Miami Criminal Lawyer Blog

A Miami federal jury acquitted former Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves, 33, of federal tax evasion charges after six days of intense jury deliberations. Throughout the trial, the 12-member Miami federal jury had the difficult task of unraveling a complex case involving multi-million dollar professional racing contracts, obscure federal tax laws, and offshore companies. In the end, the jurors found Castroneves and his sister Katiucia Castroneves not guilty six counts of tax evasion involving approximately $5.5 million in income and $2.3 million in unpaid federal income taxes.

Sitting next to each other and praying, Castroneves and his sister/manager kept their heads down as they listened to the federal jury's verdicts. Afterwards, the siblings sobbed and hugged each other along with their attorneys. During the trial, his attorneys portrayed the two-time Indy 500 winner as a gifted driver who relied on his father and others to handle the business side of his career.

Continue reading " Florida Federal Criminal Defense Update: Helio Castroneves Not Guilty Of Tax Evasion " »

Miami Criminal Defense Lawyer has learned that Miami-Dade Police arrested two men on Saturday night for a dramatic shooting, armed robbery, and attempted carjacking outside of the Flea Market USA located at 3015 Northwest 79th Street. The flea market is popular with local shoppers looking for good deals, but it is situated in what many would consider to be a high-crime area.

According to Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Aida Fina-Milian, two friends brought their neck chains to the Flea Market USA for a professional cleaning. While inside, they noticed that two men, later identified as Jerrod Adams, 23, and Jarvis Robinson, 22, were watching them. After the two friends exited the flea market and were walking through the parking lot, Adams and Robinson approached them and demanded their chains at gunpoint. When the two friends didn't comply immediately, one of the robbers then fired a .45-caliber handgun.

Continue reading " Miami-Dade Police Arrest Two Men For Shooting, Robbery, And Carjacking " »

According to Miami-Dade Police, five men barged into a Northwest Miami-Dade house on Thursday afternoon and committed a violent home invasion robbery. Although no one was seriously injured, the criminals terrorized the occupants of the house and stole an unspecified selection of belongings.

This home invasion robbery was particularly brazen for a couple of reasons. First, the crime took place in broad daylight at about 2pm on the 8800 block of Northwest 180th Terrace. In addition, the robbers dressed themselves in black and falsely identified themselves as police officers as they were storming into the house. According to Miami-Dade Police Detective Roy Rutland, the criminals tied up a man in the house, herded a woman and child into a small room, and then ransacked the house before driving away. Police have not released a detailed description of the robbers and have no description of the getaway vehicle.

Continue reading " Miami Criminal Lawyer Blog Reports: Robbery At Northwest Miami-Dade House " »

The Miami federal criminal trial of Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves, 33, has thus far focused on his alleged failure to pay federal taxes on a massive $5 million marketing deal with Penske Racing. But newly introduced evidence that Castroneves may have intentionally skirted his tax obligations on a smaller sum of money from a Brazilian sponser now poses another significant threat to his career... and his freedom.

Castroneves, who has been a U.S. resident in Miami since 1997, received over $500,000 from Coimex Internacional, a Brazilian trading company that sponsored him just before he made it big a decade ago as an Indy car driver with the Penske Racing team. But according to Miami federal prosecutors, Castroneves, who owns a Coral Gables mansion and estate, only reported and paid taxes on about $50,000 of his total earning from Coimex Internacional, and instead diverted the bulk of his earnings... first to a Panamanian shell company... and then to a secretive Swiss bank account. Prosecutors are alleging that his sister/manager, Katiucia Castroneves, helped him conduct the illegal transactions.

Continue reading " Federal Criminal Defense Update: The Helio Castroneves Tax Evasion Trial " »

On Friday, a Miami-Dade jury acquitted Lester Dilbert, 62, of literally scaring Manuel Olazabal, 55, to death during a 1981 armed robbery at a South Dade warehouse. The not guilty verdict capped a four day trial during which Miami-Dade prosecutors attempted to link Dilbert to the crime through two partial fingerprints. The jury deliberated for less than two hours.

According to Miami-Dade prosecutors, Dilbert participated in a 1981 robbery of a South Dade warehouse during which he donned a ski mask, carried a rifle, and shouted insults and threats. Olazabal, an accountant, was not shot during the robbery, but sadly suffered a fatal heart attack during the violent episode.

Continue reading " Miami-Dade Jury Acquits Suspect Of Felony Murder Charge Stemming From 1981 Armed Robbery " »

Facing the serious felony charge of DUI manslaughter, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth surrendered to authorities in Miami-Dade court on Thursday morning. Surrounded by family, friends, and his attorneys, Stallworth arrived in court dressed in a black suit and with his hair pulled back. He appeared before Circuit Court Judge Dennis Murphy for a brief hearing concerning the terms of his pretrial release before being handcuffed and taken away to Dade County Jail for processing.

Stallworth later posted a $200,000 bond to gain his release from jail. His criminal case is set for arraignment in front of Judge Murphy on April 23, 2009, at 9am. On that date, the Miami State Attorney's Office is expected to formally file DUI manslaughter charges against him. Under Florida law, DUI manslaughter is a 2nd degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in Florida state prison.

Continue reading " Miami DUI Update: Donte' Stallworth Surrenders In Court And Is Released On $200,000 Bond " »