Crimes and Courts

Judge orders ex-Colombian president freed from house arrest

Published

6 years ago

October 10, 2020

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Powerful ex-Colombia President Álvaro Uribe was ordered freed from house arrest Saturday while he is investigated for possible witness tampering, the latest chapter in a case that has revealed lingering tensions over the country’s peace process.

The nation’s Supreme Court had ordered Uribe detained in August during the probe, shocking Colombians and unleashing protests in favor and against the decision. He was the first president in Colombia’s recent history to be ordered placed on house arrest.

But municipal Judge Clara Salcedo ruled Saturday during a virtual hearing that the prior ruling could not be upheld under a new legal framework under which Uribe is being investigated since resigning his Senate seat after his detention.

“Thank God,” Uribe wrote on Twitter as the decision was read.

The decision can be appealed but Uribe was immediately ordered released.

The Supreme Court argued in its 1,554-page decision in August that there was ample evidence to show Uribe had engaged in trying to pressure former paramilitaries into retracting damaging statements against the ex-president. But the high court later relinquished control of the case when Uribe resigned his Senate seat, handing it to the chief prosecutor’s office.

Magistrates have since ruled that Uribe should be tried under a different legal framework designed for ordinary citizens, paving the way for his release.

The former president’s lawyer argued that because Uribe is only under investigation and has not been charged he should be freed. Prosecutor Gabriel Ramon Jaimes agreed, telling the judge he believed that Uribe’s due process rights had been violated, but he has stressed that the investigation continues.

“My request today is not a prelude of procedural steps still to come,” he said Thursday. “There will be no impunity. There will be justice.”

Uribe has vehemently denied the allegations.

His supporters contended the house arrest decision was unfair because ex-guerrillas have been allowed to remain free while they testify about war crimes. His critics argue that the courts have effectively turned a blind eye until now toward numerous accusations that Uribe had ties to paramilitary groups during the conflict.

Such groups were organized by wealthy landlords, sometimes with the complicity of the state, to fight guerrillas who espoused a leftist ideology while often resorting to kidnapping and extortion.

Jaimes said prosecutors will advance their investigation fairly.

“The victims demand truth, justice and reparations,” he said. “And the justice system should provide effective answers but always within the confines of the law.”

The case has sparked long simmering tensions over Uribe’s legacy in Colombia and how to handle those suspected of crimes during the nation’s long conflict between the state, paramilitary groups and leftist guerrillas that left hundreds of thousands dead or missing.

Uribe is widely credited in Colombia with leading a military offense that pushed the rebels to the negotiating table and the signing of the 2016 peace accord. President Donald Trump tweeted congratulations to Uribe after Saturday’s ruling, praising him as a “hero” and U.S. ally in opposing the socialist government in Venezuela.

But Uribe’s record is also riddled with accusations of human rights abuses. During his presidency, military officers killed thousands of poor peasants and passed them off as guerrillas to inflate body counts and get bonuses. Allegations of ties to paramilitaries have dogged him for years.

The Supreme Court’s lengthy ruling ordering his house arrest contains transcripts of numerous intercepted calls and covertly recorded conversations in which the former president pushes his lawyer and allies to pressure ex-paramilitaries into testifying that he had no ties to them.

A recently declassified U.S. Department of Defense memo shows at least one high-level official believed that Uribe “almost certainly” had dealings with paramilitaries.

Uribe has denied those accusations, saying they are part of a plot against him.

Francisco Bernate, a lawyer and professor at Colombia’s Rosario University, said the next step will be for the chief prosecutor’s office to decide if charges should be filed.

“The ball is totally in the hands of the chief prosecutor to decide the luck of the ex-president,” he said.

Iván Cepeda, the opposition lawmaker whose initial accusations against Uribe sparked the case, vowed to appeal the ruling, contending that the prosecutor handling the case showed partiality toward the ex-president during the hearing.

“We believe there is no guarantee for the rights of victims in this case,” he said.

The ruling comes as Colombia is grappling with implementation of the peace accord ending Latin America’s longest-running conflict. The deal remains divisive and many Colombians believe the terms are far too generous toward ex-combatants. Under the agreement, most are allowed to remain free so long as they confess their crimes.

Proponents of the accord say such concessions are necessary and irrevocable in order to move past a bloody chapter in the nation’s history.

Unlike in the aftermath of the Supreme Court detention order, there were no immediate protests in favor or against the decision to free Uribe. Current President Iván Duque, an acolyte of Uribe, did not issue any quick comment on the ruling as he did after the ex-president’s house arrest two months ago, much to the criticism of human rights groups who accused him of meddling in judicial affairs.

José Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, noted that the ruling Saturday is not a judgment against the Supreme Court’s detention order but a procedural interpretation of the law under the new framework.

He called on Colombians to respect the judge’s decision regardless of their opinion.

“That’s what Uribismo did not do when the Supreme Court ordered Uribe’s detention,” he said. “But it’s what all Colombians should do now.”

Crimes and Courts

Florida Gambling Crackdown Earns International Award After 14000 Slot Machine Seizures

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2026

FNN NEWS

The commission reports more than $24 million in gambling proceeds seized since July 2022, with international recognition highlighting its coordinated enforcement efforts.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — The Florida Gaming Control Commission has won the 2026 Regulatory Excellence Award from the International Association of Gaming Regulators, recognizing the agency’s coordinated efforts to combat illegal gambling.

The commission announced the award Oct. 26. The honor recognizes excellence in gaming policy, regulation, compliance and enforcement outcomes.

International Recognition for Coordinated Enforcement

IAGR CEO Kevin Mullally praised the commission’s collaboration with enforcement partners and its support for international efforts against illegal online gambling.

“The Florida Gaming Control Commission’s coordinated approach to combating illegal gambling has produced impressive results,” Mullally said. “Its strategy illustrates the power of collaboration.”

He also recognized the agency’s willingness to support IAGR’s international work targeting illegal online gambling.

Agency Reports 14,000 Illegal Slot Machines Seized

Since beginning operations in July 2022, the commission says it has seized more than 14,000 illegal slot machines and more than $24 million in illegal gambling proceeds.

In the past year, the agency reported shutting down 184 illegal gambling arcades and making 160 arrests.

According to the commission, its investigations have also helped authorities combat illegal narcotics, illegal firearms and dog betting rings connected to criminal gambling operations.

The enforcement figures describe seizures, closures and arrests reported by the agency; arrests do not establish guilt.

Commission Chair Credits Staff and State Support

Commission Chair Julie Brown said the award recognizes the agency’s employees and the support of Florida’s elected leaders.

“We are thrilled to receive such a tremendous honor for our very young agency,” Brown said.

Brown credited Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature and Attorney General James Uthmeier for supporting the commission’s work.

Attorney General Calls for Tougher Penalties

Uthmeier said his office will continue working with the commission to investigate illegal gambling and pursue stronger criminal penalties.

“Illegal gambling operations pose a serious threat to public safety and jeopardize the integrity of gaming in our state,” Uthmeier said.

He said stronger penalties would help hold illegal gambling operators accountable and support law enforcement efforts.

Oversight Extends Beyond Illegal Gambling

The commission’s responsibilities also include regulating authorized gambling activities, including pari-mutuel wagering, cardrooms and slot machine facilities, along with overseeing the state’s gaming compacts. Its authority excludes the Florida Lottery.

Central Florida News

Attorney General James Uthmeter announces 100 felony counts against Kissimmee man, sues AI platform

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2026

FNN NEWS

James Uthmeier speaks at a news conference wearing a navy suit, white shirt and red tie, with flags behind him.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that a Kissimmee man faces 100 felony counts involving child sexual abuse material and images depicting sexual activity with animals. In a separate action, the state sued an artificial intelligence company accused of enabling users to generate sexualized images of children and other people without their consent.

The criminal case names Jerry Jesus Reyes, 26. The civil lawsuit targets Rengstorff Consulting Ltd., the company operating the A2E artificial intelligence platform.

“There is nothing more evil than the sexual exploitation of children, and anyone who possesses, shares, or creates these images is an active participant in that abuse,” Uthmeier said in a statement.

Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon. Photo by Florida National News

Tip leads to criminal investigation

According to the attorney general’s office, the Reyes investigation began with a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children concerning activity on a Snapchat account.

Detectives with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit used subpoenas and search warrants to link the account to Reyes, authorities said. Investigators reported finding files depicting the sexual abuse of children and sexual activity involving an animal.

The charges include:

86 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child.
13 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual activity with animals.
One count of transmitting child pornography by electronic device.

Potential prison penalties

According to the announcement, the child sexual abuse material possession charges were reclassified as first-degree felonies because the case involved 10 or more images. First-degree felonies generally carry a maximum sentence of 30 years per count under Florida law.

The second-degree felony transmission charge carries a five-year mandatory minimum, according to the announcement, and a statutory maximum of 15 years. Third-degree felonies generally carry up to five years per count.

Reyes could face decades in state prison if convicted. His total sentence would depend on the convictions, applicable sentencing provisions and whether the judge orders sentences served concurrently or consecutively.

The attorney general’s office said Reyes was being held at the Osceola County Jail on $100,000 bond, with conditions of release prohibiting internet access and contact with minors.

Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Lauryn Day is prosecuting the case in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

Separate lawsuit targets AI platform

In the civil case, the state alleges A2E allows users to upload photographs or videos of real people, including children, and generate nude or sexually explicit depictions without their consent.

The complaint also alleges the platform permits users to digitally alter adults to appear underage in sexualized imagery.

Although A2E’s terms prohibit certain abusive content, the state alleges the company failed to enforce those restrictions through adequate monitoring, consent verification and reporting of illegal material.

The complaint cites separate criminal investigations in Tampa and Tallahassee in which people allegedly used A2E to generate child sexual abuse material.

“Predators who traffic in the abuse of children and animals have no place in Florida,” Uthmeier said.

He added that companies profiting from AI tools that facilitate child sexual abuse material or nonconsensual sexual imagery “will be held accountable.”

State seeks injunction and financial penalties

The lawsuit, filed in Sarasota County, alleges violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The state seeks a permanent injunction restricting the company’s provision of the challenged AI tools, restitution, recovery of profits and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per willful violation.

Reyes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The allegations against Rengstorff Consulting have not been proven in court. Responses from Reyes or his attorney and the company were not included in the materials available for this report.

Central Florida News

FBI Director Kash Patel Addresses Global Threats, Crime-Fighting Partnerships at International Police Conference in Orlando

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2026

FNN NEWS

Kash Patel seated onstage in a gray suit and dark tie, speaking with one hand raised against a black and turquoise background.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — FBI Director Kash Patel discussed bureau priorities, violent crime and cooperation across jurisdictions during the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center.

The annual conference and exposition, held Oct. 24-27, brought together law enforcement professionals from the United States and abroad for training, presentations and discussions about public safety.

Patel addressed the evolving global threat environment and the importance of partnerships among federal, state, local, territorial and international law enforcement agencies confronting violent crime and transnational threats.

FBI priorities and violent crime

Violent crime enforcement was among the priorities Patel discussed during his Orlando visit.

Published coverage of his weekly update from Orlando described a broader agenda encompassing cybercrime, fraud and other investigative responsibilities. The update also highlighted cooperation among the FBI, the Justice Department and state and local authorities.

The conference provided an opportunity for bureau leadership to discuss those priorities with police executives whose agencies work alongside federal investigators.

Photo by Florida National News

Cooperation across jurisdictions

Partnerships were a central theme of Patel’s appearance, including coordination among agencies at different levels of government and cooperation with international counterparts.

Transnational investigations can involve suspects, evidence and criminal activity spanning multiple jurisdictions, requiring agencies to work across geographic and institutional boundaries.

Published coverage of Patel’s visit also reported plans for meetings with the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the IACP Board of Directors.

Patel highlights partnerships in X post

“Great to be in Orlando visiting with our brilliant law enforcement partners,” Patel wrote in a post on X about the conference.

Patel described the gathering as drawing more than 20,000 law enforcement professionals, leaders and partners. He credited cooperation with the FBI for reductions in crime.

In the post, Patel cited a 20% reduction in the national murder rate and more than 54,000 FBI violent crime arrests, which he described as a 90% increase.

The post did not specify the reporting periods or underlying datasets for those figures. The statistics were not independently verified for this article..

Global threats and local policing

The changing threat environment was another focus of Patel’s remarks, connecting the FBI’s national responsibilities with challenges facing police departments and their international partners.

The gathering offered law enforcement leaders an opportunity to discuss shared concerns, exchange professional knowledge and strengthen relationships that support investigations.

IACP President David B. Rausch, left, gestures over an open notebook while FBI Director Kash Patel listens from a gray armchair onstage.

FBI Director Kash Patel, right, participates in a fireside chat with IACP President David B. Rausch during the Closing General Assembly of the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News.

Training and professional development

Beyond executive presentations, the four-day conference featured educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exposition showcasing products and services for law enforcement.

Organizers identified training, networking and exhibit hall education as the conference’s three central components.

The Orlando event brought those activities together to help police leaders develop their agencies and exchange approaches to public safety.

__________________________________________________

Florida National News Staff | News@FloridaNationalNews.com