The following felony cases have either been tried in a court of law or have been settled without trial and are considered closed.

• Benny Patterson was found not guilty by a jury of his peers on two counts aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count cruelty to animals on July 9. Patterson was arrested in October 2022 after he was accused of shooting his neighbor’s cat while squatting in a home on Southwest Park Street. When officers arrived to question him, he allegedly shot at them with a pellet gun. At the time, Patterson reportedly told the officers that stray cats kept killing his quail, and he used their eggs to feed his family. In addition, he claimed he was not shooting at the officers but at birds above their heads. Judge Leatha Mullins presided over the case.
• Tameka Rosa was sentenced to seven months and 25 days in county jail in May after pleading no contest to possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license. She was arrested in July 2022 during a traffic stop.
• Jordan Rickard was sentenced in June to five years, one month and four days in state prison after pleading no contest to lewd or lascivious exhibition via computer, directly promoting sexual performance by a child, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Rickard was arrested in June 2023 after a corrections officer at the county jail observed a female exposing herself on a computer visit with Rickard. The female was determined to be a minor, and Rickard allegedly coerced her to undress and perform sexual acts for him.
• Alexander Brock was sentenced in May to one year and four days in county jail after pleading no contest to one count of battery. Charges of false imprisonment of an adult and depriving an officer of communication were dropped. Brock was arrested in November 2021.
• Elias Chavez Was sentenced last week to six months’ probation after pleading no contest to willful and wanton reckless driving. He was arrested in May 2023 by Okeechobee City Police Sgt. Cody Daigneault.
• Kyle Lanier was sentenced in June to six years in state prison followed by one year probation after pleading no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, throwing or shooting a deadly missile, criminal mischief, aggravated stalking and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested in November 2022 after punching and shooting a woman’s vehicle.
• Mark Cabrera was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading no contest to grand theft in May. A forgery charge was dropped. Cabrera was arrested in Feb. 2023 after stealing a $4,000 check from a former employer and cashing it.
• Jakarai Lampley was sentenced in June to 10 days in county jail after pleading no contest to battery. An inciting a riot charge was dropped. Lampley was arrested in January 2023 while incarcerated at the Everglades Youth Facility.
• A charge of child neglect against a local daycare director was dropped in June after the time for a speedy trial expired.

Tasha Pettit was arrested in March 2022 after a toddler in her care was allegedly injured and the family was not notified.

A no contest plea does not mean the defendant admits guilt. It means he/she chooses not to fight the charges for one reason or another. The effect of the plea is virtually identical to that of a guilty plea.

Withheld adjudication generally refers to a decision by a judge to put a person on probation without an adjudication of guilt. It means an individual is not found guilty legally by the court. If the person successfully completes the terms of probation and has no subsequent offenses, no further action will be taken on the case, and the offense for which adjudication was withheld is typically not considered a prior conviction for purposes of habitual offender sentencing.