Digest

Crime Journal

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 25, 2007

LARGO

Fast food trail leads to jail in counterfeiting

Police arrested two Largo men and charged them with passing fake bills at a string of fast-food restaurants, then pocketing the change Sunday afternoon. According to police, Justin Gustafson, 21, and Kenneth Rankin, 20, struck McDonald's, KFC-A&W, Wendy's and Checkers, moving steadily along East Bay Drive in a Happy Meal approach to money-laundering. But alert workers at the restaurants realized the bills were fake and called police. Gustafson was charged with one count of forgery, four counts of uttering a counterfeit note and one count of possessing 10 or more fake bills. He was also arrested on a criminal contempt warrant related to a charge of driving without a valid license. Rankin faced the same counterfeiting charges plus an additional one for possession of marijuana. Gustafson was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on Monday in lieu of $30,367 bail and Rankin was being held in lieu of $30,150 bail.

NEW PORT RICHEY

Alzheimer's patient beaten at facility

An employee at an assisted living facility was accused of beating a 78-year-old Alzheimer's patient Thursday. Police arrested William Charewicz, 54, on a felony charge of battery on a person older than 65. He was held without bail Monday at the Land O'Lakes jail. A police officer found the patient, John Walker, with scratch marks on his left biceps and redness on his right cheek. His right eye was bloodshot. He remained at the New Port Inn on Monday.

ST. PETERBURG

Man sentenced for shoddy repairs

An unlicensed contractor was sentenced to 52 months' probation and ordered to repay $33,000 to seven victims in St. Petersburg for shoddy home repairs Monday. Michael Anthony Martin, 33, was charged with two felonies and seven misdemeanors ranging from grand theft to unlicensed roofing. Victims who spoke before his sentencing said their losses were greater than the amount they paid Martin. They also suffered emotional stress and had to pay additional money to finish the work. Louis Venele, 72, said he had to pay another contractor to finish his roof.

Man gets caught in online chat sting

Pinellas County sheriff's investigators arrested a 37-year-old man Monday and accused him of trying to have sex with underage children. John Kennith Thompson faces one count of solicitation for lewd and lascivious battery. The Sheriff's Office says Thompson, of Ocoee, began chatting online with a person he thought was an adult woman with two children under the age of 16. Instead, he was really talking to a detective. Thompson offered the woman $100 an hour to have sex with her children, the Sheriff's Office said. He was arrested Monday after he showed up at an undisclosed location for a meeting.

[Last modified September 24, 2007, 23:58:50]