Murder

Have No Fear, Your Criminal Defense Attorney is Here

March 3, 2021 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Finding yourself in the back of a cop car being charged with serious criminal charges might be the scariest thing that can happen to you, but even scarier is not knowing who will represent you in court. Of course, there will be a million things running through your head whether you’re innocent or not, however, involving a criminal defense attorney should be on the top of the to-do list.

Although hiring a criminal defense attorney might not be as inexpensive as one may hope, many fail to realize that this will save you thousands and thousands of dollars in the long run. And ultimately, it beats the price of going to prison. Additionally, having an experienced lawyer by your side to help you navigate through the issue and protect your constitutional liberties is priceless.

When to Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney

South Florida Man Sentenced to Lesser Charges on Appeal in First-Degree Murder Case

September 8, 2020 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Larry Modena and William Dabbs were friends. Their lives intersected on many different levels. In addition to sharing their private lives they also worked together at Modena’s contracting and construction company, Atlantic Coast Builders. Their relationship seemed nothing out of the ordinary until a fateful day in October 2011 in Boynton Beach when Dabbs shot his friend to his death as they argued in a Home Depot parking lot where both of their cars were parked side by side. Dabbs shot Modena five times before he fled the scene.

When police were dispatched to the location of the shooting, they pursued Dabbs who was operating his work van leading them on a high-speed chase that at one point had Dabbs turn and point his .38 caliber pistol at one of the officers. The officer returned fire, but neither were injured as Modena lay dying in his car.

After Dabbs was taken into custody without further incident he was ultimately charged with first-degree murder, fleeing and eluding law enforcement and armed aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.

South Florida Mother Charged with Murder of Son She Claimed was Abducted

August 2, 2020 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

The Amber Alert sounded in the early morning of May 22 trilling cell phones and the emergency broadcast system on local television networks, as well as sending the alert to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Network, a division of the US Department of Justice.

The Amber Alert was posted after the mother of Alejandro Ripley urgently called police emergency telling the 911 operator that her son had been abducted in South Miami. She frantically if not incoherently told police dispatch that two men of whom appeared to be of Afro-American descent cut off her car bringing it to a stop at the intersection of SW 158th Avenue and Kendall Drive.

The alert that went out through the airwaves stated that her son Alejandro is 4’11”, 120 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. The child also suffers from a condition of severe autism and for all intents and purposes is non-verbal.

South Florida Woman Appeal for Bail Deferred

May 9, 2020 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Originally charged with second-degree murder which carries a potential life sentence if found guilty, a Coral Springs woman had the charges against her downgraded to second-degree manslaughter after prosecutors said they reviewed the evidence and the law.

The suspect, Yvonne Serrano was arrested late last November after calling 911 when she said she discovered the body of Daniela Tabares in her driveway with one foot still in her car at 6:00 in the morning. At the time police arrived at her home Serrano told them she was leaving for the gym when she stumbled upon the dead woman’s car and body that was found with a gunshot wound to the center of her forehead. At the time police noted that Mrs. Serrano wasn’t dressed for a gym outing.

During initial questioning by police Serrano told them that she remembered going to a local bar with her friends the previous night, blacked out and woke up in her bed. At the time she could not detail to detectives how she got home from the outing the night before.

Elderly Miami Man Convicted of 2003 Homicide

March 28, 2020 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Circumstantial evidence can only take investigators so far in a crime when speculating whether a suspect is the actual perpetrator. This was the case in the 2003 murder of Gladys Jorge who was savagely beaten to death in her home in mid-July.

At the time of the homicide, Jorge shared a home with her boyfriend Eugenio Fariñas. According to her family their relationship was rocky to say the least, but they still coexisted in the same residence for quite a long time.

The victim’s body was found by Jorge’s mother, who lived door during the summer of 2003. According to police records she had a key to her daughter’s house. When officers were dispatched to the residence where they were met by Jorge’s mother and sister, they were advised that she was inside and unresponsive. Paramedics quickly pronounced her dead after entering the home.

Three Suspects in Custody for Robbery/Murder of South Florida firefighter

November 29, 2019 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

It appears that an off-duty Coral Springs firefighter was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was a warm balmy Florida Saturday evening when Christopher Randazzo decided to visit one of his old haunts where he previously tended bar for close to twenty years.

The Aruba Beach Café, right off the water’s edge has been a fixture in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea for many years, catering to those who enjoy tropical drinks, excellent American-Caribbean cuisine and live nightly music. The popular establishment is accessible by both land or by aquatic means.

31-Year-Old Coral Springs Rape Case Produces Arrest

September 29, 2019 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

The Coral Springs Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit is getting a reputation.

With the help of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab and their own Crime Scene Investigation Unit they’ve been able to dig through cold cases dating back for close to 40 years bringing justice for victims that never imagined that day would come.

Thanks to the advances in criminal technology specifically advances with DNA testing, many unsolvable cases have borne fruit after many had given up hope.

Cutting Edge DNA Website Limited by User Backlash

June 30, 2019 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

At the end of last November, an article was posted on this blog that related to the use of genealogy websites by police to find and catch criminals utilizing DNA submitted by users, many from cold cases that were at one time considered unsolvable.

The article told the story of the arrest of Benjamin Lee Holmes who allegedly murdered a University of Central Florida student named Christine Franke in October, 2001.

The case had gone cold for close to eighteen years.

Thirty Six Year Old Murder Case Reversed on New DNA Evidence and Confession

March 25, 2019 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Michael B. Cohen, Esq is a Criminal Defense Attorney specializing in federal crimes as well as the defense of Homicides and all related cases. His offices are located in New York City as well as retaining two offices in South Florida

You can follow his twitter feed to read similar recent blog articles of importance, highlighting cases of interest which occur in the New York Metropolitan area as well as the Dade, Broward, Palm Beach County areas of South Florida.

Ronald Henry Stewart is a rapist. Of that there’s no doubt as he was previously convicted for multiple charges of rape. However, Ronald Henry Stewart is not a murderer. In the summer of 1983 after being charged with the rape/murder of 20-year-old Regina Harrison Stewart he pleaded no contest. A jury subsequently convicted him of all counts of these crimes. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of the young West Palm Beach college student.

Man Found Guilty in Murder of Popular Substitute Boca Raton Teacher

February 28, 2019 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

O’Connor’s Pub and Package Store in the Sandalfoot Plaza, located well west of the city of Boca Raton has been a popular meeting place in that spot for more than a decade. For those who like smoking cigarettes with their drinks it’s a welcome retreat. Monday’s are college night/ladies night with live DJ’s spinning tunes on Friday and Saturday nights. Karaoke is offered every Wednesday and Sunday.

Many regulars will tell you that the food is good, with the kitchen open very late serving reasonably priced drinks making it their favorite local watering hole.

According to a review found on Yelp, it’s “a really popular pub for after party hours for anyone who wasn’t ready to call it quits”. But not all the reviews are so flattering, giving it a total overall 2 ½ star rating.