The following felony cases have either been tried in a court of law or have been settled...
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In the Courts
Posted
By Cathy Womble Lake Okeechobee News
The following felony cases have either been tried in a court of law or have been settled without trial and are considered closed.
Shane Pahl was sentenced to state prison for three years on Sept. 8 after pleading no contest to sale of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell. Pahl was arrested April 2021 during an undercover operation by the narcotics task force.
Jason Gillis was sentenced to eight months in county jail on Sept. 8 after pleading no contest to possession of methamphetamine, possession of clonazepam and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested in May of this year when he was stopped for running a stop sign while riding a bicycle.
Viunaikys Hernandez was sentenced to one year of probation and adjudication was withheld after she entered a no contest plea to grand theft on Sept. 8. Hernandez was arrested in August after shoplifting from Walmart. Arrested with her was Nabel Romero-Rodriguez. She was also charged with grand theft and is awaiting trial.
Damion McGriff was sentenced to one year and 10 months in state prison after pleading no contest to sale of cocaine and possession with intent to sell cocaine on Sept. 8. McGriff was arrested last November during an undercover operation by the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force.
Joshua DeCola was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading no contest to possession of buprenorphine and possession of drug paraphernalia on Sept. 14. Adjudication was withheld. DeCola was arrested in July during a traffic stop.
Audra Lewis was sentenced to state prison for one year and six months on Sept. 15 after pleading no contest to possession with intent to sell fentanyl and sale of fentanyl. Lewis was arrested in October 2021 during an undercover operation by the narcotics task force.
Keith Woods was sentenced to five months in county jail on Sept. 15 after pleading no contest to possession of methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance. Woods was arrested in December 2021 during a traffic stop.
Vonda Lee was sentenced to nine months in county jail and her driver’s license was suspended for six months on Sept. 21 after she entered a no contest plea to possession of buprenorphine, possession of methadone and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested in October 2021 while walking in the middle of Southeast 86th Boulevard on crutches. A deputy stopped her out of concern for her welfare.
Adam Murphy was sentenced to two years and one month in state prison on Sept. 20 after pleading no contest to sale of methamphetamine, sale within 1,000 feet of a specified area and possession with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a park. Murphy was arrested in April 2021 during an undercover operation by the narcotics task force.
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.
