At about 2:47 am yesterday the Sheriff’s Office received a call that Hierspiel had broken into the Riviera Lane home of Cynthia Wofford while being armed with a handgun. Hierspiel is alleged to have threatened Wofford, with whom he had previously had a domestic relationship. Wofford was able to get out of the house and go to a neighbor’s residence, leaving Hierspiel inside.

When deputies arrived minutes later, they found smoke and then flames coming from the residence. The fire was extinguished and the State Fire Marshal was called to investigate the house fire while Sheriff’s Office detectives worked to investigate the armed burglary and aggravated assault complaint.

Shortly before 10 am, investigators from both agencies located the body of a white male in the garage of the burned-out house. At that point, the Medical Examiner’s Office was also called into the joint investigation.

Following the autopsy, the body was identified as that of Hierspiel. His next of kin has been notified. The investigation is still on-going. No further information is available at this time.

This federal indictment stems from Lawrence’s arrest by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office during Operation Red Flag, and a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Because Lawrence’s criminal history appears to qualify him as an Armed Career Criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in federal prison for the firearms possession and a mandatory minimum of 10 years for the narcotics offense. If Finehout is convicted of the firearms offense, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

As Sheriff Tom Knight emphasized in the Operation Red Flag press conference May 15, Lawrence had 51 felony arrests and 40 misdemeanors but had never been to state prison. Now, he’s facing federal charges.

“These convicted felons were not only mocking the system locally but they were violating federal weapons laws,” said Sheriff Knight. “Sarasota County is safer today, because of the diligence of our deputies and the partnerships we have forged with state and federal law enforcement agencies.”

The federal case is being prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice "Project Safe Neighborhoods" program - a nationwide, gun violence reduction strategy led by ATF which tactically focuses on felons with violent and serious drug trafficking convictions who are likely to unlawfully possess guns.

The Punta Gorda Police Department would like to thank the members of the media as well as our friends at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and cooperation during this investigation.

The Charlotte County School District approved the purchase of 224 more iPads for students at elementary schools throughout the district. The allocation means that every elementary school will have a 1-to-1 class in their building, meaning each kid in a selected class will have an iPad. Director of Elementary Learning, Carmen Kisiday, tells the Englewood Sun that the new technology will allow teachers to experiment with ways to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom.

The victims came forward separately in January and June of this year to report that they were touched inappropriately by Kuntz in 2011. One girl said she was in kindergarten at the time and the other said she was in first grade when the alleged incidents occurred.

Kuntz was employed by Taylor Ranch Elementary School as a program attendant from October 2009 to September 2011. He was arrested by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on September 29, 2011, for Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Child for an incident that occurred at a private home. Kuntz is currently on probation for that offense and is a registered sex offender.

Detectives arrested Kuntz this morning and charged him with six counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Child Less than 12 Years Old. He is currently being held without bond.

Detectives arrested Keith Joseph Carmello, 44, Tiffany Marie Carmello, 26, and Joseph John Ventre, 28, all of 3554 Pinetree Street in Port Charlotte on Grand Theft charges. Keith Carmello and Ventre were also charged with Violation of Probation.

At about 9:00 pm Sunday night, the owner of A+ Action Appliance at 2626 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte called the Sheriff’s Office because he had found a strange vehicle in the parking lot of his closed business. When he stopped to check, he found Keith Carmello, Tiffany Carmello and Ventre loading appliances into a truck and trailer. As soon as he confronted them, the trio apologized and began to unload the appliances back into the parking lot.

When detectives reviewed the store’s video, they found that the 9:00 pm incident was the second such trip to the appliance store. At about 8:15 pm, the video showed Tiffany Carmello and Ventre loading two refrigerators, two microwaves and a dryer into a different trailer pulled by the same truck.

The business owner told detectives he wanted to pursue criminal charges for the thefts. Joseph Carmello provided a signed waiver of search for the other trailer that was at his residence and he assisted the business owner in retrieving the appliances from that trailer.

Tiffany Carmello was released on a $5,000 bond. Joseph Carmello and Ventre were being held at the Charlotte County Jail on a $5,000 bond each for the Grand Theft charges and no bond on the Violation of Probation charges.

On Sunday June 23 from 9 am to 1 pm, members of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and Punta Gorda Police Department will be on top and inside of Abbe’s Donut Nook at Charlotte Square Shopping Center at 2150 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte, collecting donations for Special Olympics. Lance’s Cruzin’ to the Hop Car Shows be will hosting the car show in the shopping center parking lot. Florida Blood Center will also be there in their Big Red Bus taking blood donations.

So come out, have a cup of coffee and some hot, fresh-baked donuts while you enjoy the car show. The cost to enter a vehicle in the show will be $10.00 and trophies will be presented. There will be a donut-eating contest to see who can eat a dozen donuts the fastest. There will be raffles for some great prizes. T-shirts will be on sale on the day of the event.

All proceeds go to support Special Olympics and the Law Enforcement Torch Run.