Articles by Terry Spencer

Family of Florida Man Fatally Shot by Deputy Settles Suit for $2.5M

The parents of an unarmed man fatally shot by a Florida sheriff’s sergeant at the family’s nursery announced Monday that they have agreed to a $2.5 million settlement and called for the reopening of a criminal investigation into their son’s …

Florida Eye Doctor Convicted of 67 Counts in Medicare Fraud Scheme

A prominent Florida eye doctor accused of political corruption was convicted of Medicare fraud Friday, increasing the odds that federal prosecutors could pressure him to testify against New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. Dr. Salomon Melgen was found guilty on …

Allianz Sponsorship of Florida Golf Event Ends Amid Holocaust Survivor Protests

Holocaust survivors on Monday celebrated the end of German insurance giant Allianz’s sponsorship of a Florida pro golf tournament, saying it may boost efforts to collect some $2.5 billion in World War II-era policies issued to Jews that they say …

Florida Mosque Arsonist Sentenced to 30 Years

An ex-convict who posted anti-Islamic rants online pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for setting fire to a mosque that the Orlando nightclub shooter attended occasionally. Joseph Schreiber, dressed in a burnt orange …

Questions Linger Over Trump’s $17M Insurance Payout in 2005 for Florida Club

Donald Trump says he received a $17 million insurance payment in 2005 for hurricane damage to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach. But The Associated Press has found little evidence of such large-scale damage. Two years after a series …

Suspect Confesses to Arson at Mosque Of Orlando Nightclub Shooter

An ex-convict who posted anti-Islamic rants online confessed to setting fire to a mosque that the Orlando nightclub shooter occasionally attended, and said he was embarrassed by the crime, according to an arrest affidavit released Thursday. St. Lucie County sheriff’s …

Florida High Court Rules Artist Can Sue UPS Over Lost Paintings

The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that an artist can sue UPS in state court over two paintings removed from their shipping tube while in transit and sold by the company UPS contracts to handle its lost-and-found operation. The …

Jury Awards $23M to Unarmed Man Shot by Florida Cop

A federal jury awarded $23.1 million on Wednesday to a 22-year-old black man who was unarmed when he was shot and paralyzed by a sheriff’s deputy, but Florida lawmakers will have to approve any award above $200,000. The six-woman, two-man …