The Umansky Law Firm

Two men have been arrested and charged in a series of burglaries at three Central Florida stores, including a break-in overnight at an Osceola County Target. Police are looking for any links the pair may have in several recent Target store break-ins in Orange County.

The two men, both in their early 20s, have been charged with grand theft, burglary, and possession of burglary tools. Police allege they took electronics and jewelry from the three businesses.

The first burglary occurred sometime around a quarter to 3:00 am; police responded to a burglary alarm at a Kissimmee business and found smashed glass and missing electronics. The second burglary took place twenty minutes later at a Kissimmee Target. The jewelry counter display was smashed and jewelry was missing. A third burglary alarm went off just after 5:00 am at an area business where more electronic equipment was taken.

Police allege they stopped a vehicle and took the occupants into custody. Inside the vehicle, detectives allegedly recovered electronics, laptops, and jewelry that matched descriptions of that taken from the stores.

As anyone will tell you, times are tough these days with a down economy. Florida has been hit especially hard. You’ve probably also heard the saying, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Many people find their selves doing things they wouldn’t otherwise do if they were in better financial condition. Granted, some will still look for an easy way to make money, no matter the economy. However, no matter the reason you made this potentially life-changing mistake, you deserve legal representation and your day in court.

If you have been charged with burglary in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm. We offer an initial, free, and confidential case evaluation.

An Orange County mother was arrested in front of her daughter and jailed for prostitution. Turns out, she was the wrong person. Police allege they had to arrest her due to a warrant from a judge who used several different aliases. One of those aliases was the name of the wrongfully arrested mother. This is a classic case of mistaken identity in which the real prostitute was jailed in 1993 under an alias. The prostitute and the mother were both renting out rooms in the same house at the time.

The wrongly arrested mother alleges she did not know or hang out with the alleged prostitute, but believes she may have gotten personal information from the victim’s wallet somehow. Jump forward 16 years to a judge issuing an arrest warrant for the prostitute for a probation violation. The name on the warrant was the victim’s due to the false information given back in the ‘90s.

When the mother was pulled over and her driver’s license and social security number ran by the police officer, they matched the warrant. Though he had his doubts about arresting the right woman, he had no choice.

The victim spent five hours in an Orange County jail professing her innocence, but was only let out after a fingerprint analysis vindicated her. She was given a letter by the Orange County sheriff’s office verifying she may be the victim of mistaken identity if she is ever pulled over again. However, there is no guarantee this letter will work.

While this woman’s case of mistaken identity turned out okay, it can take much longer for the wrongly accused to be let out of jail. Many people can, and do, spend years behind bars due to this. In all of these cases, it is important for the accused to hire an experienced defense attorney, especially if the accused is having trouble convincing authorities they are not the person who is wanted.

If you have been wrongfully accused of prostitution or any other crime in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm. We offer a free and confidential initial consultation.

A Michigan man was recently arrested for DUI after he was found parked on the lawn of the state police. Officers saw the vehicle on the lawn when they arrived around 2:00 am and found the man inside the vehicle covered in vomit. The driver allegedly could not remember where he had been, but told officers he was on his way home. He lives 60 miles from the police station where he was arrested. Furthermore, he allegedly had a blood alcohol content level that was twice the legal limit. Police say he has been arrested six times in the past for driving under the influence and has already had his license revoked.

On the surface, some may find this story funny. However, if you are arrested and charged with DUI, you will definitely not find the humor in the situation. While sentencing is usually at the court’s discretion, in Florida you will be labeled a habitual or violent offender after your fourth DUI conviction and may spend as long as five years in prison. Granted, most people who have been charged with DUI will only have that charge once. Yet there are still many repeat offenders. You may even be one of them.

No one wants to spend time behind bars. Oftentimes those who have been charged with a DUI can go to a diversionary program or get a treatment plan. But this is just one of the concerns you may have. You will still have to contend with losing your license, your insurance rates going up, fees, potential loss of employment, as well as some embarrassment. We can help with some of this.

If you are in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida and have been charged with a DUI, please contact the experienced DUI attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm. Whether it is your first or your third DUI charge, we can help you with the legalities of the situation.

A cast member of the Harry Potter movies was given 120 hours of community service for possession of ten marijuana plants found in his bedroom in his mother’s home. Twenty-year-old Jamie Waylett who plays one of the class bullies in the films pleaded guilty to the charges. He alleged the plants were for his own personal use. He could have been sentenced to 14 years in prison under British law.

This stems from the April bust in which Waylett and a friend were pulled over in London. The British police found not only the plants, but a sophisticated growing system beneath hydroponic lighting in the actor’s room. The friend admitted to illegally possessing 11 bags of marijuana and a knife, and was fined 500 pounds (about $820) and sentenced to six weeks in a youth offender’s facility.

Being arrested for drug possession is obviously not a new condition in this country, and marijuana possession with intent to sell is a fairly common drug charge. While Waylett was let off much easier than his friend, and there are some arguments about this being due to his fame, by obtaining an experienced drug offense attorney, you increase your chances of having your charges reduced, too.

If you have been charged with possession or sale of marijuana in Orange Country or Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced drug offense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial consultation.

A 19-year-old Illinois teen who had too much to drink at a Madison, Wisconsin Dave Matthews Band concert decided not to drive home. He made the wise decision. However, this decision was to sleep in the car in the parking lot of the concert venue. Since he felt he was in no shape to drive home, he again made the wise decision. A short time later, he was awoken by a state trooper who told him he had to move his car since the lot was being cleared.

The teen left the parking lot and was immediately stopped and arrested for drunken driving. He was found guilty and ordered to spend 60 days in jail.

The teen tried to argue that the authorities used entrapment. They knew he was sleeping off intoxication, but made him drive out of the lot. At the court trial, the state successfully argued that those who choose to get drunk cannot argue entrapment after they’ve been stopped for driving under the influence.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals disagreed with this ruling and also found that it was wrong the teen did not get to argue entrapment by the police. The appeals court said, “Drinking alcohol to excess, while inadvisable and unhealthy, is not unlawful by itself.”

So, for doing the right thing, a young man was about to spend two months of his life in jail. While many people choose not to drive after having too much to drink, some do. However, if those who choose to sleep it off in their vehicles are made to drive by the police and then arrested, it would seem the authorities have gone too far and forgotten that part of their motto, which is “to protect.”

The teen was admittedly drinking under age, but he was not doing anything wrong by sleeping in his vehicle. If anything, perhaps the state trooper could have offered the teen a ride somewhere else – or just let him sleep it out there in his car.

In situations like this, it is important that you hire an experienced DUI lawyer who can get this thrown out or at least brought to a minimal charge. There is no reason anyone should spend one day behind bars if they were trying to avoid driving drunk.

If you have been arrested and charged with DUI in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced DUI attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm. We offer a free and confidential consultation.

It comes as no surprise that younger generations are much more with it where technology is concerned. Few and far between are those over a certain age who have cell phones, iPods, or even email. Beyond entertainment and the inevitable progression of technology, these devices allow people to stay in contact and hold conversations on a daily basis. It’s this technology that keeps people together. It’s also the kind of technology that can get people into trouble.

For four young people in South Brevard, using cell phones, text messages, as well as two-way radios was a way to allegedly coordinate several crimes. Police believe the four were responsible for the theft of golf carts, jewelry and other collectable items, and boats. Several items were found at the residence of one of the suspects and police say they have identified three additional people who may have helped.

Beyond using technology as a way to stay in touch and coordinate alleged crimes, people this age may also still be open to peer pressure, although they are obviously old enough to avoid this kind of behavior. Maybe it begins with a friend making a suggestion that is nothing more than a prank. However, these types of things snowball and before you know it, you’re on the ground with handcuffs on.

Part of growing up is making mistakes. Most of these mistakes are minor and don’t come with a record or jail time. However, sometimes what seemed like a harmless or exciting thing to do can have very serious consequences.

If you have been charged with theft in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for a free initial consultation.

Former figure skating champion Nicole Bobek was arrested in Florida last week and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Hudson County, New Jersey. She was one of 20 people who police allege were part of a drug ring that distributed nearly $10,000 of meth a week. If Bobek is convicted on the charge, she faces up to ten years in prison.

While police have called Bobek a major part of the drug ring, her mother believes it is just a matter of keeping the wrong company. Her mother does not deny that her daughter likes to party, but that her good nature has been taken advantage of. Bobek has homes in New Jersey and Jupiter, Florida.

Bobek won the U.S. figure skating title in 1995 and qualified in 1998 for the Olympics in Nagano where she didn’t do as well as hoped. She turned to professional skating in 2000 and had a part in the 2006 film All the King’s Men with Sean Penn.

Getting caught up with a crowd that may get you into trouble is not a new story. It’s what parents tell their children to look out for as they get older and are offered choices. Most of the time, children are able to avoid the “bad” crowd or make the right decision and avoid the trouble their friends get into. However, sometimes friends can get you into serious trouble.

It is important to have someone on your side when things like this occur. If you have been charged with a crime, that someone should be an experienced criminal defense attorney. This is someone you can trust to help you with the legal system and guide you to making the right choice so that you are not haunted by certain events for the rest of your life.

If you have been charged with distribution of drugs in Orange County or Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced drug offense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case evaluation.

You may not recognize the name, but if you watched TV in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, or like reruns, then you may have seen Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood, one of the two women who lived with Jack Tripper in Three’s Company. Ms. DeWitt was arrested over the Fourth of July weekend for suspicion of driving under the influence in El Segundo, California.

Police allege that Ms. DeWitt drove past a barricade set up on Saturday and was pulled over. When the arresting officer approached the vehicle, he smelled booze and the once-upon-a-time actress was arrested after failing a field sobriety test. She posted bail and was released.

The Fourth of July weekend is an extremely popular time for celebration. However, getting popped for a DUI is not the way anyone wants to finish out Independence Day. While there are several things you can do to avoid a DUI, even consuming one alcoholic beverage may get you in trouble if you are pulled over or go through a checkpoint.

If you are charged with a DUI, getting an experienced defense attorney as soon as you can is an important step. Your attorney can help to determine several factors, including if you were properly pulled over or if the police had the right to pull you from your vehicle.

If this has happened to you in Orange County or Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced DUI defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial consultation.

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a police operation ended an alleged drug ring using a chicken restaurant as its base. In addition to the local police, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were involved in arresting two brothers. They are looking for eight others they allege had some involvement. Police seized over $30,000 worth of crack and powder cocaine and $21,000 in cash.

It is alleged that the drugs were filtered through a street gang and then sold out of one of the suspect’s restaurant to people posing as customers. The two brothers are alleged by police to be the source of the drug-trafficking operation that involves several other people.

The sting was the result of an operation in which a police source gave the cell phone numbers to officers. Calls were intercepted and information gathered. The two brothers were allegedly caught in the act.

Technology is great, but what many on the other side of the law fail to remember is that this technology, such as cell phones, is often the reason for their downfall. Intercepting and tracking calls is only part of what authorities can do to find those who are eventually charged with drug trafficking. This isn’t an activity only seen on television shows.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial consultation.