"Leesfield & Partners"

Published on: March 13, 2025

Elementary School Substitute Sicks Mob of Children on Classmate in Florida, Now She Faces Criminal Charges.

A substitute teacher is accused of asking multiple students in her elementary school’s classroom to hit another child, then allowing the beating to take place.

Geanene Che’rrie White, 57, was charged March 1 with one count of child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. White’s child abuse charge is a third-degree felony that, if convicted, could result in a five-year prison sentence and/or a $5,000 fine. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a first-degree misdemeanor that can carry a penalty of up to one year in jail, a year of probation and/or a $1,000 fine.

The incident happened while White was subbing for a class at YMCA Tiger Academy, an elementary school in Jacksonville, Florida, on Feb. 12. As she was asking the class to separate into small groups to complete their work, one student did not cooperate.

Published on: March 13, 2025

Medical Examiner Concludes Detroit Children Found Dead in Frigid Van Died of Carbon Monoxide.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Detroit medical examiner concluded that two unhoused children found dead in their family’s van died from carbon monoxide and not the cold, as authorities initially believed.

The official cause of death for the children, 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old A’millah Currie, was certified Wednesday. On Feb. 10, the children were found unresponsive in the family van by their mother after the vehicle stopped running. The children, their mother, their grandmother, two siblings and their mother’s sibling were allegedly living in the van at the time, according to reporting from The Detroit Free Press.

The five children in the van ranged in age from 2 to 13 years old.

Published on: March 4, 2025

Man Injured in Officer-Involved Shooting in Miami-Dade County. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Miami detective shot a man at an apartment complex in West Miami-Dade County Wednesday night while conducting a “proactive detail” with a multi-agency task force, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

The incident happened around 10 p.m. at 9599 Fontainebleau Blvd. Neither the man nor the detective, who investigates robberies, have been named as of Thursday.

The man is expected to be OK, a Miami Police Department spokesperson told the newspaper. The detective was not injured in the shooting.

Published on: February 26, 2025

Miami Jury: Founder of Haitian Orphanage Guilty of Sexually Abusing Minors. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The three-week-long trial in the case of an American orphanage founder accused of sexually abusing multiple boys in Haiti ended Thursday with a guilty verdict.

Michael Geilenfeld, 73, of Colorado, was found guilty on six counts of engaging in illicit sexual contact with minors in a foreign place and one count of traveling from Miami to Haiti for that purpose Thursday in Miami federal court. He faces up to 30 years in prison on each of the charges, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Geilenfeld was previously offered a plea deal to shorten his sentence but rejected it.

Published on: February 26, 2025

If You’re a Fan of Supplement Shakes and Got Sick, This Might Be Why. See Which of These Products Were Pulled from Shelves.

By Leesfield & Partners

A deadly listeria outbreak has been linked to frozen supplement shakes present at long-term care facilities.

The outbreak of Listeria, a bacterial infection that can cause nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, has been connected to frozen supplement shakes sold in 4-ounce cartons under the brands Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial. As of Monday morning, the shakes have been linked to the deaths of at least 11 people. These products were made by Prairie Farms Dairy at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, facility.

The best-by dates on the allegedly affected products range from 02/21/2025 to 02/21/2026. If a business owner or corporation believes they are in possession of the recalled shakes, they can return them to the seller for a refund or throw them out, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Published on: February 21, 2025

Father Faces Felony Charges After Letting Teen Drive Before Fatal Florida Crash, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

The father of a 15-year-old boy who is accused of killing three children and a woman in a high-speed crash now faces felony charges for allowing the unlicensed teen take his car, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Richard Ferguson, 68, was charged Thursday with four counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the 2023 fatal crash. This is a second-degree felony that, if convicted, could carry up to 15 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 in fines.

The State Attorney’s Office also issued an arrest warrant for the teen, though it was not immediately clear whether or not he had been arrested as of Friday morning. He has yet to be named by authorities.

Published on: February 19, 2025

Broward County High School Teacher Faces Felony Charge After Student Reports ‘Disturbing Messages.’

By Leesfield & Partners

A teacher with the Broward County School District is facing felony charges after allegedly soliciting an 11^th grader, police say.

Lem McKinney, 40, of Broward County, was charged with a second-degree felony Tuesday after police said he solicited a student to engage in sexual conduct via social media. If convicted of the charge, penalties could include a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to 15 years in prison.

McKinney was a social science teacher at J.P. Taravella High School, a public school located in Coral Springs.

Published on: February 19, 2025

Florida Doctor Faces Complaints After Man Dies Following Cosmetic Procedure. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A doctor is facing complaints after a man was left with holes in his chest muscle and later died due to cosmetic procedure, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The administrative complaint against the Fort Lauderdale doctor claims that “the patient ultimately died as a result” of the liposuction, which allegedly left perforations throughout the 58-year-old’s chest. The procedure involved VASER, a type of ultrasound with vibration amplification of sound at resonance in January 2021. The patient then returned in 2022 “for a repeat,” according to reporting from the Miami Herald this week.

Repetitive VASER-assisted liposuction comes with risks such as infection, bleeding, never damage and scarring, which can cause perforation. The complaint alleges that the doctor “failed to document any discussion” with the patient about the additional risks associated with a repeated procedure.

Published on: February 14, 2025

Driver, Florida Cop in Pursuit Hit and Kill Pedestrian in Chase, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A pedestrian died after being hit by a man allegedly fleeing police and the officer in pursuit, according to authorities.

The incident happened Wednesday evening when an officer with the Orlando Police Department (OPD) was driving an unmarked Ford F-150 was pursuing a blacked-out car with no lights on, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

The driver in the car, identified as Dornell Bargnare, 30, is accused of attempting to flee the officer.