Man bites off tip of doctor's finger after being denied drugs

Cape Coral police are looking for a 48-year old man who bit off part of a physician's finger Thursday morning after the doctor refused to write him a script for drugs.  Police said Gregory S. Powell became "irate" and bit the doctor several times, "including a bite that actually removed a piece of a finger, including the finger nail."  Police have issued a warrant for Powell, charging him with aggravated battery, according to the Fort Myers News-Press, which said the physician was treated for his injury at a local emergency room was expected to be back in his office sometime in the afternoon.

Woman not robbed, just given fake crack, police say

CLEARWATER — Police have arrested a Clearwater woman they say claimed she was robbed but actually was given fake crack during a drug transaction.

Sara E. Gillespie, 26, of 1121 Druid Road in Clearwater, faces the misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence (obstruction). On Friday, she remained in the Pinellas County Jail. As of 1 p.m., her bail had not been set.

According to Clearwater police, Gillespie told authorities Thursday night that another person had robbed her and run inside a home on the 1000 block of Lotus Path. Gillespie urged officers to continue their investigation and arrest the alleged "robbery suspect."

But police believe Gillespie was lying about the incident.

"There was never a robbery, but only a bad drug transaction where the defendant was getting ripped off with fake crack," Gillespie's arrest affidavit said.
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From Tampabay.com

Man angry about painkiller mistake threatens to blow up health building, police say

ST. PETERSBURG — A 61-year-old man is accused of threatening to destroy a public health building Monday night over of an apparent mistake with his medication.

William Arnold Schumate, 61, of 345 22nd Ave. S, Apt. 2, is charged with threatening to discharge a destructive device, a felony, and is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail at the Pinellas County Jail.

Schumate, claiming he'd been given the wrong painkilling medication, threatened to blow up the Pinellas County Department of Health and Human Services at 645 First Ave. N around 5:10 p.m., St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said.

He was arrested about an hour later because he identified himself while complaining.
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Son accused of mortgaging elderly mother's home for drugs, party

DADE CITY — Thomas Davis secured a $150,000 home equity line of credit on his elderly mother's home last year, authorities said.

Within seven months, he had spent it all — on drugs, on a hydroponic garden for growing marijuana, even on a $40,000 party that Davis, 47, threw for himself, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

By March, the bank began foreclosure proceedings on the home of the woman, who has Alzheimer's. And Davis, who had power of attorney as his mother's live-in caretaker, told family members he had dug a financial hole from which he couldn't escape, the Sheriff's Office said.

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On patrol with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Assorted odd incidents around the state, as reported in the FWC Law Enforcement Division weekly report for May 8-14 (PDF):

+ On May 13 at 2:00 A.M., an officer responded to a complaint from a resident in the Holley area north of Navarre. The landowner called FWC Communications and advised he had shot and killed a large bear that had killed his goats. The officer located the deceased bear inside a goat pen with two freshly killed goats. The landowner had previously complained of problems with a bear when five of his goats had been killed over a period of weeks and had been cooperating with wildlife technicians in their attempts to live trap the bear. The investigating officer determined that no charges are warranted against the landowner.

+ Officers Pete Rockwell and Ryan Nelson responded to a domestic dispute on a vessel in Santa Rosa Sound near the Fort Walton Beach Brook’s Bridge. The complaint indicated a subject had beaten his wife and pushed her overboard. Officers Rockwell and Nelson located the vessel and occupants involved and turned them over to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department.

+ Lieutenant Jay Chesser and Officer Mike Nobles were on water patrol in the Econfina Wildlife Management Area when they pulled up to a fisher who had a cloud of cannabis smoke around him. When this was pointed out, the individual produced a cannabis cigarette which resulted in him being issued a citation for possession. The individual was cited last year for night hunting after he shot the decoy deer and the year before was cited for numerous marine fisheries violations that resulted in a fine totaling around $1,300.00.

+ Officers Harold Barry and Leslie Sharp were conducting inspections on Alligator Lake. As a vessel approached the ramp, they observed two occupants. The vessel took a long time to get to the ramp after seeing the officers. The inspections revealed a heavy rod spooled with heavy line and a large two pronged hook. In addition, a large knife, hammer, duct tape and a container of raw chicken was found. After an interview, the duo admitted to catching an alligator with the rod and chicken and taping its’ mouth and feet. They dumped the gator after seeing the officers on the bank. The two were charged with attempting to take alligator out of season. The next day, Officer Barry returned and attempted to locate the dumped gator. All that was found was the bundle of duct tape that had come off of the gator’s mouth.

+ Investigator Jim Manson conducted an investigation into the escape of a 10-foot Burmese python in Pinellas Park. After contacting the owner, it was determined the reptile had escaped almost two months earlier. A further investigation revealed numerous captive wildlife violations. Charges are being direct filed through the State Attorney’s Office, in addition to several written warnings that were also issued to the individual.

Five passed-out drivers arrested in Pasco County

  

In less than 24 hours in west Pasco, five people — in five separate incidents — were found passed out behind the wheel in their cars, according to reports from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. One man was found asleep while still holding a needle. Another was in the middle of a street with his foot on the brake, the engine running and the gear in drive. Yet another man, a resource coordinator for West Pasco Habitat for Humanity, had been seen weaving into oncoming traffic.

Arrested were: Teresa N. Haley, 24, of Palm Harbor, Erik North, a 28, of New Port Richey, Daniel M. Martin, 29, of New Port Richey, Joseph A. Wyatt, 26, of New Port Richey and  Richard “Rick” T. Pittenger, 27, from Georgia.

According to arrest reports, Haley told deputies she took methamphetamines and  Roxicodone.  After waking up, North told the deputy he planned to inject himself with  Roxicodone. Martin, upon waking, admitted to taking methadone, Xanax, Soma and  Roxicodone. Wyatt told authorities he had taken two hydrocodone pills before driving and that he “does not know why he stopped in the middle of the street and passed out.” After waking up, Pittenger admitted to drinking “a lot” before driving.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Doll said, unfortunately, this many arrests aren’t uncommon — and that people should know that impaired drivers aren’t just on the roads at night.
“People drink and take drugs at all hours of the day and night,” Doll said.

-- Erin Sullivan, Times Staff Writer

Newborn bull sharks have pharmaceuticals in their blood -- and it's your fault

From the "Who knew?" department...

Scientists at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota have found "traces of drugs humans flush down the toilet" in the blood of newborn sharks in the Caloosahatchee Rivers.  "The levels in the river are not levels for which you'd anticipate health effects in any fish," said biologist Jim Gelsleichter, but the scientists suggest that the situation warrants furthering monitoring.

Bull sharks are the only sharks found in fresh water.  Scientists compared the blood from the Caloosahatchee sharks to that of newborn sharks from the Myakka River.  There are six wastewater treatment plants along the Caloosahatchee and none along the Myakka.  "When you look at Myakka River versus the Caloosahatchee, only the Caloosahatchee sharks had measurable evidence of human drugs," Gelsleichter said.

According to Mote, "Pharmaceuticals slip through treatment plants, which are designed to clean up other contaminants, such as bacteria and viruses."  Which is why the scientists found "miniscule amounts of active ingredients from a birth control drug and five antidepressants, as well as indirect evidence of a sixth antidepressant" in the newborn sharks' blood.

No need to panic just yet, though.  After all, the drug levels were miniscule, Gelsleichter said, noting it was "rare" for the blood of a single shark to contain traces of all seven drugs.

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If you're interested in the full study, see pages 18-36 of this document (PDF).

Image:  NOAA

What can Brown do for you? UPS employee accused of stealing 10,400 oxycodone pills

PORT RICHEY -- A UPS employee has been arrested on charges he took 14 packages of oxycodone from a UPS warehouse and sold the pills on the street.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, John Concannon, 30, confessed to stealing 10,400 oxycodone pills destined for pharmacies from June 2008 through April 2009. That's the equivalent of 104 bottles, which Concannon told detectives he sold for $600 apiece.

His arrest marks one of the largest pill trafficking busts in Pasco County history, the Sheriff's Office said.

Detectives who obtained a warrant to search Concannon's home at 7824 Burnham Drive in Port Richey found 138 grams of marijuana, 10 vials of steroids, 181 alprazolam (Zanax) and $1,058 of currency, the Sheriff's Office said. Not a single oxycodone pill was found.

Concannon was charged Wednesday with one count of trafficking in a controlled substance. He remains at the Land O' Lakes Detention Center in lieu of $50,000 bail.

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From Tampabay.com

PORT RICHEY -- A UPS employee has been arrested on charges he took 14 packages of oxycodone from a UPS warehouse and sold the pills on the street.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, John Concannon, 30, confessed to stealing 10,400 oxycodone pills destined for pharmacies from June 2008 through April 2009. That's the equivalent of 104 bottles, which Concannon told detectives he sold for $600 apiece.

His arrest marks one of the largest pill trafficking busts in Pasco County history, the Sheriff's Office said.

Pasco man to cops: I try to limit my crack-smoking to weekends

  DADE CITY -- Although Patrick "Steve" Quinn is a week shy of being able to legally drink alcohol, he told Pasco deputies he already has a vice: cocaine.

"I smoke on the weekends," Quinn told an officer, "and sometimes the weekend rolls into Monday."

But on Tuesday, Quinn was pulled over on River Road because his front headlight was out. According to a report from the Dade City Police Department, Quinn had a gun under the seat of his blue Chrysler van and a small red container in his pocket, along with two .32 caliber bullets. Quinn told the officers the van belonged to a lady friend and that the gun wasn't his -- though he found it while in the car and was shocked by its presence. Authorities said while Quinn was being searched, he tried to slip away before he was detained.

"When asked why he ran, he smiled and said, 'I tripped,'" the arrest report reads.

A field test showed that the rocklike substance in the container was cocaine.

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  DADE CITY -- Although Patrick "Steve" Quinn is a week shy of being able to legally drink alcohol, he told Pasco deputies he already has a vice: cocaine.

"I smoke on the weekends," Quinn told an officer, "and sometimes the weekend rolls into Monday."

But on Tuesday, Quinn was pulled over on River Road because his front headlight was out. According to a report from the Dade City Police Department, Quinn had a gun under the seat of his blue Chrysler van and a small red container in his pocket, along with two .32 caliber bullets. Quinn told the officers the van belonged to a lady friend and that the gun wasn't his -- though he found it while in the car and was shocked by its presence. Authorities said while Quinn was being searched, he tried to slip away before he was detained.

"When asked why he ran, he smiled and said, 'I tripped,'" the arrest report reads.

A field test showed that the rocklike substance in the container was cocaine.

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Report: Man causes ruckus at Dairy Queen

The stranger went behind the Dairy Queen counter and wandered over to the drive-through window. And wouldn't leave.

Authorities say James Harner, a 44-year-old laborer from Land O'Lakes, refused to leave the Dairy Queen on State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel late Tuesday. Management asked him several times, according to a report from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Finally, Harner went outside but approached cars waiting in the drive-through line, the report states. Dairy Queen staffers again told him to leave. So he went behind the restaurant.

When a deputy showed up, Harner said he had methadone in his pocket, a synthetic narcotic used to treat addiction to heroin, morphine and other opioid drugs. The deputy searched him and found other drugs -- Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, and Dilaudid, a medicine for pain, according to the report. Harner said he had prescriptions for all of the medications but couldn't produce any of them, according to the Sheriff's Office. 

Harner was arrested. One his way to the Land O'Lakes jail, he posed a question: Would the deputy let him go in exchange for doing work at the deputy's house?

The answer was no.

Harner is charged with disorderly conduct, trespassing after a warning and three counts of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription. He is being held without bail.

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From Tampabay.com