Politics

James Uthmeier’s Office breaks up identity fraud and theft ring in South Florida

Published

3 months ago

September 17, 2025

6 suspects were nabbed in Fort-Lauderdale-based ring that investigators say pilfered bank accounts for 2 years.

Six people are behind bars following a multiyear investigation that ended what officials are calling a fraud and theft ring in South Florida.

Attorney General James Uthmeier said his Statewide Prosecution team broke up a multiyear operation that engaged in large-scale theft and identity fraud based in Fort Lauderdale.

Uthmeier dubbed the operation the “Felony Lane Gang” that he said committed more than 200 smash-and-grab burglaries at public spaces, parks and gyms in five counties. A news release said the crimes occurred between March 2021 and May 2023.

Once the smash-and-grabs were completed, investigators say the ring would then pilfer the stolen wallets and purses for checkbooks, credit cards, ID cards and passports to steal more money from bank accounts by using the identities of the victims.

“The broader issue at hand here is that repeat offenders pose a major threat to the safety of our communities,” Uthmeier said. “Too often, these criminals are arrested, released, and given another chance to prey on innocent people. In Florida, we don’t just arrest criminals — we keep them behind bars where they belong.”

An estimated $350,000 was stolen from the victims in those two years, and some 55 of those victims were senior citizens.

“The Office of Statewide Prosecution will deploy every tool to dismantle criminal networks made up of career fraudsters and thieves that prey on hardworking Floridians,” said Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay. “The Office will pursue hefty and enhanced charges to ensure individuals convicted of operating as part of one of these organized crime rings are kept behind bars for a very long time, where they can no longer victimize Floridians.”

Charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and scheme to defraud face the suspects in the case. Uthmeier said the maximum punishment for each suspect could be 30 years in prison along with fines of up to $10,000 each.

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Politics

Florida Realtors PAC throws its weight behind Bill Poteet in HD 82 GOP Primary

Published

30 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

May Greene

The Florida Realtors PAC is backing Bill Poteet in the race for House District 82, adding the powerful real estate group’s support to his bid for the Southwest Florida seat.

The political arm of Florida Realtors cited Poteet’s professional background, community involvement and familiarity with regional issues. Poteet is a Realtor, small-business owner and longtime resident of the district.

“As a REALTOR, small-business owner and longtime resident of southwest Florida, the citizens of House District 82 would be hard-pressed to find a more effective representative for their area than Bill Poteet,” said Marilyn Pearson-Adams, Chair of the Florida Realtors PAC Trustees.

“He is incredibly active in his community, serving in leadership positions in numerous local and non-profit organizations, and his knowledge as a REALTOR has given him a deep understanding of the issues facing the region. He would be an outstanding addition to the Florida House of Representatives.”

Florida Realtors PAC routinely weighs in on legislative races across the state, supporting candidates it views as aligned with property rights, economic growth and housing affordability. Endorsements from the group can carry significant weight, particularly in districts where real estate and development play a central role in the local economy.

Republican Rep. Lauren Melo currently represents HD 82, but is seeking a Senate seat in 2026.

Rancher Liesa Priddy and Hugo Vargas are also competing in the Republican Primary. Melo has backed Priddy as her preferred successor.

Priddy is leading the field in fundraising, with around $151,000 raised.

Poteet, meanwhile, has collected more than $33,000 via his campaign account and his political committee, Friends of Bill Poteet. Vargas has raised almost $22,000 through his account and his political committee, Friends of Hugo Vargas.

Democratic candidate Arthur Boyer has also filed for the race.

HD 82 covers a swath of Southwest Florida, including Hendry County and parts of Collier County.

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Politics

Meta rolls out a new centralized support hub with 24/7 help across Facebook and Instagram

Published

1 hour ago

December 16, 2025

May Greene

New AI systems are powering the changes.

Meta is introducing a central hub for account support on Facebook and Instagram that is designed to make help faster and easier to find in the event of being hacked or locked out, or when needing guidance on settings and safety.

The hub will bring together reporting tools, recovery options, and AI-powered answers in one place on iOS and Android devices. On Facebook, Meta is also testing out an AI support assistant on Facebook intended to deliver instant and personalized help, and they plan to expand this service to other apps as well over time.

Within this new hub, users can report account issues, use AI-powered searches, and access recovery tools without the need to comb through numerous resources. The preview of the AI support assistant on Facebook is intended to guide users through account recovery, profile management and settings updates. Users on other platforms can expect this feature to arrive on Instagram and other apps soon as well.

The goal of the new feature is to prioritize accessible support that is always available. Meta acknowledges that their support on these matters has not always met expectations, and with this latest announcement they express their commitment to investing in an improvement on these kinds of user services.

Thanks to the assistance of AI, Meta highlights security improvements that have taken place across their platforms over the past year. These improvements include a more than 30% decrease of new account hacks on Facebook and Instagram as well as a more than 30% increase in hacked account recovery.

New AI systems have supported these trends by blocking suspicious logins, flagging compromised accounts, and distinguishing legitimate users from hackers in real time.

If a user loses access to their account, they will now see recovery options at the right time while also receiving improved email and SMS alerts about risky activity. There is new and enhanced recognition of trusted devices and familiar locations, and a selfie video is now optional to verify users’ identity when needed. Other built-in safeguards include Security Checkup, two-factor authentication, and passkeys on Facebook and Messenger.

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Politics

UWF Ph.D. student develops AI program to track and map impacts of wildfires

Published

2 hours ago

December 16, 2025

May Greene

The UWF AI mapping systems can help first responders handle fast-moving wildfires and assist in the recovery process.

University of West Florida researchers are now using artificial intelligence to track data that will improve how damage from wildfires is mapped.

UWF Ph.D. student Valeria Martin has introduced what’s being called CalFireSeg-50, a dataset that was formulated from satellite imagery and data from 50 of the largest wildfires in California between 2019 and 2023, said a UWF news release.

Martin conducted her research with assistance from Brent Venable, UWF Director of the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Doctoral Program at UWF, and Derek Morgan, UWF Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. They collected satellite images and provided the examples to AI, which developed recognition of fire-damaged areas. Then, using the images, the AI developed mapping systems.

“By pairing satellite data with deep-learning models, we can detect wildfire damage with high accuracy,” Martin said. “The insights from this work can support emergency response, environmental monitoring and long-term recovery planning.”

The AI programming helps develop models to indicate where fires might burn the hottest. That data helps emergency responders understand how wildfires burn and spread while pinpointing areas of priority. The AI imagery and maps also help analyze damage and track vegetation patterns across land after a blaze in the recovery phase.

“This project showcases how advanced GeoAI techniques can meaningfully support environmental monitoring,” Venable said. “Valeria’s exceptional work demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary research and reflects the innovative spirit of the Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program.”

Martin’s research is gaining more attention and observation. She presented the Findings of her research at the 13th annual Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Spatial Information conference that took place in Minneapolis in November.

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