Latest news with #ThreeStrikesLaw
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
FL man serving 60 years for spoonful of cocaine petitions for release
(NewsNation) — A Florida inmate who was sentenced decades ago to 60 years for selling a spoonful of cocaine has petitioned the courts and lawmakers for clemency. In 1994, Michael Edwards sold the equivalent of a spoonful of cocaine worth less than $850 to an ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend turned the drugs into police as a police informant, and Edwards was arrested. The former prosecutor who put him away said he believes it's time Edwards was released. 'Justice has been served,' said Joe D'Alessandro, former Florida state attorney, on NewsNation's 'Banfield' on Friday. Before heading to trial, Edwards was offered two plea deals, both of which he declined. He was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in a Florida prison. Edwards wasn't a first-time offender. This was his third non-violent arrest, all for drugs. Florida's Three Strikes Law mandates longer sentences for repeat felony offenders, so Edwards received a harsher sentence for his third offense in 1994. 'Oh, no, I never imagined such a thing,' his mother, Alicia Allan, said of the six-decade-long sentence. Elizabeth Smart kidnapper arrested after visiting Utah parks He was a drug addict, his sister Mimi Edwards Beach said. But the outcome was still a shock. 'There was an affidavit that the girlfriend turned informant had signed saying that she had lied, so at that point as well, Michael was confident,' Edwards Beach said. '(He thought) 'why should I concede to or agree to a plea when the witness is saying that she lied?' And that was the only real evidence that they had against him.' The ex-girlfriend turned informant died by suicide upon Edwards' sentencing. Edwards' relatives said they have not seen him in person since the pandemic. 'After COVID, we have not even been able to see him except for on a video call for 15 minutes, and that doesn't really happen very often either, so it's difficult,' said Edwards' sister, Mimi Edwards Beach. 'It's taken a real toll on my mom, and especially these last couple of years, getting harder and harder.' Despite several Florida politicians and members of the clemency board voting in favor of Edwards release, Gov. Ron DeSantis declined to grant clemency. Witnesses testify force used on Tyre Nichols 'reasonable' 'When we went to clemency (hearing), we really expected that Michael would be coming home with us, I mean to the point that I packed up a bag of clothes and everything,' Edwards Beach said. 'We were confident they would be coming home with us, and we were so excited and that was five years ago.' The prosecutor on the case has been trying to help Edwards get released for years. 'I became very much aware that he was serving more time than really he should have served,' D'Alessandro said. 'I don't think he should be in prison.' Edwards, who has served 31 years with 29 left, has also been reaching out to President Donald Trump, although this is a federal case so there's nothing he can legally do. 'In my whole entire career, I've never tried to get somebody's sentence vacated or commuted or anything except Mr. Edwards,' D'Alessandro said. 'He served his time. Justice has been done in this case, and as far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't be in prison.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Former Stockton officer pleads guilty to sexually assaulting multiple women
Apr. 1—A former Stockton police officer pleaded guilty last week to four counts of sexually assaulting women he encountered while on the job. Nicholas Bloed, a former sergeant with the department, pleaded guilty to two counts of oral copulation by threat of arrest and two counts of assault by an officer under color of authority, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announced last Friday. The convictions for his oral copulation charges are considered serious strikes under California's Three Strikes Law, resulting in Bloed now having two strikes on his record, reports state. Bloed faces an eight-year sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 20 years. He could potentially apply for termination after that period. "This case sends a clear message that no one is above the law, especially those entrusted to uphold it," Freitas said. "Nicholas Bloed abused his authority and betrayed the public's trust, and today's guilty plea ensures he will face the consequences of his actions. My office remains resolute in our commitment to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable, regardless of their position." An investigation into Bloed began after one victim came forward and said that he pulled her over in 2021 because she was driving an unregistered car without plates. Instead of issuing a ticket, Bloed took her phone to get her number. He let her go, but pulled her over again, which resulted in five months of multiple instances of sexual abuse, according to the victim's lawyer. The victim filed a complaint with the Stockton Police Department in May of 2022, and Bloed was placed on paid administrative leave that same month. By the following October, he was no longer with the department, and additional victims had come forward with allegations of abuse, reports state. One woman told KCRA in 2022 that Bloed had assaulted her at the Motel 6 near Interstate 5 and Plymouth Road. She said she was staying with a woman who was afraid to be alone with Bloed because he had been assaulting her since 2017 after meeting on an escort website, reports state. Bloed is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 6D of the San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Officer forces victims into oral sex by threat of arrest in Northern California, guilty plea
( — A former law enforcement officer pled guilty to several sex crimes against multiple victims on Monday. San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announced that Nicholas Bloed, a former law enforcement officer, pled guilty to four counts involving crimes against four victims. Bloed entered guilty pleas for two counts of oral copulation by threat of arrest and assault by an officer under color of authority. Ceres home invasion: 3 masked gunmen assault residents with firearms, police say The DA said the convictions for oral copulation by threat of arrest are classified as 'serious strikes' under California's Three Strikes Law, resulting in two strikes on Bload's record. Bloed faces a total prison sentence of 8 years and will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 20 years, according to the DA. 'This case sends a clear message: no one is above the law, especially those entrusted to uphold it,' Freitas said. 'Nicholas Bloed abused his authority and betrayed the public's trust, and today's guilty plea ensures he will face the consequences of his actions. My office remains resolute in our commitment to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable, regardless of their position.' Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 27, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 6D of the San Joaquin County Superior Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
28-03-2025
- CBS News
Former Stockton police sergeant pleads guilty to sexual assault, assault charges
STOCKTON — A former Stockton police sergeant pleaded guilty to sexual assault and assault charges involving four different victims, prosecutors said Friday. Nicholas Bloed , who was a 14-year veteran of the department, pleaded guilty to two counts of oral copulation by threat of arrest and two counts of assault by an officer under color of authority, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office announced. The district attorney's office said California's Three Strikes Law classifies the two oral copulation convictions as serious strikes, meaning Bloed now has two strikes on his record. Bloed is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27. For all offenses, he faces up to eight years in prison and must register as a sex offender for at least 20 years. "Nicholas Bloed abused his authority and betrayed the public's trust, and today's guilty plea ensures he will face the consequences of his actions," District Attorney Ron Freitas said.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
East Bay man facing more than 100 years to life over 'daylong crime spree'
The Brief A 37-year-old Pittsburg man is facing up to 100 years to life in prison for a daylong crime spree in Monterey and San Benito Counties The man has prior violent felony convictions, including two strikes under California's Three Strikes Law SALINAS, Calif. - After his most recent conviction for a September 2023 crime spree, an East Bay man is facing a possible sentence of 100 years to life in prison. Tele Matangi was recently convicted of carjacking, residential burglary, first-degree robbery, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and hit-and-run. Judge Jennifer O'Keefe ruled on Tuesday that the Pittsburg man had two prior strike convictions that fell under the state's three-strikes law, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. Because of these prior strike convictions, the 37-year-old is facing more than 100 years to life in prison. Matangi was convicted by a jury on Friday on the multiple charges from the 2023 crime spree, the DA's office said. He has been booked into custody at the Monterey County Jail since his arrest on Sept. 18, 2023. The backstory The crime spree began on Sept. 18, 2023, when Matangi crashed a car through a locked gate near Gonzales High School's parking lot. After abandoning the car, he carjacked a nearby driver at gunpoint, DA officials said. He drove that stolen car northbound to Highway 156 near its intersection with Highway 101 near Prunedale. Around 40 minutes later, Matangi caused a collision when he turned into oncoming traffic from Highway 101 southbound traffic's off-ramp into Highway 156's westbound lanes. Officials said after crashing the stolen car, he fired multiple shots at a good Samaritan who stopped at the scene to help those involved. One of the shots hit the Samaritan's car. Running to the nearby Park and Ride parking lot, Matangi approached a man sitting in his car and pointed a gun at him, attempting to carjack him. However, officials said Matangi could not get that car to start. Matangi then ran across the street and broke into a home after ripping the window screen and climbing through the window. When inside, he pointed his gun at a resident before stealing their car keys at gunpoint, the DA's office said. He then drove the car into Aromas in San Benito County. In Aromas, he abandoned the second stolen car and stole a golf cart. He dumped the golf cart at one property and hid in a storage unit at another, DA officials said. The owners of the storage unit found Matangi inside and told him to leave. Matangi left, and while walking around in San Bentio County, a sheriff's deputy tried to speak with him, but Matangi brandished a gun to the officer, the DA's office said. Monterey County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and assisted the San Benito County sheriff's deputies in arresting Matangi. The East Bay man was found to be possessing a small baggie of meth, keys to the last stolen car, and a semiautomatic firearm with multiple magazines with live ammunition. According to the DA's office, Matangi had prior convictions for carjacking and robbery, prohibiting possessing guns. What's next Matangi will be sentenced on May 29. The Source Monterey County District Attorney's Office
