Ex-UPS driver stole packaged items, sold them on Facebook. Here are the terms of his sentence.
It was a short week at the Marion County Judicial Center due to the Christmas holiday. Here's a look at what happened in some high-profile cases:
State v. Jose Alejandro Flores Franco
Hearing: Change of plea heard Dec. 18.
Judge: Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.
Lawyers: Defense lawyer Bobby Rumalla and Assistant State Attorney Jorge Alberto Jaramillo Jr.
Charge: Dealing in stolen property. Franco also had been charged with grand theft, but prosecutors elected not to pursue that case.
Franco's arrest: Ocala police officials said the 33-year-old Ocala man worked for UPS and stole packages from the company. Officers said Franco removed items from packages and sold them on his girlfriend's Facebook page. The goods were valued at close to $12,000. Prosecutors said Franco does not have a criminal record and was fired from his job.
What happened at the hearing? In a negotiated plea deal between the attorneys, Franco pleaded guilty, had his adjudication withheld, and was sentenced to three years of probation. He has two days of credit for time served at the county jail.
Special conditions: Franco cannot post any ads on Facebook Marketplace or ad sites such as Craigslist. Also, he is not allowed to return to any UPS locations and must complete an anti-theft/shoplifter class.
State v. Leilani Ashantae Brown
Charges: First-degree murder with a firearm and grand theft.
Judge: Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
Hearing: During a Dec. 19 arraignment hearing, prosecutors announced that they have filed both charges against the 20-year-old woman. Brown, of Cape Coral, is being held at the county jail with no bail. Her next court appearance, which will be a pre-trial conference hearing, is scheduled for February.
Defense lawyer: David Bradley Duclos of the Public Defender's Office.
Why was Brown arrested? The young woman is accused of being a participant in the shooting death of 17-year-old Lezarius Graham. His body was found in the woods by a lawn maintenance worker in the 2100 block of Northwest 43rd Street in Ocala in June. He was killed just shy of his 18th birthday, officials said.
Brown is accused of being the driver. Dexavion J'Neil Brown is accused of being the triggerman. The 23-year-old Ocala man is charged with first-degree murder in connection with Graham's death, along with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with an electronic monitoring device relating to another incident.
Officials said on the day of Graham's death, Dexavion Brown tried to kill another person.
State v. Justin Matthew Goodreau
Judge: Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.
Lawyers: Assistant Public Defender Michael Novak and Assistant State Attorney Katrina Self.
Charges: Several, including travel to meet a minor after use of computer to lure child, use computer to seduce/solicit/lure child, and possession of methamphetamine.
Hearing: Change of plea.
Sentence: On Dec. 20, the judge sentenced Goodreau to a four-year prison term, pursuant to a plea agreement between the lawyers. Goodreau, who pleaded no contest, appeared via Zoom from the county jail. He has credit for 179 days already spent in jail.
Special conditions: He must submit to a DNA sample for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement database and must register as a sexual offender.
More court news: Woman pleads guilty to bilking school out of $616K
Why was Goodreau arrested? Earlier this year, the 34-year-old Ocala man was among those arrested and accused of going online and trying to entice minors for sex. The men were arrested as part of Operation "MAP Mirage," with MAP standing for Minor Attracted Persons. Goodreau served time at the jail at the beginning of the year for driving while license suspended or revoked and drug offenses.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Sentence imposed on ex-UPS driver who sold stolen packaged items on Facebook
