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Criminal Defense Case Results

Many of our clients ask the same question: “What kinds of cases have you taken in the past, and what was the outcome in those cases?” If you would like to view the case results in felony and misdemeanor cases listed below, please read the following disclaimer:

- The Florida Bar does not approve or routinely review case results posted by attorneys.
- The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the facts and circumstances discussed here.
- Not all case results are listed here or provided.
- The case results discussed here do not necessarily represent the results obtained in all cases.
- Each case is different and must be evaluated and handled on its own merit.

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Prosecutor “No Files” Domestic Battery Case in Pinellas County, FL

February 5, 2026

Battery Domestic

Criminal Investigation, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence – Pinellas, Violent Crimes

In January of 2026, our client was arrested for “battery domestic” under Florida Statute Section 784.03, a first degree misdemeanor, by a deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. At the first appearance hearing the next morning, before we were retained, the Court imposed a “no contact” provision that prevented our client from returning to her home, seeing her husband (who was the alleged victim), or her child (who was present for the incident). Instead, the Court only allowed our client a “one time residential visit in the presence of law enforcement for retrieval of personal belongings.” Shortly after being released from jail, the client hired Katherine Aranda, an attorney at Sammis Law Firm. Ms. Aranda requested that the client take an “anger management” course and be careful not to violate the “no contact” provision. Ms. Aranda investigated the case and presented favorable evidence to the State Attorney’s Office showing that no crime occurred and the alleged victim did not want to prosecute. Although the State Attorney’s Office wanted us to send a written waiver of speedy trial which might have delayed the case, we refused since our client had already completed the Anger Management court. A motion to modify the “no contact” provision was filed, although Judge Holly Grissinger denied that motion since our client had not taken the longer 26-week batterers intervention program course and submitted to a mental health evaluation. Nevertheless, a few day later, the State Attorney’s Office filed a “no information” on February 5, 2026 that dropped the case. At that moment, the “no contact” provision terminated, allowing our client to return home and begin the process of petitioning the court to expunge the case since she had no prior record and was otherwise eligible.

Sheriff’s Office Withdraws the Seizure Warrant for Client’s OKX Account Worth $82,000

September 4, 2026

Seizure Warrant for Cryptocurrency

Criminal Investigation, Cryptocurrency Forfeiture, Forfeiture, Fraud and Financial Crimes, Warrants

In November 2025, detectives with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office obtained an ex parte search and seizure eWarrant signed by Circuit Court Judge Donna M. Padar in connection with an investigation into alleged money laundering, grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and dealing in stolen property. The warrant commanded the cryptocurrency exchange OKX to freeze and transfer our client’s digital assets.

Following service of the seizure warrant on OKX, the exchange placed an administrative freeze on our client’s account, effectively locking our client out of five different digital asset holdings totaling more than $82,000 in market value.

Our client did not find out about the warrant until his OKX account was frozen. Then OKX gave him the contact information for the lead detective with Criminal Investigation Section of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Attorney Leslie Sammis was hired shortly thereafter.

The property listed in the seizure e-warrant included:

Ethereum (ETH): 17.37858780585
Tether (USDT): 8,093.71121808675
USD Coin (USDC): 4,246.0997880716
Solana (SOL): 22.666879832549998
Tron (TRX): 4,158.8382718106

While the exchange complied with the directive to lock the account, the cryptocurrency tokens remained within OKX and were never transferred into law enforcement custody.

Our firm intervened directly with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the General Counsel’s Office. We challenged the continued validity of the seizure warrant and the ongoing administrative restraint on multiple grounds:

Failure of Forensic Tracing & Nexus: Law enforcement affidavits frequently rely on proprietary blockchain tracing software that conflates high-volume exchange intermediary addresses and hot wallets with an individual suspect’s personal wallet. We demonstrated that the state could not establish a direct evidentiary nexus connecting the specific tokens in our client’s account to criminal proceeds.
Lack of Subject-Matter Jurisdiction: We challenged the circuit court’s subject-matter jurisdiction to issue and maintain a standalone, ex parte seizure warrant over out-of-state exchange assets without an underlying criminal case, an information or indictment, or a pending civil forfeiture action. Under Florida law, Chapter 933 search warrants are designed for physical searches and evidence preservation within a magistrate’s territorial jurisdiction—not as a substitute for the statutory procedural requirements of the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act (FCFA). Because the state never initiated a formal forfeiture proceeding under §§ 932.701–932.7062, Florida Statutes, nor filed criminal charges, the circuit court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to keep an indefinite administrative freeze in place.
Defects in Custody and Pre-Indictment Delay: The warrant sat partially executed for over nine months. Florida law and constitutional due process do not permit law enforcement to place an indefinite freeze on private assets without formal charges, an arrest, or timely civil forfeiture proceedings under the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act.

Confronted with our challenge and the lack of evidentiary basis to maintain the seizure, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office conceded that no arrests had been made, no prosecution was pending, and no good-faith basis existed to believe prosecution would commence in the immediate future.

On September 4, 2026, the Sheriff’s Office filed an Ex Parte Motion to Vacate Partially Executed Search and Seizure Warrant. Judge Donna M. Padar granted the motion and entered an order vacating the eWarrant in its entirety and formally directing OKX to lift all holds and restore full access to the account. The order vacating the seizure warrant was subsequently served on OKX’s legal compliance team to execute the unfreeze.

Read more about how we represent innocent owners in cryptocurrency seizures for forfeiture under Florida law.