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| State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle attended the Coral Gables Chamber Trustee & Gem Investors Luncheon as the keynote speaker, where she delivered remarks highlighting the significant progress the State Attorney’s Office has achieved in public safety. She noted that overall crime in Miami-Dade County has decreased by 75% during her tenure. |
| The State Attorney shared with attendees how crime reduction directly impacts business owners and the broader community, especially as the city prepares to welcome an estimated 600,000 to 1 million additional visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup |
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“Our goal isn’t just to reduce crime. It’s to ensure that all forms of exploitation, including human trafficking, have no place in our community. When I think about collaboration, I think about the people of Miami-Dade. No matter how complex the challenge, we come together, not as separate agencies or organizations, but as individuals united by a shared belief: that everyone deserves safety and dignity,” said Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “The accomplishments of my office are only possible because of our trusted community partners. The progress we’ve made is a direct result of these strong partnerships, and while we’ve come far, our responsibility continues.” |
| State Attorney Fernandez Rundle discussed how our office will continue to strengthen partnerships with law enforcement, community-based organizations, schools, hospitals, and groups, such as The Chamber, to promote safety, prevent trafficking, and ensure the continued well-being of our community. |
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| As the representative for local enforcement and accountability, State Attorney Fernandez Rundle contributed to the task force's discussions on policy and enforcement, arguing that Florida’s waterways have become increasingly unsafe due to a lack of boater knowledge and regulations. |
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle recently hosted Miami-Dade County School Board Member Roberto J. Alonso and other members of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools leadership team at our office to discuss the continued implementation of Human Trafficking awareness and prevention within the district’s curriculum |
| This important collaboration between the State Attorney’s Office and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, established during the 2023–2024 school year, underscores our shared commitment to protecting students and empowering school staff. The initiative focuses on equipping educators and employees with the knowledge and tools needed to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking, identify potential victims, and take immediate action by reporting concerns to the State Attorney’s 24-hour local and rapid response Human Trafficking Hotline. |
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| State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle wants to thank all who attended the “Second Chance” Sealing or Expungement Event held at the South Shore Community Center in South Beach. The State Attorney’s Office assisted 66 total individuals, with 41 attendees eligible to seal or expunge one prior arrest in Miami-Dade County. |
| “Second Chance” events would not be possible without the help of our amazing volunteers and community partners, including the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller's Office, Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, and the NAACP Miami-Dade Branch. |
| We are looking forward to bringing the “Second Chance” Sealing or Expungement Event to the Hammocks next month! Be sure to follow us for additional information. |
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| Defendant Phillip Valcy-Charles was sentenced to life in prison for three counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, six counts of Attempted Manslaughter of a Law Enforcement Officer, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Thank you to all who worked for justice on this case! |
| Around 1:00 a.m. on March 14, 2024, the Victim, an armed security guard struggling to make ends meet, was in a deep sleep in his car when he was jolted awake by the Defendant who was roughly jostling his door car’s door handles. The Victim armed himself and opened his car door with his gun down at his hip. The Defendant was startled that there was a person in the car and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in there.” The Victim then asked the Defendant what he was doing. The Defendant pulled out a gun, pointed it at the Victim, and demanded that he give the Defendant his jewelry and everything else that he had. The Victim chuckled and rhetorically asked the Defendant, “You think you’re the only one with a gun?” Only at this point did the Defendant realize that his attempted armed burglary and armed robbery were going to be unsuccessful. The Defendant then abandoned his efforts and changed his strategy. He begged the victim not to call the police and slowly retreated. He went to a nearby gas station where he had just made a small purchase and waited in the parking area, as if he was expecting to be picked up. Although the Defendant may have hoped that the Victim would not call the police, the Victim did call to report the crime. |
| When police officers arrived with lights and sirens, the Defendant bolted, dodging officers both on foot and in police cars until he was finally apprehended by officers at gunpoint. While running from the police, the Defendant ditched his gun and a black backpack but was still wearing a camo fanny pack when he was apprehended. Officers searched the Defendant’s route of flight and found his discarded Taurus-brand firearm. They also found CCTV footage of the Defendant’s actions at the gas station immediately before and after his confrontation with the Victim. Finally, a search of the Defendant’s fanny pack yielded a gun holster adorned with a large “T”. |
| Defense counsel called the Defendant’s ex-girlfriend to the stand. Although she agreed the Defendant was at the scene of the crime at that time, she claimed that the Defendant could not have committed the crimes charged because he was on the phone with her. However, ASA Singer cross-examined her about her own telephone records, which proved that she was not on the phone with the Defendant at the time of the crime. |
| In closing arguments, ASA Singer presented a complete timeline of the CCTV and BWC footage stitched together. Defense counsel argued that the “polite robber” story in the State’s case did not make sense. Counsel also argued the case was “lacking evidence” and “distinguishing features” because there were no other witnesses, the robbery was not captured on the CCTV video, and there was no DNA or Fingerprint evidence to consider. However, ASA Eisenhart used every defense argument to point out how the State’s theory of the case was, in fact, the only reasonable explanation. Furthermore, she demonstrated to the jury that the Taurus firearm that the Defendant discarded fit perfectly in the “T” gun holster found on the Defendant at the time of his arrest. |
| The ASAs would like to thank Career Criminal / Robbery (CCR) Chief Patty Mulholland, CCR Assistant Chiefs Kioceaia Stenson and Alexandria Hunter, and Felony Division Chief Maritza Clop-Liriano for their assistance with trial strategy and logistics. Special thanks also go to ASAs Melissa Rodriguez, Jakob Kaufman, and Jake Leon, as well as secretaries Gaby Palacios and Endwell Chimara, for their mid-trial deliveries. |
| When the Defendant came to Miami in the fall of 2024, he was convicted of loitering and prowling due to his suspicious actions in the Snapper Creek community. His Nissan Altima was towed, and as a result, he decided to return to the same Snapper Creek community and try to steal the Victim’s car. |
| The Victim’s BMW was parked behind a fence with barbed wire and a gate that surrounded his home. A day laborer, who was putting in the Victim’s driveway, saw the Defendant open the gate and stand by the car. The laborer reported this to the Victim, who then went to check why someone was by his car. When the Victim approached the vehicle, the Defendant was inside. The Defendant scared the Victim, causing him to run into the street looking for help. A Doral Officer who just happened to be driving by stopped to assist. He saw the Defendant leaning inside the car and placed him under arrest. The Victim testified at trial that the officer’s arrival at that moment must have been a miracle. |
| The Defendant was transferred to the custody of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and confessed to entering the vehicle and wanting to take it. The defense argued that the Defendant was simply there for a job and was told to move the vehicle for the job. However, no evidence was ever presented to support the defense’s theory, and the jury found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. |
| The ASAs would like to thank the Division 20 support staff, Secretary Nicolas Grillo, Victim Witness Coordinator Nicole Lopez, and Trial Coordinator Melissa Avila for coordinating the State’s civilian witnesses and the Victim’s remote testimony. Additionally, they would like to thank ASA Haley Goodman for preparing the case for trial and doing the motion to permit remote testimony, and ASA Jake Leon for helping prepare the direct examinations of the witnesses. |
| On May 27, 2024, the Defendant entered La Estrella de Oro pawnshop and sold a Glock 19x gen 4 that had been reported missing by the Victim in this case. The assigned Detective received an alert that a gun that was reported missing had been pawned. The Detective went to the pawnshop to collect the Florida Pawnbroker Transaction Form, which includes the driver’s license information and thumbprint of the person who pawned the firearm. A fingerprint expert later confirmed the thumbprint submitted at the time of the sale was a match for the Defendant. |
| The only evidence placing the Defendant at the pawn store was the Florida Pawn Broker Transaction Form that contained the Defendant’s driver’s license information and thumbprint. The store clerk knew the Defendant was at the store only because of the pawn slip the Defendant had filled out. The store clerk did not remember the Defendant or the transaction. There was no CCTV footage from the date of the transaction, and no testifying witness who remembered the Defendant selling the gun. |
| The State called Crime Scene Tech Raymond Ernst to explain how he made the match to the Defendant’s print standards. The owner also testified that he did not know the Defendant and that he never permitted him to sell his firearm. The Defendant testified at trial that he was at the pawnshop doing a favor for a friend named “Lucky” and that he did not sell the firearm to the pawnshop. However, the jury found the Defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of possessing and pawning the firearm in question. |
| The State then proceeded to an “Erlinger phase” to prove that the Defendant qualified as a Habitual Felony Offender and as a Violent Career Criminal. During the months before trial, the Defendant refused to be fingerprinted on several occasions. The State called the arresting Detective to the stand and introduced the Defendant’s time and crime report, certificate of non-pardon, certified booking photo, and certified convictions. |
| The jury found the Defendant qualified as both a Habitual Felony Offender and a Violent Career Criminal. He is now facing a minimum mandatory sentence of life in prison. |
| The ASAs would like to thank Felony Division Chiefs Kristen Rodriguez and Cristina Diamond and Career Criminal / Robbery Assistant Chief Alexandria Hunter for all their help with this case. The ASAs would also like to thank Victim Witness Counselor Shelley Cebrian for all her help coordinating with the witnesses and being with them during the duration of the trial. |
| On April 14, 2024, a confidential informant (CI) contacted the Defendant, known as “Stretch,” to purchase an ounce of cocaine. The Defendant agreed to sell it for $1,000. However, the Defendant told the CI that he would have his people (the Co-Defendant) serve the CI because he was not in town at the time. The Defendant provided the CI with the Co-Defendant’s phone number, and the Co-Defendant sold an ounce of cocaine to the CI for $1,000 on April 17, 2025. |
| On May 8, 2025, the CI arranged to purchase two ounces of cocaine from the Defendant. The Defendant and Co-Defendant arrived at the transaction location. The CI gave a take-down signal, and the police rushed in, arresting both Defendants. The Defendant was carrying a black bag at the time that contained the two ounces of cocaine and his Florida and Pennsylvania ID cards. |
| One challenging aspect of this trial was that only the Defendant was on trial, not the Co-Defendant. The Defense theory was that the Co-Defendant was the mastermind behind all of this, and the Defendant had no idea a drug transaction was taking place. The State showed how the evidence clearly implicated the Defendant and also how he could be found guilty under the principal theory. Ultimately, the jury was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant was guilty of possessing a trafficking amount of cocaine and/or that he was a principal to trafficking in cocaine. The Defendant faces a 3-year mandatory minimum sentence. |
| The ASAs would like to thank Narcotics Unit ASA Shaymaa Shwel for her help before and during the trial. The ASAs would also like to thank Victim Witness Coordinator Natalie Wright for coordinating the State’s witnesses. |

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