Polk County Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison

TAMPA, FL—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Carlos Lamar Mitchell (26, Lakeland) to 189 months in federal prison for bank robbery and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Carlos Lamar Mitchell was found guilty by a jury on March 22, 2011.

According to trial testimony, on May 20, 2010, Mitchell and two other unknown men entered the Platinum Bank located at 5404 South Florida Ave., in Lakeland, Florida and robbed the institution at gunpoint. They left with $4,997 in cash.

This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

Lakeland Man Who Targeted Law Enforcement Helicopter with Powerful Green Laser Pleads Guilty

TAMPA, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that Mark Clay Hazlitt (58, Lakeland) pleaded guilty today to interference with the operation of an aircraft. Hazlitt faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is set for June 2, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. before United States District Judge Steven D. Merryday.

According to court documents, on November 21, 2010, Hazlitt pointed a green laser beam at a Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter. He pointed the laser at the helicopter no fewer than four times, causing the tactical flight officer's night vision goggles to shut down and causing disorientation inside the aircraft. The pilots were able to keep the helicopter in the air and identify the source of the laser.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisset G. Hanewicz.

Florida Cop Writers

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added three Florida cop writers: Art Smith, Susan Goreck and Ronald Hunter.

Art Smith had a career in law enforcement from 1970 to 1986. His book, My Life in the Blue Parade details his career beginning with the Wadsworth Police Department (Ohio). He explores the “unusual conflicts of a police officer with the public, other police officers, administrators, and family.” A divorce sees Smith moving to Florida and joining the Fort Lauderhill Police Department. According to the book, “after a couple years, because of internal problems, he moves back to Ohio on a promise of a position by a sheriff’s office. The promise was broken and he worked temporarily at the Marietta Police Department as a dispatcher. Art Smith returns to Florida and works five years as a police officer for the Sunrise Police Department. Again, according to the book description, “unprofessional and unethical treatment by his supervisors and another police officer made him lose all desire to remain in law enforcement any longer.”

Susan Goreck is a deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (Florida). Her book, Poisoned Mind, tells the story of her year undercover investigating a murder suspect. According to the book description, “Many of us have had neighbors whose loud music, objectionable habits, or destruction of property get on our nerves. This is the story of a man who got so annoyed, he poisoned his neighbors with an extremely painful nerve toxin. The personalities are what make the book: the cartoon-character nerd who was a disgruntled househusband to a female orthopedist, the quietly charming policewoman who went undercover to get the goods on him, the loving Southern family who suffered so much. And there's a revelation at the end of the story that will appall you. As the New York Times wrote, "Florida, the cradle of creepiness in detective fiction, offers up some weird criminals in real life, too.... The authors are good at portraying the oddly disconnected society of small-town Florida, as well as the man who almost committed the perfect crime there."

Ronald D. Hunter is Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Criminology at Western Carolina University. He has also taught at the State University of West Georgia (1999-2005), Jacksonville State University (1989-1999) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1988-1989). He received his Ph.D. in Criminology from The Florida State University. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Ronald Hunter was a Sergeant with the Tallahassee Police Department (Florida). He has published a number of articles, book chapters dealing with crime prevention and law enforcement, and books related to law enforcement and criminology. Dr. Hunter is on the Executive Board of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and has been honored in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” (2004) as well as other prestigious acknowledgements. His books include: Police-Community Relations and the Administration of Justice; Crime and Criminality: Causes and Consequences; Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 474 police officers (representing 202 police departments) and their 986 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.