Florida resident, identical date of birth.”
Scott mentioned his brief, encounter with the state’s provisional ballots during an interview with Preston Scott on WFLA Radio in Tallahassee Thursday morning.
“I had to vote provisionally because they said I’d passed away,” Scott said. “So I said, ‘I’m here, here’s my driver’s license, I’m really alive.’ And so they allowed me to vote provisionally. And then they went back and checked and said I was alive.”
Scott later repeated a version of the story in an interview with a Tampa station.
The revelation couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Scott, who is battling with federal officials over the state’s effort to purge ineligible voters from Florida rolls.
Critics have said Scott’s efforts would disenfranchise some eligible voters mistakenly included in the list of those not allowed to cast ballots. But Durham said since Scott’s provisional votes were counted in 2006 – under a system set up following the 2000 recount to allow contested ballots to be cast and counted – it proves the system protects legitimate voters.
Scott spokesman Lane Wright said Thursday that the governor’s personal vignette bolsters his contention that the push to purge the voting rolls would not prevent eligible voters from casting ballots.
Florida’s provisional ballot process allows contested voters to cast ballots and requires local election officials to verify their status within 30 days.
“If there is any error, it is not going to prevent someone from voting,” Wright said Thursday.
Over the past several weeks, Scott has been at the center of the storm as state and federal agencies battle over a Scott-backed attempt to purge ineligible voters from the rolls. The Florida Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of Justice have traded lawsuits over the issue.
“The system is set up so that people can vote,” Wright said.
By The News Service of Florida
Lucian Mitchell
June 15, 2012
Lucian Mitchell, age 79 of Molino, passed away June 13, 2012. He was born and reared in Pensacola.
He retired from the Pensacola Police Department after 22 years of service. He was a sergeant in the Detective Bureau. After his retirement he worked as a private investigator with several law firms. He also worked with the C&P Bank in the loan department. He is a 32 degree Scottish Rite Mason and his Blue Lodge was West Pensacola 296 and a member of the Hadji Shrine. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He is of the Protestant faith.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Shirley Mitchell; a son, Lucian “Chris” and his wife April, of Pensacola; and grandchildren, Mitchell (Sheila) Johnson, Jennifer (Wyatt) Troxell, Dezerai Duke and Mailyn Duke; as well as eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by three brothers, James Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, both of Pensacola and Charles (Donna) Mitchell of Austin, TX; father-in law, Forest Junior Carnley; sister-in-law, Janice Carnley and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Faith Chapel North on Highway 29 on Monday, June 18, 2012. The family will receive visitors at 10:00 a.m. Funeral services will commence at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend James Parker officiating. Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Bill Eddins, Robert Williams, Mike Thompson, Clyde McCauley, Charles Butler and Bill Lewis. Honorary Pallbearers will be Lucian “Chris” Mitchell, Mitchell Watson, Mark Butler and the members of the Molino Volunteer Fire Department.
In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances may be made in Lucian’s name to the Hadji Shrine located on 9 Mile Road, Pensacola for the benefit of crippled and/or burned children.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Two Charged With Holding Man Hostage For $300 Drug Debt
June 15, 2012
Two Escambia County men are charged with kidnapping a man and holding him hostage for ransom to settle up a $300 drug debt.
Michael Shawn Hastings, 39, and Nathan Anton Vazques, 33, were both charged with kidnapping an adult for ransom. Both were booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
The victim’s wife told Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies that she received a call at 1:30 in the morning from a man calling himself “Slick” informing her that her husband was being held captive until she delivered $300 in cash to the Bayou Grande trailer park. She was told, according to the Sheriff’s Office, to come alone and not call the police.
As the victim’s wife was talking to a deputy, another call demanding the ransom cash came in, and the deputy was able to listen as the caller detailed where to take the cash and what the persons she needed to meet look like.
More deputies were dispatched to the Bayou Grand trailer park where Hastings and Vazques were detained.
The victim had escaped his captors and was found a short distance away. He told deputies that a guy he knew as “Nate” forced him to get money for the narcotics he had used. He drove him to an ATM, but he was unable to get the cash at which time he was beaten up and taken back to the trailer park. Then “Nate” and another male began calling his wife demanding the $300, he reported to deputies.
Tate, Army Grad Zach Price Honored By Blue Wahoos
June 15, 2012
Zach Price, an infielder who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in May threw out a ceremonial first pitch for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Thursday night.
Price, a graduate of Tate High School, was Army’s co-captain and helped lead his squad to a record setting 41 victories this year. He has also been honored as the Patriot League’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a First Team Academic All-America selection this season.
The Cantonment native led the Patriot League this past season with 50 runs scored and ranked second all-time at West Point with 173 runs scored, as well as third in Academy history with 238 career base hits and fourth with 55 stolen bases.
Following his graduation for the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Systems Engineering, Price plans on interning with the athletic department at West Point for the fall semester before heading to Oklahoma for officer training.
Myrtle (Snooksie) Leigh Brantley McElhaney Dunn
June 15, 2012
Myrtle (Snooksie) Leigh Brantley McElhaney Dunn, of Loxley, formerly of Atmore, passed away Wednesday June 13, 2012. She was born in Canoe on May 13, 1923. She graduated from Monroe County High School in 1942. She worked at Brookley Field during WWII and retired in 1985 from Vanity Fair after 37 years of service.
Her first husband of 10 years Andrew Lee McElhaney was killed in a work related accident in 1960. Her second husband of 44 yrs, John Willard Dunn died in 2008.
Also preceding her in death were her parents, Thomas F. and Martha (McCorkel) Brantley; all of her brothers and sisters and their spouses, William F. (Myra) Brantley, Janie (Dave) Womack, Carey (Mittie) Brantley, Katie (Otto) Biggs, Susie Nell (M.L.) Davis, Lucille (Adrain) Summerlin, Edward E. (Martha) Brantley.
Although she had no biological descendents her nieces and nephews were her children.
She is survived by Betty Davis of Loxley,Al. W.Clyde (Marsha) Brantley of Mobile, Bobby L. (Pattie) Brantley of Tallahassee, Franklin Buddy (Frances) Biggs of Atmore, Thomas L. Biggs of Washington D.C., many more nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and a host of cousins.
Services will be Saturday June 16, 2012, at 2 p.m. from the Pine Level Primitive Baptist Church, with Elder Eugene Freeland officiating. Interment will follow in the Church Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers will be, Clyde Brantley, Bobby Brantley, Bill Brantley, Lennie Brantley, Joe Brantley and Betty Davis.
Family will receive friends, Friday evening June 15, 2012, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Two Charged With Burglaries Of 55 School District Vehicles
June 14, 2012
Two Escambia County residents were arrested this morning connection with the burglary Monday night of 55 Escambia County School District vehicles. They were busted after police tracked cell phones that were stolen from the vehicles.
Shawn Michael Jenkins, 21, and Robert Louis Lumzy, 18, were each charged with 55 counts of burglary, one count of grand theft and one count of vehicle theft by the Pensacola Police Department.
The burglaries of 55 pickup trucks and vans were discovered around 6 a.m. Tuesday when employees arrived for work at the J.E. Hall Center at 30 E. Texar Drive. Two of the vehicles had been left unlocked. Access to the remaining vehicles was made by smashing windows or breaking locks on vehicles. Among the items stolen from vehicles were multiple tools, three mobile phones and eight laptop computers. The pair is also charged with stealing a 2003 white Chevrolet Silverado pickup from the fenced-in compound.
The suspects were tracked by the cell phones that were stolen. They taken into custody Wednesday morning at Pensacola Village at 500 E. Fairfield Drive.
The vehicles were kept in the district’s maintenance compound and were used to do custodial, air conditioning, plumbing, and other repairs for the school district. Access to the compound was gained through a locked gate where the chain and lock had been cut and removed from the scene.
177 Prisoners Released Or Moved From Escambia County Jail After Flood
June 14, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has released details on exactly how the inmate population at the Escambia County Jail was reduced after weekend flooding on the lowest level of the facility.
The Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and the chief judge for the 1st Judicial Circuit are currently reviewing several inmate cases to determine if any would be eligible to be released.
The Sheriff’s Office provided the following list of inmates that were transferred to another facility or had sentences reduced following the flood:
- 50 — were eligible to be released for time served and were released
- 48 — were transferred to state prison (already sentenced to state prison and their transfers were expedited)
- 31– were bonded out by various bail bondsmen
- 4 — posted their own cash bond
- 18 — were being held for other agencies and they were transferred to those various agencies
- 15 — were federal inmates and were released to the U.S. Marshals
- 6 — were nolle pros
- 1 — was sent to work release
- 1 — was sent to Keeton Correctional Facility
- 1– was sent to Pathways for Change
- 1– was sent to probation/parole
- 1– was purged (paid monies which were owed for civil commit order)
“At no time has an inmate been released who was serving a sentence. Releasing and transferring inmates happens on a daily basis,” according to Sgt. Mike Ward, public information office for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “The Sheriff’s Office does not have the authority to release inmates beyond our statutory authority.”
