Florida: 5 Things To Know For October 3

Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.

EX-PARTNER OF PONZI SCHEMER SENTENCED

A former law partner of convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke imposed the sentence Thursday on 59-year-old Stuart Rosenfeldt, who had sought a more lenient sentence. Rosenfeldt pleaded guilty in June to a conspiracy that included campaign finance violations involving contributions to the presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain and the GOP Senate campaign of Charlie Crist, now running for Florida governor as a Democrat. Neither Crist nor McCain was implicated in the case.

CORRECTIONS OFFICER GETS 4-YEAR SENTENCE FOR STEALING IDENTIFICATIONS

A former corrections officer at the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after reaching a plea agreement on charges of wire fraud and identity theft. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney on Thursday, Jerry St. Fleur stole the identities of current and former inmates without their knowledge.

FSU BOOSTER ACCUSED OF THEFT

The comptroller of the athletic booster club at Florida State University remained in jail Thursday, accused of “misappropriating” between $500,000 and $700,000. Sanford Lovingood turned himself in to the Leon County Sherriff’s Office on Wednesday. He is charged with first-degree grand theft of over $100,000. Lovingood told police he had been stealing money from the club since 2011, according to the arrest affidavit written by officer Jared Lee.

INMATE WALKS AWAY FROM PANHANDLE WORK RELEASE PROGRAM

Deputies are looking for an inmate who ran away from a state-operated work release program. Officials say 35-year-old Jonathan P. Porter may have been picked Wednesday morning up by a woman driving a 2012 white Nissan Versa with California license plates.

LAKELAND ROUNDS UP SWANS FOR ANNUAL CHECKUP

City officials rounded up 81 swans on Lakeland’s Lake Morton for their annual checkup at a veterinarian’s office.It took 21 employees to gather up the swans on Wednesday. Dr. Patricia Mattson will give the swans medical exams on Thursday. The swans are royalty in Lakeland. They descend from a pair that England’s Queen Elizabeth donated to the city in 1957. For the past 33 years, city officials have rounded up the swans for medical exams at Companion Animal Hospital.