The Umansky Law Firm

In a Louisiana court on Tuesday morning, rapper Lil Boosie – popular for the 2007 hit “Wipe Me Down” – plead guilty to three separate counts of conspiring to smuggle drugs into a prison. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Lil Boosie was originally in jail for drug offenses, but made the situation far worse by repeatedly attempting to bring codeine, ecstasy and marijuana into the prisons where he was staying – twice at Angola State Penitentiary, and once at the Dixon Correctional Center.

Apart from this new sentence, the rapper is also facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of Terry Boyd in 2009. The trial for the murder charge is scheduled to begin on April 30^th.

Drug offenses are one of the most common criminal charges, but they can have serious consequences. If you have been arrested on drug charges in Orlando, our experienced Orlando criminal defense attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm can provide you with clear legal guidance to help you fight a potentially severe conviction.

Your mistake does not have to define your life. If you need representation for a drug arrest, please contact us today to schedule a free confidential case evaluation. We will work tirelessly to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

An employee of Jewish Community Services (JCS) of South Florida has been suspended without pay while a police investigation considers allegations of identity theft.

The employee was a coordinator at the North Miami office of JCS. The employee was arrested when she sold the personal information of 32 JCS clients to an undercover police informant. The 32 people were all clients in JCS's Holocaust Survivors' Assistance Program. She sold the information to the informant for $1,000.

The employee had worked at the JCS office for almost three years. As part of her job, she had access to the clients' personal information – including social security numbers, names, addresses and dates of birth. She had passed a State of Florida background check prior to employment.

In Florida, an identity theft conviction can carry serious punishments, including lengthy jail sentences and hefty fines.

Ordinary people – including good employees – are capable of making mistakes. Unfortunately, these mistakes can result in criminal charges. At the Umansky Law Firm, our criminal defense attorneys work tirelessly to find the best possible outcomes for first-time offenders. Anyone is capable of a bad decision. Don't let that bad decision define you.

If you have been charged with identity theft or another type of theft in Orlando or the surrounding Florida areas, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm to schedule a free and confidential consultation.

An Orlando police officer was arrested during an oxycodone sting while she was on duty this past Saturday. According to Police Chief Paul Rooney, the officer bought pills from an informant early Saturday evening, who then tipped off police that she had asked to buy them. The Tylox pills contained acetaminophen and oxycodone.

The 11-year veteran officer has been relieved of her duty with pay while investigations are conducted. She faces charges of:

• Purchase of drugs
• Official misconduct
• Receiving unlawful compensation for official behavior

All of these charges are felonies.

It is still unclear whether or not the officer has a history of drug abuse, or if she has taken oxycodone as a prescription drug in the past. Police Chief Rooney states that prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic, and hopes his agency can continue to work with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation to close pill mills.

If you have been convicted of a drug offense, one mistake does not have to define your life. In Florida, drug charges have a high rate of alternative sentencing, especially if you are a first-time offender.

Please contact our experienced Orlando drug offense lawyers at The Umansky Law Firm today for a free initial consultation. We will work tirelessly to help you obtain the best possible outcome in your case.

Sly Stone, the former funk singer from Sly and the Family Stone, agreed to a plea deal stemming from his arrest in April for cocaine possession. The deal lets him avoid jail time.

The 68-year-old singer was arrested for a drug offense when Los Angeles police found freebase cocaine in his vehicle. On Tuesday, Stone pleaded no contest to drug possession charges. Under the terms of the deal, Stone must complete 60 days of drug rehab, in addition to the 30 days he has already completed. If he completes drug rehab successfully, the case will be dropped.

A few months ago, it had been reported that Stone was homeless and living in a van in a residential Los Angeles neighborhood.

Stone’s plea deal is an example of positive outcomes that can be reached after receiving a drug charge.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in Orlando or anywhere in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm to schedule a free and confidential consultation.

After being released from jail over the weekend, an Orlando man named Curt Alterizio broke into a Lutheran church in Winter Park in an attempted burglary. Police responded to the alarm and successfully arrested the 39-year-old man on the premises. As they led him to a patrol car, a church member who also heard the alarm recognized Alterizio as the same man who broke into their church over a year ago. He had been instructed by the judge that he could not come within 500 feet of the church upon his release.

According to Deputies, Alterizio broke into the building the same way he did before: by shattering the rear window and kicking in the office door of the learning center director. Several offices were raided, but only $23 was found in Alterizio’s pockets. He now faces new burglary charges, two of which are felonies:

• Burglary
• Criminal mischief
• Petty theft
• Possession of burglary tools

If you have been convicted of a felony like burglary, don’t let your mistake ruin your life. Our experienced Orlando criminal defense team at The Umansky Law Firm can help you fight for a second chance. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

After pleading no contest to a misdemeanor, motocross star James "Bubba" Stewart was ordered to perform 75 hours of community service at the Osceola County Courthouse in Florida.

In March, Stewart had used flashing lights he bought from a flea market to pull over another vehicle on the road. The other vehicle contained two police officers. Once Stewart realized he had pulled over real cops, he sped off and was later arrested at the Orlando International Airport on a felony charge of police impersonation.

Using flashing or rotating lights on a non-official vehicle is a misdemeanor. Because Stewart was a first-time offender, adjudication of guilt was withheld. In addition to community service, Stewart also received a $500 fine and one year's probation.

Like Stewart, many first-time offenders may be able to receive desirable outcomes to their case. When adjudication is withheld, the court can still order you to probation without giving you a criminal conviction. First-time offenders are often given a second chance if the court recognizes that the offender made a mistake and is unlikely to engage in repeat criminal behavior.

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor or felony as a first-time offender in Orlando or elsewhere in the state of Florida, or if you have a criminal record but would like to reform your behavior and find a positive outcome to your case, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm to schedule a consultation.

Labels: First time offender, James Bubba Stewart, Misdemeanor

Actor Orlando Brown from Disney’s TV show ‘That’s So Raven’ was pulled over by police in August and convicted of driving under the influence. His BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) was allegedly over twice the legal limit. At first, Brown’s manager insisted on his client’s innocence, but he has since changed tactics and has now struck a deal that will keep Brown out of jail if he abides by the deal’s specific terms and conditions.

The L.A. City Attorney’s office reports that Brown pled no contest to a single count of driving with a BAC more than .08%. In return for his no-contest plea, the actor has been given 36 months of probation, a $390 fine, and a single day in jail, which he has already served. Additionally, he is required to undergo an alcohol education program and attend ten AA meetings.

A DUI charge can have serious consequences, especially if you have been convicted of driving under the influence before. Our experienced Orlando DUI defense team at the Umansky Law Firm believes in second chances. We will work to help you reduce the severity of your sentence and move forward with your life.

If you have been convicted of a DUI in the Orlando, Florida area, please contact us today for a free initial consultation. We are dedicated to defending your constitutional rights.

After famously hacking the cell phones of celebrities like Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, and Scarlett Johansson, 35-year-old Christopher Chaney of Florida has been arrested on several charges, including:

• 25 counts of aggravated identity theft
• Fraud
• Wiretapping
• Unauthorized access

The arrest, which occurred in mid-October, came after a year-long FBI investigation into celebrity hacking that authorities had dubbed “Operation Hackerazzi.” The FBI believes that Chaney has hacked over 50 email accounts and hijacked their forwarding features, enabling him to receive copies of any data sent from the cell phones. He faces a prison sentence of 121 years.

Cheney’s family claims that he was only one of many hackers, and that he was not the leader of the outfit. “The law hasn’t caught the big guys yet,” one family member stated. “He just got caught up in this whole thing. It was like a game.”

Cheney pleaded “not guilty” on Tuesday morning, and a trial has been scheduled for December 27^th, 2011.

If you have been accused of fraud and/or identity theft, our experienced Orlando criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm will work tirelessly to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.

An undercover prostitution sting in Kissimmee resulted in the arrest of 35 people on prostitution and drug-related charges. The operation took place over two days and was organized in response to business owners reporting illegal activity in the area.

The location of the arrests was in the area of U.S. Highway 192 and Siesta Lago Boulevard. There are numerous motels, restaurants and other businesses along the stretch of highway leading to Celebration and Walt Disney World. The businesses cater to tourists and residents alike, but only two of the 35 people arrested were residents from outside of Florida.

In the lives of everyday people, prostitution and drug charges are often mistakes and errors in judgment. At the Umansky Law Firm, we understand the sensitive nature of these charges, and we know that you would like to resolve these legal issues and move on with your life. Our experienced defense attorneys will handle your case confidentially and work to find the best possible outcome for you.

If you have been charged with prostitution or a drug offense in Orlando, Florida, or anywhere in the state, please contact the experienced defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm to schedule a free and confidential consultation.