Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
CONVICTED MAYOR’S PARTNER GETS 8+ YEARS IN PRISON FOR FRAUD
The business partner of North Miami’s former mayor has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scam. A federal judge imposed the sentence Monday on 56-year-old Karl Oreste, who pleaded guilty in July to a wire fraud conspiracy charge. The former mayor, Lucie Tondreau, was convicted in the case in December following a two-week jury trial and faces sentencing in March.
SOUTH FLORIDA MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING UNCLE, ANIMALS
Police say a South Florida man beat his 50-year-old uncle to death, wrapped his body in a rug and left his body in a field several blocks away. Miami-Dade police investigators found Carlos Nino’s body on Monday and later arrested 30-year-old Carlos Zuluaga. Police say Zuluaga confessed and has been charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon and animal cruelty. He remained in jail Tuesday morning.
CATTLE INDUSTRY WANTS MARKETING OF FLORIDA BEEF
Florida cattle officials are asking the Legislature to create a marketing program that could raise up to $900,000 annually to promote beef consumption and research in the state. The effort is called the “Beef Checkoff Program,” after the 30-year-old national effort of the same name. The Florida version also would raise money through a $1 assessment on the sale of every head of cattle.
MAN GETS LIFE FOR FATALLY STABBING ROOMMATE
A Tampa Bay area man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing his roommate. A Pinellas County judge sentenced 60-year-old Paul Denk on Saturday after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say Denk and 54-year-old Amy Lynne Arnold had a contentious relationship, and Denk had been trying to get the woman to move out of the Clearwater duplex they shared before her September 2013 death. Arnold was stabbed eight times, and her blood was found on Denk’s clothing and shoes.
CENTRAL FLORIDA MAN FACES CHARGES FOR ILLEGALLY CATCHING GATORS
A central Florida man faces charges after illegally killing five small alligators for his Super Bowl dinner. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports 30-year-old Richard Nixie was arrested Sunday afternoon. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say Nixie admitted to trapping alligators less than five feet in length and cutting off their tails for his Super Bowl dinner. He’s accused of possession and taking alligators without a proper tag.
