2 Charged With Stealing Sea Turtle Eggs On Florida Beach
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Two men are accused of stealing hundreds of protected sea turtle eggs from nests on a Florida beach.
Federal court records show 60-year-old Carl Cobb and 50-year-old Raymond Saunders allegedly took more than 650 sea turtle eggs from nests on Hutchinson Island, which is north of West Palm Beach, intending to sell them. They could each face more than five years behind bars if convicted of Endangered Species Act and other violations.
The records show Cobb and Saunders both pleaded not guilty Friday in Fort Pierce federal court.
Prosecutors say a concerned citizen spotted the men disturbing turtle nests in May and contacted authorities. The recovered eggs were turned over to marine biologists who placed them back in the turtle nests in hopes some will hatch.
Man Pleads Guilty To 2 Unrelated Murders
BARTOW, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has pleaded guilty to two unrelated murders.
The Ledger reports that 28-year-old Tobarais Hudson pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of second-degree murder in exchange for a 40-year sentence. He had been facing first-degree murder charges and a minimum life sentence.
In January 2015, Hudson participated in a home-invasion robbery in Lakeland that left 20-year-old Kody Zawalski dead. Hudson has agreed to testify against 27-year-old Auban Christopher Carter, who police say shot Zawalski.
In November 2012, 26-year-old Christopher Campbell was gunned down during a robbery. Besides Hudson pleading guilty in the case, 29-year-old Thomas Waring pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year in exchange for a 35-year sentence. A first-degree-murder case is still pending against 25-year-old Gregory Flournoy Jr.
UF Finds Evidence Ex-Lawyer Mishandled Public Records
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida says it has found evidence that its former top lawyer improperly handled public records requests seeking information about her own job performance.
The Gainesville Sun reports the university’s investigation into former UF General Counsel Jamie Keith found that she altered and withheld documents that were in response to an attorney’s public records request.
The school said it found three instances where Keith appeared to alter documents.
Keith resigned earlier this year after documents were released that showed her own office’s staff were critical of her management.
UF President Kent Fuchs stood by Keith, saying she was one of the best general counsels in the nation.
